Inspirations

    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, ...

  Do everything in love.                                                                                        1 Corinthians 16:14                   In case you've been living,   or hiding under a rock the last few months,   ( I don't blame you, at this point)   there is a huge debate that is cutting into the fabric of everyone's life.    Are you ready for the  debate that everyone is ready to come to blows about?    MASKS!    You read that right masks.      Should you wear one should you not wear one.      It's crazy!    People are getting into fisticuffs over a face covering.      Everyone has a point of v...

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.

                                                                                         You must  destroy   all   the   people s  the   Lord  your God gives over to you.  Deut.  7:16 As I read this I have often wondered why God would require this seemingly harsh treatment of people. Did he hate them? No, he doesn't hate anyone. I know he didn't want his people to learn the ways of the "world", but why everyone? Some of them may have done nothing wrong. Did they deserve to die? No, probably not, but they were sucked into the drama of those around them. They aren't the only ones to have that happen to them. Simon the Cyrene had that happen when Jesus was being crucified. He was forced to carry the cross.  He's not the...