I started the morning bemoaning. Rather than focusing on Christ and His work, all I could think about were my failures. They were like pesky gnats swirling around. But these unwelcomed intruders of my peace and joy found nowhere to land. God is doing a deep work in my heart. Father is teaching me that … Continue reading Turning Failures into Joy
Victory, from the Old French word victor, means to triumph or overcome in a struggle. A personal victory might be losing weight, breaking a bad habit or making the dean’s list. There are team victories, political victories and victories in war. Most victories require tremendous strain and effort, but are extremely rewarding. In Christian circles … Continue reading Victory is a Person
A few years ago, my oldest son Jonathan and I were tending a burn pile down by the barn. As we sat in camping chairs, water hose ready, watching the dried limbs and brush blaze, he had something to tell me that was very hard to hear. As my eyes followed a black ember dancing upward … Continue reading Loving Without Expecting Anything in Return
Desert Dryness “How long did they say we should wait here?” Andy asked, glancing again at the crumpled wreck that had once been their plane, as the two brothers laid exhausted in the desert heat. “Andy… How many times can we talk about the same thing?” Peter returned in tired frustration. “They said to wait … Continue reading Dying of Thirst
The clouds opened up and the rain poured. We sure need it, thought Peter as he stared at the drops disappearing into his brown, parched back yard grass. Looking out his porch screen, he noticed the holes. There were a hundred things needing to be done between the house repairs, his duties at work and … Continue reading Dead Bugs on the Windshield
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Romans 8:10 Deadlines create stress even in the most joyous of occasions. “Deadline” is a negative word which first appeared in a Georgia Confederate prison camp. Confederates built a rail around the stockade where … Continue reading Turning Deadlines into Lifelines
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (John 15:9) I feel it happening again – the temptation to take charge and handle the challenge myself. I try to trust God, but it seems to be ‘all up to me’; a familiar lie. The internal pressure is … Continue reading Remain in My Love
December 27th, 2019 David S, David M, Rob and Ben had a great time of fellowship, truth and prayer. They focused on I Corinthians 13. David M had to leave, but Russ joined for the challenge. Everyone got at least one skin, but Ben took the day with a -4 and 8 skins. Great day … Continue reading Big Boy and Pig Skin Weekly Challenge
“Delight yourselves in God and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (NASB) The God Shaped Hole in our Hearts Bliase Pascal wrote the following in the 1600s: “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that … Continue reading God Shaped Hole in our Hearts
I read I Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” (NKJV) I sense the Lord has much to say about this verse, so I slow down and dig deeper. I ask: what is the therefore there for? In other words, what should I bring forward from what has just been … Continue reading Under Construction: A Dwelling Place for Christ
