Inspirations

  53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.   Luke 23:53 It’s Friday.   Not just any Friday, but Good Friday.   The day on which we acknowledge the crucifixion of our Lord.   Today, I had the privilege of attending a Good Friday Service at a local church.   It consisted of scripture reading depicting different parts of the crucifixion interspersed with prayers and a song intermixed tying them all together.   They finished with them laying him in the borrowed tomb.   As I left, I turned to my daughter who had accompanied me and said “They left him in the grave.   It doesn’t feel right.”      As I said that, I was stopped short.   All week as I have thought about the crucifixion, I have been thinking of those who loved Jesus and how they must have felt.    They had watched the soldiers taunt, spit on, beat and fina...

  He lets me lie down in green pastures    Psalm 23:2     Yesterday, was “Tax Day”.    The day by which all good and noble Americans are required to render unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar.   In my state, it is also the day on which you will remove your studded tires from your vehicle and drive regular tires.      So, I stopped at the tire store to have the tires changed.    It was quite a wait because many of us were doing the same thing.     Finally, about an hour later, good thing I had my phone, the tires were on, and I was ready to go.     As I was collecting my things, the lady at the counter said, “You’ll need new studded tires for the next winter.”   I was a little agitated right about then.   I had just bought new summer tires. Now I need to prepare to buy studded tires for the winter.   Give me a break!     She explained that the belts...

As I was washing my coffee mug, I thought of the quote, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”  If you want to help others, you need to take time to recharge.   As I was thinking, I was reminded that you get out of the mug exactly what you put into the mug.  If I put coffee in the mug, guess what I will get out of the mug.   That’s right, coffee.   If I put dirt in the mug, I shouldn’t expect to find water.  It struck a chord with me that I need to be careful what I allow in my mug (life).   I will certainly get out of my life exactly what I put into it.  I can’t fill my life with negative thoughts, improper, sexually explicit movies, course jokes, anger, and the like and expect to get patience, love, joy, and peace.   It just won’t happen.   If I fill my life with the things of the world, my life will look like the world.  If I want my life to look like Christ, I need to let Christ fill my life, and fill ...

  Even though it's cold and snowy,  I am sitting here in my comfy chair sipping a soda but sometimes it's coffee. On tv, the weather channel is yammering something about another hurricane in Florida. My daughter just ran into the room, tripped over the cat, and fell in a heap on the floor. I must get to bed soon because five O'clock will come early. I'll be sleeping soundly in my warm fuzzy bed  when the alarm blares bringing my slumber to an end. In the past few years, I have turned some corners and life has thrown me some curveballs. I have faced things I never expected to face, and I have seen the faithfulness of God in my life. There have been times that I was sure I would not survive, but every day God shows his love for me. My life is far from perfect and some days are diamonds while others present a challenge but I am blessed and thankful for the life I have and  to God who gives us all things abundantly.

Today, as I was walking across a local parking lot,  a car started backing out just as I was walking behind it.  Fortunately, I saw it and scurried out of the way just in time.    As I continued my  jaunt to the car,  I was reminded of God's protection.   In my life, there have been many times that God has protected me.    At times the protection was very obvious and real.    Other times, the protection was not so obvious but just as real.    I am thankful that God is always taking care of us  when we know it and even when we don't.

From  sunrise  to sunset, let the  Lord ’s name be praised! Psalms 113:3  One thing that I completely enjoy is a sunrise or sunset. It is a visual reminder that I serve the God who paints the morning with  the breath of his mouth. Sunrises remind me that, no matter how bad yesterday was, no matter how bad I think I've blown it, I can start over and try again. Sunsets remind me that I survived. On hard days, as I watch the sunset, I can crawl into bed close my eyes, and whisper "I made through this day and that's enough." On good days, I can enjoy it with an overflowing cup.

I love to walk.   One of my favorite places to walk  takes me past a creek not more than a quarter-mile from my house.   The other day, I as was walking,  I decided to stop and sit by the creek.   I crossed the bridge and followed an old dirt path down to the creek. I found a flat rock big enough to sit on  and listened to the water running over the rocks in the creek.   The sound is so soothing and relaxing.   I sat sitting and skipping stones and meditating.    Finally, I decided to continue with my walk.   As I stood to leave and started walking back down the path,   the sound of the creek grew fainter  the farther I walked until by the time I was back on the sidewalk,  it was barely audible.   As I was thinking about this and how sound works,  I was reminded that, in our walk with the Lord,  the closer we are to God the better we can hear his voice. ...

  Lately, there has been a plethora of discussions and dissension about race and racism.  Sometimes, it is discouraging and depressing.  Everyone yells about rights.  I concede that there are some cases of racism.  This must be fixed when it is evident that it exists. But we often look at every label as bad.  Perhaps we can and should be proud of some labels. Are you a mom or dad? great! accept that label and wear it proudly.  It's what you are, a mom or dad.   Are you red, yellow, black, brown, or white? Awesome!  Most of the people I know will not look down on you for the color of your skin. In fact, be proud of your skin color.  It's an important part of who you are.   If someone refers to you by your skin color, rather than be offended,  be proud of the color that defines you.  Be proud of your ethnicity. When someone refers to you by your race, they may not mean any insult. It's simply a way of describing wh...

  “You are the  salt  of the earth.  Salt.  It adds flavor. A bag of popcorn without salt is kind of boring, But add some salt and it makes the bag delicious. In fact, many dishes are better when a pinch of salt is added. One of the things that we as children of God are supposed to do is add flavor. Like the salt added to food,  we should make the world a much kinder and better place. When we taste food without salt,  most of us immediately grab for the salt shaker. We want that salty taste. When people of the world are around us do they get the flavor of Christ? Once, I bought a box of salt that was not salty. It was not pretty.   I ended up throwing the whole box away. It was no good.  My Friends, let's ask God to make us the salt that others need.

You wake up, crawl out your warm cozy bed,  make your way the coffee maker and get your coffee.   With your coffee in your hand,  you sit down to watch the weather before you face the day.    The weatherman tells you about a disturbance in the Atlantic.   Overnight, a storm is looming.  It may or may not come your direction.   You keep your eye on the storm.   You also prepare.   You will gather necessities such as food, toilet paper, water.    You board the windows and sandbag your house.   You may even have somewhere safe to go in the event the storm is too strong.   Often have an emergency kit.   A few things that you might need if the weather gets bad.   Sometimes life can throw a hurricane at us.   It's the kind of troubles and trials that we can see looming in the distance.    These are the things that you try to prepare for ahead of time...

    Some storms pop up without warning out of nowhere.    One moment the weather is fine and the sun is shining,   the next the dark clouds are rolling in,   the thunder roars and lightning streaks across the sky.    There is little time to prepare.    There is no time to prepare for this kind of storm.    They blow in and blow out fast.   In our lives, we may experience some pop-up storms.    They are the situations in our life that pop up without warning.    One moment our life is calm and serene   and in a second the storm has come barreling down on us.    There is no way for us to prepare for these storms.    They may bring rain or a tornado one never knows or a small shower.   The only thing we can do is hang on and wait out the storm.    Don't get me wrong,   they can wreak havoc but they rarely last a long time.    Maybe you're in the middle ...

The past few months have been horrible for me.  I have faced some storms that I never  thought I would face. My life has never been easy, but the things I face now seem  insurmountable.  I don't say this to gain pity or have anyone feel bad for me. Instead, I want  to encourage you with these words from the gospel of John.  " In this world you will have  trouble." Trials and troubles  are a certainty and we can expect nothing less.   We all face  storms and no one is exempt.   For some of us, the storm  is the betrayal of a friend.  For  others, It may be a financial setback.   Still, others face the storm  of divorce.  For many, it is  sickness or death.  If you are not facing a raging storm at the  moment,  hang on it's likely around  the next curve in the road.  Storms always bring so much  uncertainty.  Sometimes as the ...

  Quite a few years ago, we were given a silver minivan.   It was a lovely luxury van.   I really liked it, but honestly, I did not value it.   How do I know?   Well, It was always messy.   I was ashamed of how it looked and rarely ever offered anyone a ride in that automobile.   I couldn't be bothered with the task of keeping it clean.   Fast forward to today.   I have a little ford Fusion, it is quite clean.   I even go through the carwash at least once a month.   It is clean inside and out.   I have put some value on this vehicle.   I have had other things over the years, some I valued and some I didn't.   It's ok because they are just material things  and should not have a place of great importance anyhow.   The point is that we can choose whether something is valuable to us.   Imagine that two people both have baseballs sign...

  Examine   yourselves  to see whether you are in the faith; test  yourselves .  2Corinthians 13:5 Yesterday, we decided to go to the beach.   After parking and changing into more appropriate clothing,  we headed across the expanse of sand and into the water prepared to enjoy the day.   It was then that we encountered the phenomena  familiar to everyone who chooses  to dip into the lake, sea, or pool even on the hottest day of the summer.   The beautiful crystal clear lake felt cold.   Not a numbing bone-chilling cold, but cold all the same.   We carefully waded out, letting our bodies adjust to the temperature of the water,  laughing and teasing until we finally took the plunge and ducked under the water.  We swam and enjoyed the lake for some time, then we decided to lay on the sand.   Then we experienced this phenomenon in reverse.   As we started out of the water, ...

The answer to racism is not to make another law, not to have another protest peaceful or otherwise. It's not in one more killing to right the wrongs committed, or ripping down another statue. It's not even in rewriting history to leave out the parts we don't like. It's not even to create another movement. All of those things may help, to some extent, but the only true answer at the risk of sounding simplistic, is Jesus. When Jesus changes our heart, there is no room for hatred of anyone because God is love. In the body of Christ, we are one.

It's Veterans Day. A day of  the year set aside to honor those who have, over the years, fought in many wars. Some, paying the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Why would they pay such a high price? I am convinced that they would rather die than be in bondage. They believed that freedom was worth any price they would have to pay. They knew there  was the possibility that they might die, but it was a risk they were willing to take. These are the men and women that God entrusts  with the job of protecting our country; many go unnoticed.  They get no fancy memorials They go home to families and loved ones; they get jobs  and try to live a "normal" life just like  anyone  else.  But they're not just anyone, they are heroes. They get no applause or recognition for what they did under conditions that would break most of us; myself included. They have a stren...

Thank You, God, for creation the beginning of your wonderful deeds. I love being close to what you have made. I am also thankful for  Not just the church, but what the church represents.   My relationship with God made possible by the death of Jesus on a cross; and my church family.   God somehow unites the hearts and minds of those who are in Christ. I and thankful that God provides us with a  house. and food. and a job. these are all things that we often take for granted,  but they are wonderful works that he has done. How about computers      and this amazing invention or cars                                                I, for one, appreciate technology   and I am grateful that God gave people the understanding to make these...

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind .     Psalms 107:21 Have you ever stopped and thought about everything the Lord had done?    Wow!    I think If I were going to list them all,  It would take more time than I have,  more ink than I could acquire  and more space than I could imagine.    If we started with the creation of the world,   God was there speaking things into existence.    As we read through the Bible,  we see God at work in the Old Testament and the New Testament.    He saved Noah from a devastating flood;  He gave children to the childless.   He provided salvation for us.    But there are so many other wondrous deeds.   I n fact, God has done wondrous deeds in each of our lives.     He leads us.  ...