“He hath made everything beautiful in His time…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV) I looked at you sitting beside me at the dinner table last night and marveled at what a beautiful and courageous young man you have become. Thanks to all who love you, your eighteen years will hold you strong in truth, wisdom, and honor. Embarking on this new journey in the navy will make your path a struggle at times, but never forget that love is stronger than fear…..
(Psalm 139: 1-5 KJV) “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought a far off. Thou compasses my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.” These words are strongly speaking to my mind…..
In “The Cost of Discipleship,” Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Christian discipleship without acts is not Christianity. Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” Only our Christian deeds make us like “Christ-with-flesh- on.” I firmly believe that we must also offer hope to everyone, not just to family members, friends, and neighbors, but to all people of all races, creeds, colors, religions, genders and political parties. We have become such a divided country that we are failing to see how broken…..
Psalm 103:2-5 states, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” When you truly listen to people’s life crushing stories, you see that they have endured hardships and have also been blessed with many wonderful…..
When do you praise the Lord…every day, every week, only on Sundays? We need to praise Him every minute of every day because He gives us life and everything in it. We are nothing without Him. Psalm 148 tells us who should praise Him. We are to praise Him in the heavens and in the heights. All the angels and all His hosts are to praise Him. The sun and moon and all the stars are to praise Him. The…..
There is so much darkness in the world today that it is very hard to find the tiniest light among the darkness. The tiniest light in WWII Germany was Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s. I do not know how he found the courage and faith to stand up for others, to fight the darkness of the Nazi regime, to go beyond himself, to question what was happening and to act to correct it, and to bravely answer God’s calling to sacrifice his life…..
Have you ever felt unseen or unnoticed? Everyone’s eyes seem to be locked on their cell phones; no one makes eye contact with you. No one talks to you because they do not know you. You try to find a vacant seat on the bus or train but there are none available. Then, out of nowhere, you hear a woman say, “Thank you for giving up your seat, sir! You have made my day! Thank you for seeing that I…..
Nobody knows how many tomorrows or what kind of tomorrows we will have, but I put my faith and love in the One who knows all my tomorrows, Jesus Christ. God does not judge us by how much we have endured but by how much we have loved. People will know who we are by our pasts, but only Christ defines us. That definition is based on how we love one another and how we care for others. God is…..
To Tell, Share, Love, and Protect If we all told our truths and had them accepted, If we all told our experiences and had them understood, If we all had told our values and had them shared, If we all shared our kindness and had it appreciated, If we all shared our wisdom and had it values, If we all shared our differences and had them loved, If we all loved one another and had us evolve into a better…..
This morning I had planned to go to the park for my church’s outdoor service, but as I was pulling out of my driveway, it started to rain. At times like this in the summer, it does my soul wonders to be with God in His outdoor tabernacle, but with the rain, I turned around and came back to the house. As always since COVID-19, if it is impossible to sit outdoors, I turn to Max Lucado’s sermons for solace……