Tagged: eternal perspective

4

Prayer / Teaching

THE POSTURE OF POSITION

Image by StarFlames from Pixabay Position.  What comes to your mind when you read the word—position?  Does a station in life, place of employment, or personal ownership of a company capture your thoughts? Perhaps your standing with a particular association or birth order in your family registered. Position for a pilot, surgeon, and yoga instructor will probably resonate differently. Your almost-numb foot may have you changing your position.  God has much to say about position. Most importantly, about our position in Christ. A glorious location so incredible that when it is understood in the smallest degree, a posture of humility emerges. Meek...

2

Comfort and Hope / Encouragement

The Middle of the Story

PART THREE of the Following Jesus Birthday Trip. You can read PART TWO here. Sheri heard weeping the moment she stepped outside, beyond the smokey fire-charred remains of her store. It sounded like a child. Following the wailing to the garden, she discovered a little girl under the canopy of prayer requests. This precious one, unable to find the card she had written during a previous visit to the purple shop, was distraught. Sheri assured her not to worry, “Your prayer is safe with God.” Fire may have destroyed the building and its contents, but the real treasure—the prayers offered...

COME WHAT MAY 10

Encouragement / Teaching

COME WHAT MAY

I only had a few have to’s scheduled this past week.  Monday morning, I ventured to the store first thing. I was lacking a few ingredients for a couple of savory soups. A dear friend needed some nourishing goodness—physically and emotionally. We agreed on an afternoon delivery, so I was eager to get things simmering.  Across the parking lot, I noticed him. Seated by the entrance, his knees tucked to his chest and leaning against the brick column. A cardboard sign, lettered in black marker and too small to read, was propped up to his right.  Hmmm . . ....

DO WHAT YOU CAN WHEN YOU CAN 8

Encouragement / Teaching

WHAT YOU CAN, WHEN YOU CAN

I woke up yesterday morning ready to embrace the day. After traveling to Houston to visit relatives for New Year’s, I was eager to cook, clean, and jump into day one of my annual Daniel Fast. Mid-morning, mild nausea and an overall icky feeling arrived. I persevered, concocting the two soups already underway until excruciating back pain snatched my breath. Seized by gripping pain and unable to walk, I bent over the kitchen sink. Agonizing over the debilitating pain and frozen in place, I considered the bubbling soup simmering on the stove across the room. The ‘next step’ for the...

ADVENT LOVE 0

Advent / Encouragement

ADVENT LOVE

AD’VENT, noun [Latin adventus, from advenio, of ad and venio, to come. See Find.] A coming; appropriately the coming of our Savior, and in the calendar, it includes four sabbaths before Christmas, beginning of St. Andrew’s Day, or on the sabbath next before or after it. Webster’s Dictionary 1828 LOVE MOVES Thou lovest like an infinite God when Thou lovest; Thou movest heaven and earth to save Thy loved ones. Thou becomest man, a babe, the vilest of men, covered with reproaches, dying with infamy and under the pangs of the cross; all this is not too much for an infinite...

While you were sleeping 0

Encouragement

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

Working quietly in the twilight, I considered my parents—sound asleep about fifteen feet away. An exterior wall and an unconscious world separated us. Early Morning Several years ago, my brother and I constructed a new handrail by our parent’s back porch. With my father’s declining health and my mother as his full-time caregiver having a sturdy railing was crucial. We formulated a plan, gathered tools and supplies, then showed up early evening to make magic happen. My little daddy supervised construction from a folding chair on the porch. The ‘energizer bunny’ (my 90-year-old mother) weighed in on the process by...

substance and evidence 2

Comfort and Hope / Encouragement

SUBSTANCE AND EVIDENCE

You know the feeling—when life careens off the predicable rails or the bottom drops out leaving you grasping at air. Those moments you never imagined—startling like the sinister jack-in-the-box jester. All is well, turning the crank while sprightly music tinkles from within the metal box. Then in an instant—unexpected mayhem erupts. Perhaps that is a bit dramatic but you get the point. Life has a way of catching us off guard.  Surprises, and not always delightful ones, come. I have been thinking a lot about those unsuspected surprises lately. MAKING MEANING From what I have seen, humans like to understand....

luck of the draw 8

Encouragement / Prayer

LUCK OF THE DRAW—NOT

The things that happen do not happen by chance, they happen entirely in the decree of God. God is working out His purposes. OSWALD CHAMBERS NOTHING HAPPENS BY ACCIDENT This past weekend a group of friends, old and new, pushed the pause button on life. We fled to our favorite fall retreat spot–a tranquil location we have visited for the last fifteen years. Every retreat is different in theme, message, and the silly antics of our annual Friday night game. But one thing is constant–God’s presence. What I never imagined was God surprising me with a special gift. Several months...

Calm collected faith 0

Poetry

CALM COLLECTED FAITH

ASSURANCE Not one “Oops!”, “Uh-oh”, or “Sorry!” but perfection in all His ways No mistakes, sovereign ruling throughout our fleeting days What seems mistake or worse, an “accident” of chance Is well within His grasp, not dicey happenstance. But evil and injustice—how can these things occur Without Him moving quickly and justice to secure? Higher, more profound, far beyond our grasp The Master works His wonders, and one day we will gasp When dimly becomes clearly, and all is fully seen Worship, adoration, repentance in between Humbled, staggered knowing—wise beyond belief Beholding Sovereign Wisdom, the fullness of relief When Cross...

YOUR LIFE—A GIFT 2

Encouragement

YOUR LIFE—A GIFT TO GIVE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Last week I flew to the Pacific Northwest—a place where my soul soars unlike anywhere else. Oregon’s towering forests, winding roads, vast stretches of orchards, snowy mountain peaks, breathtaking beauty, and civil temperatures expand and enrich my spirit. Especially after enduring a long stint of stifling Texas temperatures. The primary purpose of the trip was to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 95th birthday. The big bash, scheduled for Sunday afternoon at her church, brought friends and family together. After being isolated due to the pandemic, gathering with others did her heart good. She retracted her ‘I don’t want a party’...