Four weeks of Advent anticipation brought us to this moment, Christmas is upon us. Many of us will gather for worship tonight, celebrating the birth of Jesus. Many families will make time for private worship to bless one another in celebration of God’s great love. Many people will not see the spiritual reality playing out before them. Like the multitudes in Bethlehem two millennia ago, […]
Good things happened yesterday and more will happen today. In fact, good things happen every day. Sometimes, they happen in far away places where they go unnoticed due to our lack of knowledge. Other times, they happen right around us, but go unseen because of our lack of awareness. Just because we don’t recognize them doesn’t make them any less significant, we simply miss their […]
We always seem to be searching for the extraordinary. There is a sense that we almost crave what is new, different, and more unique. That desire fuels creativity and invention, and pushes us to explore new frontiers. That same desire can lead to pain and destruction, and can cause us to miss the blessings that are already ours. During our recent Adirondack vacation, we decided […]
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 […]
When we see God, the awe and wonder of the experience changes us, and we slowly become windows through which other people have their own God sightings. Another year passed without seeing the Perseid meteor shower. Every year, I make an effort to see this cosmic display, and cloud cover obscures my view. It was over two decades ago that I saw them while working […]
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the […]
“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 […]
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. – Psalm 130:1-4 We all fail. We fall short, mess up, and yes, even […]
There is nothing quite like knowing you are on your way! There is a sense of excitement and joy that comes from each new beginning in our lives. We feel things begin to tremble as we begin to launch and we know that we are underway, something amazing is about to begin. The anticipation is tangible. Even facing some fear and the unknowns, we know […]
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” – John1:14 Sometimes, the greatest gifts come in the smallest packages. They often seem common, and their value may only be captured by those who truly realize what they have. I feel this way about this […]