There are times when comfort is a blessing. The things that make us comfortable make us feel at ease, just like we are home. Just the word conjures images of the comfy chair, classic comfort foods, and the routines that bring peace to our lives. Yet, too much of such comfort leads to unhealthy situations. Often, we need discomfort to move us out of our […]
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32 Clutter, it accumulates easily, and as it does, it becomes a bigger impediment to our lives. Spiritual clutter, restricts our growth and hampers our faith. One person […]
It’s been two months since we moved into our new home. While many things are in their proper place, plenty of boxes remain unpacked, and many of our belongings still need a space. Our home is functional, but we are still working around the clutter of boxes and displaced things. Every day brings improvement, however, we will be glad to be completely settled. Clutter is […]
I love the smell of rain, especially when mixed with the ionized air of a thunderstorm. I enjoy the sound of the falling sheets of water, and the raindrops on the roof. Watching them dance on the road, or falling on the leaves, pausing only a moment before continuing their descent to the ground inspires awe at the vast simplicity of nature’s beauty, and God’s […]
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” – Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV God finds unexpected ways to get your attention, and if you are willing, your awareness Divine presence […]
Before we consider the role of reason in spiritual discernment, I want to mention I comment I received on yesterday’s post. A concern was raised regarding God’s involvement in our experiences. Specifically, that God does not cause bad things to happen in our lives so that we will learn a lesson. This is a very important point! Rather than simply make a passing comment on […]
Identifying the sources of negative spiritual gravity in our lives is the first step to breaking free. When we see what is holding us back, those things begin to lose some power in the light of that exposure, but knowing gravity exists will not give us the power to overcome its pull. We need to take active steps to move upward. Here are five steps […]
Last week was our denomination’s Annual Conference. It is always great to see friends, experience great teaching and worship, and do the business of the church. In preparation for the event, each of us receives a journal with all of the necessary information, including all of the action items for our time of business, details of the budget, and general information about our time together. […]
Bridges, trains, and the acrid smell of industry; rivers marked with barges of coal, these and many more are the images of home. I am a Pittsburgh boy, and, truthfully, that never leaves you. There is something about the city and the region that captures a piece of your heart forever. It is part of what makes our sports fans so annoying to others. We […]
Waiting goes hand-in-hand with pondering and, though not always easy to do, the results are certainly worth the effort. The story of Jesus unfolds one day at a time, just as our lives do. There was no button Jesus or his family could press that would leap them forward in the story. They had to walk out the plans of God in their lives like […]