Matthew 6:25-34 Little cautious bird of brown and blue, Stealing through my yard in search of treasure, Knowest that thy Heavenly Father loves And feeds thee with all riches beyond measure?
That Sense of Wonder
–Originally published on FWB21 March 24, 2011– Ever see a really great magic trick and be totally floored by it? It’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen–you cannot possibly wrap your mind around how it could be done. Let me see that again. Has anyone ever removed that veil of mystery and shown you how to do that cool magic trick? It takes away the wonder. When you see it performed again, you think, psh, I know how he did that. Big deal. This morning, I was thinking that maybe I am guilty at times of doing that with God. I’ve read scientific facts about our solar system and the stars within our galaxy, and I’ve thought, yeah, He spoke […]
The Love of God for Parents
I recently re-read this passage from The Legacy Path, by Brian Haynes, and my heart was greatly encouraged. Just wanted to share the encouragement with you. What a God we serve! What does it mean to have a father in God and to be His child even as we are parents ourselves? Having a father and being His child comes with privilege and responsibility. At its core the Father and child relationship between God and His people can be described in one word: love. A quick study of a familiar passage shows just what kind of love God expends toward His people. You know The Ten Commandments. Consider Exodus 20:5. “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, […]
Log Extraction
–Originally published on FWB21 March 20, 2011– I don’t like to admit when I’m wrong. Let me rephrase that: I absolutely HATE having to admit when I’m wrong. Every ounce of my being fights it as I angrily look for any excuse that it’s the other person’s fault. Being in the wrong hurts my pride, and that’s quite a tender spot. Well, today was one of those days. It started with a harsh comment from my dear husband that put me in a tiff for hours. I huffed and I puffed and I fumed to myself about all the reasons that it wasn’t my fault, and all the things I was right about, and all the ways he was the […]
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
–Originally published on FWB21 March 18, 2011– Did you know that Aretha Franklin’s famous song “Respect” was written by a man? Otis Redding, to be exact. The following lyrics were lauded by the feminist movement when sung by a woman, but listen to this man’s words pleading for respect and recognition from a woman: (oo) All I’m askin’ (oo) Is for a little respect when you come home (just a little bit) Hey baby (just a little bit) when you get home R-E-S-P-E-C-T Find out what it means to me Has quite a different ring to it, huh? A man pleading with his wife for a little respect. I found this interesting tidbit in Dr. Emerson Eggerich’s book Love and […]
Who Will You Be Today?
–Originally published on FWB21 April 19, 2011– My dear husband said something profound recently. He told a friend, “You know, I never really was a reader either… until I started reading.” The funny thing is, he is absolutely right. When we met, Mick wasn’t a reader–I was. He certainly did not share my love for books, and never had. After 3 years of Bible college and 2 years of graduate studies, though, my dear husband has become an avid reader. As he’s had to read more, he’s become a faster reader, his comprehension has improved, and he has started to enjoy feeding his mind through books. He now reads more than I do! If you were to ask me to […]
Training to… Suffer?
–Originally published on FWB21 August 17, 2012– World-class athletes train for intense competition by pushing themselves on a daily basis, denying themselves the indulgences that make them sluggish and weak, and focusing on the prize that motivates them to win. In the same way, if we believers are following Christ in obedience, our daily walk will prepare us for… suffering. Jesus warned us that we would suffer if we follow Him. The first epistle of Peter is in itself a theology of suffering. But how does our daily walk with Christ train us to suffer? The one who willingly fasts on a regular basis is prepared to face hunger or poverty with a spirit of grace when it is forced […]
Mary, Joy, and Suffering
–Originally published on FWB21 December 31, 2011– Christmas is over, family members have gone, and I finally have a moment to flesh out something that has been constantly on my mind this Christmas season: joy and suffering go hand in hand. Specifically, my thoughts have been on Mary throughout this Christmas season. As a mother, I connect with her more than any other player on the scene of God’s great incarnation. As we celebrate Christ and the reason He came to earth, I remember a phrase from the familiar story of His birth: But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) As a child, I imagined that this was a kind of daydreamy meditation […]
Lessons from Life in Transition
–Originally published on FWB21 December 10, 2012– For the past three years, we have been living in a near-constant state of transition. After we returned from Spain, at no point in time did we ever expect to be in the U.S. for more than six months. A year seemed unfathomable. But after every few months, we were delayed again… and again. So here we are, almost three years later… still in transition, waiting for our visas so we can depart for a new area of Spain. Looking back over the past three years, there are a number of things we would have done differently had we known that we’d be here for such an extended period of time. But I […]
Faith in the Midst of Pain
–Originally published on FWB21 December 15, 2011– Last night has been my lowest point so far since the news of our indefinitely delayed departure for Spain. The full realization of all the implications of staying here finally hit my emotions. The pain and sorrow flooded over me and the tears burned hot. I felt alone, hopeless, helpless, and purposeless. Honestly, I wanted to wallow in my sorrow. I wanted to just curl up in a ball and have a pity party. But I could not–my family needs me right now. That’s when another realization hit me: I have nothing left to give. A number of people are depending on me right now, and I am emotionally and mentally drained. I […]