This morning, I am preaching from Mary’s response to the angel’s news that she was to be the mother of the Promised One. Luke’s Gospel captures her words in the first chapter, “And Mary said, my soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant….” She goes on from there […]
I am, unfortunately, prone to the occasional bout of whining. Often, it comes in some form of self-pity that believes my life should be different, that I shouldn’t have to face things I want to avoid or go without things I want. This is typically when I hear the voice of a good friend shouting, “First world problems.” There is a lot of truth to […]
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” – Matthew 11:28 “Don’t be selfish,” we hear, “being a Christian means putting God and others first.” The call to self-sacrifice seems ever-present in such comments, as we are reminded that Jesus poured out his life for us, and we should do the same for him. Clearly, the Christian […]
“My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways” – Psalm 23:26 It is hard to give your heart to someone you rarely spend time with. Not only is it difficult to a relationship without the investment, but all of the other distractions will seem so much more attractive. It takes time to share your heart, but time is a precious, […]
Last night, a violent storm front came through our region. For an extended time, lightning flashed almost continually, thunder shook the house, and massive amounts of rain fell, mixed with near 70 MPH wind gusts. It was quite intense. This morning, I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping as they enjoyed breakfast in our yard. The air was fresh, the foliage lush, and the […]
Some things are simply too amazing to ignore. I am currently reading through the Book of Acts during my devotional time. This morning, my focus was on chapter 12, including the story of the Peter’s imprisonment by King Herod. Beginning at verse 6, the story reads, “The night before Herod was going to bring Peter’s case forward, Peter was asleep between two soldiers and bound […]
Have you ever found yourself searching for just the right thing, yet felt like nothing quite hit the mark? As a foreign exchanges student once said to us, “It’s good, but it’s not the one.” One such search in my life was for a journal that met my needs. As a writer, observer, and life-long learner, I find journals a valuable aid to capturing the […]
I know, you are probably thinking, “here comes another blog post where Chuck explains (read ‘confesses’) his inability to find time to write, and fails to update his blog.” Well, the truth is, yes, and no. There was time for me to write and numerous ideas to explore, yet, there was nothing I felt I could (read ‘should’) post. I try embrace the guidance of […]
Do you ever feel like you are facing obstacles with walls so tall and strong you cannot get past them? In spite of the oft-quoted promise that, “God will never give you more than you can handle,” the truth is that we frequently face things that are greater than we can handle on our own, but not bigger than the God who loves us, and wants […]
I keep a small flashlight by the bed so that I can find things and get around without disturbing my wife as she sleeps. I noticed that the batteries were growing weaker, and the light a little dimmer each night, but I kept forgetting to replace them until I try to use it after we were in bed. It is no surprise then, that the […]