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Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Immediately…
Is it wrong for me to think I can reflect God?
Humans aren’t perfectly holy, all-present, or all-knowing.
Don’t worry! I don’t propose that we can reflect those kinds of attributes, but if we are in Christ we are enabled and called by God to image other attributes of Himself; the ones He calls His followers to. Imaging them isn’t to be a prideful or self-righteous move; it’s just the opposite. God’s attributes are all based on His perfect love. The essence of His kind of love is kindness, tenderness,…
Have you ever heard this heart-wrenching story?
Polish Priest, Maximilian Kolbe, was arrested by the Gestapo for hiding Jews and Polish refugees from the Nazis during World War II. During his time at Auschwitz concentration camp, ten men were rounded up to be starved to death in order to deter further escape attempts by the prisoners. One of the ten men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, began to cry out, “My wife! My children! I will never see them again!” Kolbe was present and was moved to step forward. He removed his cap, and said, “I…
One can’t miss the intricate handiwork of spiders, especially in the fall. I recently found myself mesmerized by them on my morning walk. I looked up high in the changing trees and tried to follow the lines and curves. I couldn’t imagine how such a small creature could pull off such a great task. The picture at the top of this post shows one that must have been at least one and a half feet in diameter. The spider’s work is beyond me!
I was having a delightful morning; it was just me, my coffee, and my computer. Having finished up an amazing prayer time with gentle worship music, I decided to catch up on some Christian blogs. The first blog post I looked at was over at BettieGsRASeasons about a new book by Cheryl Smith called Biblical Minimalism – Following Jesus From a Life of Abundance To a More Abundant Life. In her latest post Cheryl says,
I walked along the outline of our property. It was over ninety degrees, but I didn’t feel the harshness of the sun because I was under the cool shade of the trees that line our creek. I could walk for at least fifteen minutes before I would hit the area where there is no relief. I looked at the ground and saw the shadows of the trees shifting slightly in from the breeze. That was my path. Once in a while, there was a small break in the line of shadows, but there was always more shade…
I’d like to think that at age 48 I’ve learned not to worry about pleasing others or to fear what other people think.
But it turns out that I do. Certainly, I’ve grown in this in certain areas of my life. In other areas, I need to check myself. One area I’m particularly aware of is politics.
Maybe it’s because we, as a society, have drawn such hard lines politically and I just don’t find myself aligning with any one place completely. It seems so much of life beliefs need…
My just-turned eleven-year-old runs through the checks for her bunny care again, “Food, water, both locks.” She has two so she says it again, “Food, water, both locks.” I had been recently wondering if she’s ready to get the third one we will pick up today. Her goal is to breed and be involved in making sure that the babies will survive. I think she’ll do well. She’s growing in her knowledge and maturity. She’s learned how to “keep” rabbits. She knows when they need protection, nourishment, interaction, and affection. She’s become an expert at “keeping” her…
“It is the infinite value of the finished work of Christ upon the cross plus nothing that is the sole basis for the removal of our guilt and the bestowal of the same level of worthiness as is possessed by Christ.” -Francis Schaeffer
This is one of my favorite quotes and I let it sink in and wash over me again as I sprawl out in the glorious, spring sunshine on the giant swing. My cat, Daniel Tiger, gets it. He seeks out his favorite spot on our property to soak up the…
I feel vulnerable. And when I feel vulnerable, my first reaction is to run away. While I know my response needs to be to run to God, I’m just realizing that this entire week I’ve been running from Him.
What makes you feel vulnerable?
For me, there have been some things brewing like…
Loving in the Hard:
Stretching yourself to try to continually love someone well who doesn’t return the same level of love, perhaps even someone who only returns aloofness or harshness is deeply…
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