Buried Treasure and the Incomparable Gains of Following Jesus
Sometimes when unbelievers hear about the hallmarks of the Christian life, they dwell on what they believe they must sacrifice. But beneath the surface of that simplistic assessment of what might be forfeited lies a singularly beautiful truth. What truth might that be, you might wonder? Well, it’s…buried treasure and the incomparable gains of following Jesus. Follow The Leader The concept of following is quite elementary. As children, we are all taught the game of Follow the Leader. The idea is for the young or non-indoctrinated to follow someone who knows what they are doing or where they are going. Following means simply falling in line behind that leader and…
How We Can Truly Strive for Peace
Lush olive branches. A circle with three lines in the middle. A hip oral salutation made to friends or strangers. These symbols and gestures communicate peace. Indeed peace, by its very nature, sounds like a passive state that befalls rather than is chosen. I once bought into that line of thinking, too. I believed the feeling of peace would befall like a fresh spring rain on the willing, repentant Christian. But for peace to be more than “just a wish your heart makes” as Cinderella might say, it must be an intention. I’ve been pondering how we can truly strive for peace. In 1 Peter 3:11, Jesus’s disciple speaks of…
Razor-Edged, Sacrificial “True” Love
Picture it: 3:30 a.m. on a cold February morning in 2018. The pain of my new artificial knee had reached a nine. Indeed, my six inch-long centipede of a scar felt like it would rip open from my agony. So I quietly sobbed alone in my bed, not wanting to disturb anyone. My sleepy husband padded down the hallway. He heard me crying and systematically proceeded to add ice to the machine designed to freeze out my pain. In that moment, my adult self experienced from the receiving end something new first-hand. What was it? Razor-Edged, Sacrificial “True” Love. As a young 13-year-old girl, wondering and dreaming about what love…
Your Emotional Rescue: And God’s Response to Your SOS
The future of the pandemic remains uncertain. Fear about responses to a change of guard in the White House loom over our country. Rumblings of martial law permeate the national conversation. Yet our Jehovah Jirah stands at the crossroads. So don’t panic. Posture yourself for…wait for it: Your emotional rescue: God’s Response to your SOS. It’s ready for the taking. Don’t Fall Prey to Doomsday Mindsets Maybe you aren’t literally wielding a white flag right now. But we are all unsettled to some degree. Essentially, living in these challenging times requires each of us to strike a delicate balance in our attitudes. We must essentially walk a tenuous tightrope. On…
The Winter of Our New Year Discontent?
The Times Square ball dropped on schedule. Calendar pages flipped. Yet the pandemic lingers. And we begrudgingly rang it in with the “new” on the last day of the year. Its mushroom cloud continues its ever-widening reach over the globe, refusing to dissipate. And so, the new season of limited sunlight settles in. The Winter of Our New Year Discontent? It’s here too. But I’m honing in on five fires worth stoking in 2021. The Flames of Faith The most challenging feat of 2020 involves choosing faith over fear. As Christians it’s imperative that we live a life that reflects a profound trust in our Almighty God. If we say…
Five Vault-Worthy Treasures to Secure From 2020
I’m clinging mightily right now to the old adage “out with the old, in with the new” in these final December days. I may stay up after midnight not merely to greet the new year but to kick out the old one for good. But this year hasn’t solely amounted to a disagreeable lump of coal. I’m now making a different list and checking it twice. Here’s my gift of insight to you: Five Vault-Worthy Treasures to Secure from 2020 Increased Patience and Flexibility To be sure, we live in an instantaneous culture. Instant answers, espresso in express time, and prepared food in minutes readily reflect this predisposition. But during…
An Advent of Yearning: Reconciling Loss With Gain
Honestly, is it really beginning to look a lot like Christmas? Methinks not, as Charles Dickens might have said. These days, the calendar and the commercials remind us. And we may be getting our decorations up. And for those of us who prepare our hearts for the Christ Child’s arrival, we can look for cues in carols and readings. Yet our hearts long for so much more. Because we are, in this, an advent of yearning, reconciling loss with gain. Preparing Our Hearts Means Inventorying Losses and Gains This reckoning is twofold. Advent is indeed a season of anticipation. It consists of the four Sundays preceding Christmas. Generally defined, it…
Holiday Detente: It’s What’s For Dinner
Feel a dread washing over you like it’s tax day? You’re juggling challenging and differing approaches to COVID. Yes, murky election results and reactions further stir the pot. It’s enough to churn your stomach, but take heart. Here’s an ingredient-free recipe for you. Holiday Detente: It’s What’s For Dinner. Yep, my good old fashioned recipe for a smooth, drama-free holiday meal requires setting an intention. If hosts and hostesses identify a list of safety topics, and a few hot topics to avoid, a greater outcome may result. And if you employ a few distraction topics, that can help, too. Restraint and tact are key to this endeavor. “In diplomacy, you…
The First Class Journey of Prayer
Global adventures rest on ice these days. Travelers? Grounded. Rows of planes gather dust in parking lots around the world. Your stick and bandana along with your suitcases are also sidelined. But there is one absolutely amazing adventure you can still embark on from your armchair. The first class journey of prayer takes you to a bucket list destination. It awaits every Christian. You’ve no doubt heard – or may yourself have uttered- that familiar phrase all we can do is pray. Journey of Prayer As A First Resort In fact, a lot of people are saying that right now. Money in their pockets says “In God We Trust” but…
Fall Back To Spring Forward: Let Go And Let God
Our “fall back” schedule begins November 1. But you may be feeling like we couldn’t fall back any more than we already have. Backlogged travel plans, furloughed jobs, along with canceled parties and family celebrations, are all taking their toll. But behind it all is a silver lining. Fall back to spring forward. Let Go and Let God. It can make all the difference in accelerating your goals in a time of substantial stagnation.
