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- Gloom, Despair, and Agony - Gloom, Despair, and Agony: Humor plays an important role in our lives. Without humor and our faith in Christ, we can sink to the depths of ‘gloom, despair and agony’. There were times when felt we were in that pit during those months during the pandemic, a very real, and painful experience where you had to trust in the Lord and the few brief contacts with the outside world to keep sanity in place. The truth is that in living our lives we occasionally slip into depression, worry, and uncertainty. This is a very real issue that we need to be aware of in ourselves, and in our conversations with friends and family. Continue reading
- God’s Gifts and Our Purpose - God's Gifts and Our Purpose: Think about that and about the gifts or talents given to each of us. Every person has the task of releasing angels by shaping and transfiguring all those raw materials that lie within into our life, artistic works, careers, etc. We chip, and scratch, and file away at our raw material to discover our gifts, and the transformational process begins. Beneath this shell of hard-headedness, stubbornness, self-importance, low self-esteem, etc., waits the angel of our worth. Because our gifts carry us into the world and makes us participants in life, the uncovering of them is one of the most important tasks confronting any one of us. When we talk about being ourselves -- being the person we are intended by God to be -- we are talking about gifts. We cannot be ourselves unless we are true to the gifts and graces that flow to us from His hands. Continue reading
- Every Good Thing - Every Good Thing: Think about that and about the gifts or talents given to each of us. Every person has the task of releasing angels by shaping and transfiguring all those raw materials that lie within into our life, artistic works, careers, etc. We chip, and scratch, and file away at our raw material to discover our gifts, and the transformational process begins. Beneath this shell of hard-headedness, stubbornness, self-importance, low self-esteem, etc., waits the angel of our worth. Because our gifts carry us into the world and makes us participants in life, the uncovering of them is one of the most important tasks confronting any one of us. When we talk about being ourselves -- being the person we are intended by God to be -- we are talking about gifts. We cannot be ourselves unless we are true to the gifts and graces that flow to us from His hands. Continue reading
- Taking Care of Business - Taking Care of Business: There is a phrase in the secular world, “Making Love”, that conjures up things that do not belong in a devotional. However, that phrase does communicate an important process in the deepening of a friendship, the strengthening of the bonds in a marriage or a partnership, or the trust that often forms in a Bible Study group. A process that requires discipline, both active and passive.From a spiritual standpoint, we are called to love others, and Jesus goes so far as to tell us to love others as He has loved us. Continue reading
- Fourth Day - Fourth Day: We had been part of the Bible study for less than a year, when our Pastor urged us to participate in a weekend retreat. Neither one of us wanted to go, but when the pastor asks…On the drive over to Columbus we were two grumpy men, who were going where they did not want to go, doing something we did not want to do, being part of something we did not know anything about. Three days later we were two different men in that car traveling home, back to what we knew was our ‘Fourth Day’. On that retreat, we had met Jesus in ways that we have never considered, and it changed us. We now knew that we were children of God. Continue reading
- Can You See God? - Can You See God? Well, wherever real beauty, goodness, and truth occur they give us clues to seeing God. Each one of us could define those words but I would challenge you to visualize an absolute, concrete example of each, for each carries a glimpse of God. We humans have a fascinating problem when we consider how the God of creation shows himself to us. We have a hard time grasping the magnitude of the Almighty. Sometimes we miss clear evidence of His presence, character, and purpose when it is displayed before our very eyes. We simply miss the moment, the act, the healing, the joy, the peace, the touch of a loved one’s hand or voice, the little things that mean so much to us, forgetting that it is God showing Himself to you and I, personally. Continue reading
- Just As I Am - Just As I Am: Sometimes we stumble into God’s blessings, unaware and often unprepared. He puts us where he wants us, then draws us up to new heights where we would never have gone on our own; and the blessings become indelible. How about you? Have you ever walked into God’s blessings, ill prepared for what he has in store for you? Maybe you think you’re not dressed appropriately, maybe you planned to be somewhere else, doing something else, and your mind was someplace else. But there you were; dirty, sinful, wretched human being, displaying no reason that God would even look at you, let alone bless you…Yet, He does. Continue reading
- I Am the Greatest! - I Am the Greatest! Alright, who first said that and when? If you said Muhammad Ali you would be almost correct! Cassius Clay made that statement in a comedy album that was released in August 1963, six months before he announced his conversion to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. I am the greatest! I deserve this! I am entitled to more! Only I can do this! No one is better! In our political world, we will probably hear more of this child-fantasy talk and braggadocio, to the point where we want to scream. So, who is the greatest? Can we say with conviction’s that we do not deserve all the gifts and graces that our Lord has showered on us? The greatest is not me, or you. Continue reading
- Time to Clarify - Time to Clarify: The Bible isn't interested in making people happy. Instead, the Bible focuses on joy. Happiness is something we feel because of our situation or circumstances; i.e. we won the lottery, my friend still loves me, we found our lost 'sheep'. We are happy because something made us happy, but we are joyful because of our Spirit within. Somehow, happiness never seems to cross our minds when adversity knocks on our door, and yet…Have you ever thought about this: Can adversity breed joy? We are hard on ourselves, aren’t we? Our tendency is to look backwards. I coulda, shoulda done that differently, said something else or nothing at all, blah, blah. What a waste of time to sputter around with regrets. That can only lead to frustration, and all the related negative emotions, and there goes our happiness, right out the window. Continue reading
- The Math Lesson - The Math Lesson: It doesn't take much to walk in love. Sometimes it's simply showing kindness in the face of pain. Sometimes it’s your presence in their lives that has value. We’ve read devotionals on the topic of “the least of these”, part of the Good Samaritan parable. There are times when I think about that math lesson and how it changed me at a time when I didn’t know how to deal with the darkness in my young life.That simple ‘thank you’ was the pebble that nudged the rock, that tipped the boulder that led to a change of life. Continue reading
- Wake Up!* - Wake Up! We wake up to another day. Is this the day the Lord has given us? Yes. Do we rejoice? Do we? Are we glad? We pray for security and safety for our family, for our children, for our circle of friends, for the nation, for those we do not know, in places where we’ve never been. The thought may occur to us, that our prayers to God cannot be heard above the cries of the crowds that fill our streets in protest of injustice, or above the crash of breaking glass, and the emptiness of words spoken by our so-called leaders. And we may wonder where are you, Jesus? Continue reading
- Least of These? - Least of these?: Are you confused by the phrase, the least of these ? For years, when I have read that phrase I've assumed that it meant everyone, all of society's poor and downtrodden, those who are homeless, those who are hungry, those who are victims of programs and policies that hurt people. I did not realize that the scripture passage was the focus of much controversy in recent years. I was reading a blog from the Center for Christian Thought and they went into some detail about the different interpretations of that phrase. I wonder if we turn off our generosity, our compassion, when we are confronted by a problem that is so massive that we don’t know where to start. Maybe our mentality should focus on making a difference for a few. Continue reading
- I Don’t Know That Man! - I Don't Know That Man!: Consider this: Are we intentionally blind? Do we look away from need and pass by on the other side? Do we think that if we don’t see it, it never happened? Do we then chalk up our not seeing to ignorance. Then we trust our ignorance and tell ourselves it’s innocence. We trust our innocence and pride ourselves in our purity. Then, maybe, when we are called out by God, or circumstance, or our own conscience, we resent the implication. Maybe the truth is, we don’t resent it so much as we resemble the implication. What do you think of Peter? Three times he denied our Lord. Ever have this thought as you read that scripture: That could never happen to me! I would never deny him. I believe the truth is that we do deny our Lord, with greater frequency than we could ever admit. Continue reading
- Help Us to Be Wise… - Help us to Be Wise: How about those times when you are not plummeting to the earth from 14,000 feet, or on the verge of a medical crisis, or on that roller coaster wishing you weren’t, and things are good and you’re not scared, confused or lost? You know, when things are going smoothly, and you’re enjoying life. Or, maybe you have a decision that you must make, A or B, two good choices, but simply cannot make up your mind. While either is good, which is better? One way seems colored with service for others, while the other is one you favor. What to do? Help us to be wise…when we don’t know. Indeed, wisdom has power, and God-given wisdom has a special purpose. Has the “help” come when, with confidence, we make choices and stand by them with strength and purpose? “Guide us with your Grace“. Grace? What is Grace? Grace is God’s unmerited favor. Continue reading
- Tribute to Mac - Tribute to Mac: Dr. Mac McKinley, Dentist, and a beautiful force within our little community departed on an adventure we all must take when he joined our Lord and Savior less than a week ago. His absence is felt by so many, especially those of us who have gone through the departure of a loved one and so we can relate to the void that seems to exist right here within our lives. Continue reading
- Give Us Faith So… - Give Us Faith So... : You stand at the open hatch of the of the Cirrus SR20. You had packed your own parachute, under the watchful eye of your instructor, and you are ready for your first solo jump. but your mouth is dry and your heart is beating loud enough to be heard over the roar of the engines. You wait for the tap on your shoulder, then, without another thought, launch yourself out into the void. You follow instructions, and throw your arms and legs out, spread Eagle, to slow your descent, you let out a cry of joy and excitement; For perhaps 40 seconds you free-fall, the air rushing by, you enjoy the ride, then your focus shifts to the altimeter, waiting for that target number of 4,500 feet to click, when you must deploy your chute. Okay, it’s time. You reach for the ring that would release the pilot chute. The ring comes off in your hand! Your decent continues, but the first edges of panic begin... Continue reading
- The Prayer - Safe: Such a little word. We know what it means in baseball and in banks. When we use it to describe our sense of presence, it strongly implies physical safety. It is a little like security, but a bit closer to peace. Safe. David Foster and Carol Bayer Sager have written a beautiful, special song, “The Prayer“, which captures the meaning and importance of a spiritual presence, which, by its very nature, is part and parcel of being “safe”: I pray you’ll be our eyes, and watch us where we go, and help us to be wise, in times when we don’t know... So, what about your life, what would change in you, unexpectantly, under the watchful eye of God? Continue reading
- Miracles at Work - Miracles at Work: Have you ever seen a miracle? No? Are you sure? Maybe you were part of it, and you have no recollection of having been there, or seen it, or heard it. Maybe, without you knowing it, someone had observed you doing something for the Lord, and it caused them to think, to pray, to act. Just a little thing, a seedling. There are some who believe miracles are all around us, all the time. Are you one of those? We hear about miracle drugs, miracle this, miracle that, and maybe that’s just advertising. Or is it? None of these things seem like miracles, at the time, but each one is a grace handed down by God. Maybe that’s the definition of miracle that we should cling to. Continue reading
- What? Exercise? - What? Exercise?: I'm a lazy guy. I mean seriously lazy. I avoid exercise, mainly because I don’t like to expend the effort and the thought of going for a walk was boring.Let's say God intervenes. Doctors find that I have a defective valve in my heart that must be replaced. My life depends upon it. So, of course, I have the surgery. But then this doctor of mine prescribes, Cardiac Rehab, another word for exercise. What does all that have to do with a devotional? There is common ground between physical and spiritual disciplines. With physical discipline it took a crisis and a good number of sessions before I could exert myself and breathe normally. Spiritual discipline often starts with a crisis that cause us to turn to God, and the result is immediate;the doorway to love, joy, peace, and other graces. Continue reading
- Idol Clarification - Idol Clarification: Back in the days when I was doing value clarification workshops, I had the participants make list all those things they value the most. Then, through the course of the workshop we did a series of exercises, including more list-making. In the end, what emerged were items we highly cherish, or value. The result being the values that we cherish were the ones we spent time on, were the ones we spent money on, were the ones we worried about. These were not necessarily the ones we had placed on the first list of things we valued. Maybe what we have done is simply to reveal our idols. Now, what do you do with them? Our God is a jealous God. He asks us to worship only him. And yet, do we put Him first? I Continue reading
