Freedom of choice means choosing between life and prosperity or death and adversity. If we choose life, we choose to be obedient to God’s commands. If we choose death, all other things in our lives become more important than eternal life. One way or the other, we are bound to something. Jesus challenged us with this question: “Do you own your possessions or do they own you?” If we place our faith in our possessions, it is difficult to carry…..
Feed the stomach of a child and he will grow. Feed the heart of a child and he will love. Feed the soul of a child and he will show courage. Feed the mind of a child and he will be wise. Feed the children of the world and they will become leaders. Our hearts are their homes; their homes are their futures. Anna Hartt
Who or what has defined you? Is it your parents, a spouse, a friend, your education, your job, your possessions, your money? Is it Jesus Christ? As I sat in our outdoor sanctuary this morning, singing “Beautiful Savior,” the lyrics reminded me of who should really define me. My Savior is the King of creation, Son of God, and Son of man. I love and serve Him; He is the light of my soul, my joy, and my crown. He…..
A while ago, I wrote about my tree of life, my blue spruce pine tree that I planted twelve years ago in front of my home. I have beautiful gardens around my property, each with a tree or two to accentuate the themed-garden. That blue spruce is now gone, as well as another blue spruce pine tree, an autumn blaze maple tree, and two crab apple trees, all of which were victims of the bad storm we had at the…..
Christ reigns over the world, but especially in my heart. I am bound forever by the power of faith, the birth of Christ, His baptism in the Jordan River, His dying on the cross for my sins, and His Resurrection. He is with me, within me, behind me, and before me. He is beside me, He has won me, and He comforts and restores me. He is beneath me, above me, in the quiet, and in danger. He is in…..
On July 13th, a beautiful baby girl was born to my grandson and his wife. They named her Helen Ashlyn, and she was such a joy to the family. Both my grandson and his wife are in the army, so his planned third tour of duty in Afghanistan had to be temporarily postponed. As most young couples do, they were over-joyed about Helen’s birth, but then tragedy struck. Six days after she was born, they found her unresponsive in her…..
When is racial prejudice going to stop in America? We are all made in the image of God: white, black, red, brown, almond, and yellow. We are all children of God, so why do we make disparaging remarks about each other’s color, race, creed, possessions, or talents? Jesus Christ speaks to us in the same way. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Luke 1:9) Freedom of…..
We had a horrendous storm this weekend that did tremendous damage over the area, complete with scary lightning, flooding rains, booming thunder, straight line winds, and vicious tornadoes. It almost made me feel like God was angry at us for some reason, but I realized God sends us storms to help us learn from our mistakes, whether its terrible environmental decisions, regulations on preparedness drills, or just spending too much money on landscaping projects. My lessons came from loving to…..
Jesus told a story about a man who traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was attacked by robbers and severely beaten, almost to death. A priest saw him lying on the ground and walked to the other side. A Levite religious leader came along and avoided the man as well. A Samaritan saw how badly beaten the man was and administered first aid to him. He put the man on his donkey and paid to have him taken care of…..
Show your faith by living every day with joy, love, peace, and strength. I awoke this morning, praising God with, “My Lord, what a morning!” The nations awoke to the sound of the trumpet, and sinners cried. Christians shouted praise for God’s awesome power. As I live each day, His glory is seen in the heavens, and He is the Creator of so much wonder on earth. I asked myself, “Why does God care so much about us? Why is…..