Grow Your Relationship with God
You give my five dollars, I’ll give you one hundred. Would you do that? How about this one? You give me all your old appliances and I’ll buy you new ones. Would you do that? You give me the keys to your home and I’ll give you a two hundred acre estate with ocean views. Deal or no deal?
Continue reading “I’ll Make You a Deal”
The very word used for oppression, God comes in and redeems it to bring blessing. Sustain is used to describe suffering something unpleasant, especially an injury. It’s also used to describe the act of being strengthened or supported physically or mentally. It’s also this week’s Your Word for 2020.
Continue reading “He’s Our Sustainer”
It never ceases to amaze me, how easily trust can be lost and how hard it is to gain. It’s so odd, you’d think it would be the other way around but it isn’t; why is that? Well intentioned parents do it, friends do it, priests, police, and politicians do it. I’ve even done it. I have broken the trust of those around me and experienced first hand the immense amount of work required to rebuild the relationship. Sometimes, that relationship is never repaired.
Continue reading “Do You Trust Me?”
Two sayings come to mind as I begin to write these words; God doesn’t answer all prayers, but He does carefully consider each, and We often don’t get what we want, but we always get what we need. These make great fuel for interesting discussion. Let’s take a step back and briefly ponder each of these before seeing how they fit into the theme this week’s meditation.
Continue reading “Not What You Expected”
Let’s eat, Grandma. vs. Let’s eat Grandma. I often think of this little example when I hear certain phrases, or even Bible verses cherry picked from here and there. In the case of Grandma, a simple comma is the only thing separating a wonderful meal with her from… you get the rest.
Here’s a familiar one for you. It is perhaps the most well known verse in the world; known by Christians and non-Christians alike; John 3:16.
Continue reading “Context is Everything”
Imagine for a moment, you receive a Christmas gift and use it everyday for 14 years. What a gift! Even if someone gave you a new car, after that many years you’d have likely gotten rid of it or found yourself in want of a newer one. Clothes, cars, computers, or cash… I’ll assume most would be a faint memory at best after 14 years. What kind of gift stands the test of time better than the aforementioned items? Well, in my humble opinion I have one sitting right here next to me.
Continue reading “The Everyday Christmas Gift”
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn says “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” The Bible also says it:
The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Proverbs 12:26 NIV
Then what are we to do?
Continue reading “The Company You Keep”
There are moments in life when you take a step back and what you see makes your hair stand on edge. This is one of those moments and I’m at a loss for words to describe just what I see. A similar situation occurs with outdoor nature photography. You pause at a jaw-dropping vista, in awe of its immense beauty and break out your camera to capture the moment. Putting eye to viewfinder, the scene loses all awe and wonder and you put your camera away. What makes these moments so special that words and photos seldom capture their mystique?
Continue reading “Throwing the Pot”
There is a particular holiday treat at Starbucks this time of year, and it is a great way to get in 500 calories if that’s what you’re looking to do. The Pumpkin Scone provides nearly one-quarter of all your daily required calories in one fell swoop. Convenient, relatively cheap, and laden with sugary sweetness; not many would argue with that. One calorie isn’t the same as another however.
Continue reading “Forever Satisfying”
There is a famous poem by John Godfrey Saxe titled The Blind Men and the Elephant. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Six wise men, each blind, encounter an elephant. If not, give it a read, it’s really good. Each of the men experience a different part of the animal and end up disagreeing with one another as to what this creature actually looks like. None realize that each has experienced only a part of the entire picture.
I liken my own faith experience to this poem. When I became a Christian, I gravitated towards one particular “stream” of Christianity. The churches I attend, podcasts I listen to, and books I read, can tend to all speak the same language and describe things in similar fashion. While great, if I’m not careful I’m only experiencing a distinct aspect of the Body of Christ.
Continue reading “Different Streams”