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“Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much.” -William Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing Words have been hard for me lately. Silence is easier. I wasn’t so full of joy I could not share like Claudio in the above quote. The big emotions – all of…
As a foreword…today I will be a guest on My Journey of Faith blogtalk radio show. It begins at 1:30 PM Central. I would love to have you join me. Sometimes unthinkable things happen all around and there is nothing you can do to stop it. A tornado hits, a hurricane blows, or a flood…
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. Proverbs 12:1 Yes the Bible uses the “s” word as my kids say. (And I’m happy that is what they think the “s” word is for now.) Hates reproof…That bowing up I get when someone tells me I mis-spelled a word on my blog or that…
I walked bare foot through the wet grass to the pots that contained my herbs. My oldest, she held an umbrella as the morning sky lightly sprinkled and followed me with her shoes on. As I snipped the basil she breathed in the earthy aroma and smiled. We walked a few steps to the cilantro…
“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the…
For my current seminary course I had to write a short-ish post about courage and how it relates to the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love…I thought you all might find it interesting… According to Merriam-Webster.com courage is the “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” And courage…
Slowly the blossom opened. Awakening to the beauty it held inside. Awakening to the truth of the world–exposed, delicate, beautiful, and finally awake. Awakenings often include a dying of sorts. Letting go of all you once knew to open up and break apart that beauty may come. God has been rousing me from a slumber…
I like being right. I hate being wrong. In an effort to never be wrong I often ponder, pray, and only take steps when I know for sure God said yes. Not a bad way to do things except sometimes I am a bit like Gideon. Offering test after test to make sure God really…
The task seemed monumental to me. God gave Moses specific instructions about how to build the Tent of Meeting. The Israelites would need about a ton of gold, 3.75 tons of silver, 2.5 tons of bronze, special cloths, embroidery work, jewels, hides, and more (See Exodus 36-38). Remember these are the folks God just freed…
Happy Birthday to me and my twin sister! Last year I posted some pictures of us when we were cute…You can see them here. Anyway, last night I spoke to the fifth and sixth graders at my church about joy. Sometimes God just takes hold of me as I speak and shakes me hard….
When I read about the Israelites in the Old Testament I shake my head in wonder. Those folks are hard-headed. They turn from God the second things get tough, they complain, then the beg for forgiveness. Yet every time I read about those folks I learn more about how wayward I am and often they…
Yesterday I wrote about how easy isn’t necessarily better and how Jesus told us we would have trouble, but we could have peace in Him. Today as I drove my kids to school I wondered about peace in Christ. I was stressing out about things I could not control – schedules that blossomed, puppies that…
Nine hours in the car gives you lots of family time–family togetherness. Kids beg to watch DVD after DVD and whine about their siblings breathing. The parent in the front passenger seat throws snacks to the kids and asks if they can hold “it” for thirty more minutes. Don’t judge us, there aren’t many places…
We sat outside in the unseasonably warm December sun. I sat on a folding chair reading Psalm 97 aloud as my kids sat on the stone patio. “Mommy,” my 8-year-old furrowed her brow. “I have a question.” “Sure,” I nodded, “what is it babe?” “I don’t understand how God loves people and then…
We evangelical Christians don’t get the idea of a high priest. We nominally nod when we think of Jesus as our high priest, but we don’t really get it. I still don’t think I get it very well. Other Christian denominations may have a better understanding. Those with popes and bishops have a hierarchy someone…
[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rNpXHYHKHo&feature=youtu.be[/tube] So the link isn’t working. I am working on that…So sorry for the confusion… Update…It should be working now…
I am praying for you. The you who is reading this blog post. You who are fighting the battles of this life… You who have lost a job, a loved one, your health. You who are dealing with uncertainty, becoming a care-giver, suffering loss. You who are battling the enemy of our souls as He…
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” Romans 8:1 Her tears stream down her cheeks and splash onto her glasses. My mommy heart breaks as I watch her. My mind begins to reel. Am I too hard? Am I too soft? What if I am stunting her academic growth?…
I have felt it for a while now. This call from God. This thing in my life that gives meaning and light to all of life. I wrote about it once on a folded piece of paper. It must be at least eight years old. It says: “I LOVE to sing. I feel Your pleasure…
Passion is a fire in your eye, a burning in your belly. I have talked about keeping your spiritual fervor here. How to find your passion here. Now I want to talk about keeping the flames of your passion white hot. I love fires on cold nights. The smell of burning wood brings fond memories…
Rapists, pedophiles, murderers, child abusers, wife-beaters and others seem to embody evil. Is it possible that people are evil? Are they born that way or do they become that way? My simple answer is I do not think there are evil people. Here is why: Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own…
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20 Did you catch that? God’s power is at work within us. The power that created the universe, the power that calms the sea, the power that raises…
There is a lie that Satan likes us to believe. It is a lie that he has been telling since ancient times. In fact it is found in the oldest written book in the Bible. Job. The lie? If you only have enough faith only good things will happen to you. If you only believe…
The question hangs in the air. It asked by countless people across the world. “Why is Good Friday called good?” That question reverberates with me each year as Easter approaches. I wonder how I can celebrate a sham of a trial, an innocent man sentenced to die, a gruesome death, and all for me. But…
My blood pressure sky rockets as I say the same sentence for what feels like the millionth time. My words are unheeded. Water continues to fill the cup held by a small hand. The cup overflows. My floor is wet. He didn’t pay attention. As a rule we all need to pay attention or life…
Wars, rumors of wars. Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan. Earthquakes. Japan, Australia, Haiti. Chaos. Uproar. People wounded, dead, dying, struggling to survive. Shattered dreams. Longings unfulfilled, dreams broken, hopes dashed. Daily things. Screaming children, spilling coffee, traffic jam, late again. Tragedies. Children sick, mothers dying suddenly, random violence, missing people. Bottom line. God knows, God loves,…
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