Category: Meditation
-
Am I Willing? Am I Faithful?
“Tolerating a wrong attitude toward another person causes you to follow the spirit of the devil, no matter how saintly you are.” – Oswald Chambers Throughout the last 18+ years, I have done a lot of work on improving myself. I have dug deep into my past, excavated the excrement, pointed to what was mine…
-
I Will Follow
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” – Matthew 4:19 (NIV) Such simple direction Jesus gave to his first disciples – “Follow me.” That’s it. Just follow. I don’t know about you, but when I am setting out to accomplish something, I like to have a little…
-
When Plans Change
There’s a pithy little saying I have often heard when plans people have made go awry: “We plan. Shit happens. And God smiles.” I have never really liked this saying because I felt like it painted God in a somewhat cynical light. What I heard people saying when they said this was that God found…
-
Pause and Have Faith
“Believing in the Risen Lord means believing that in and through Christ the evil one has been overcome and that death no longer is the final word.” – Henri Nouwen Normally, I am able to overlook the political banter of those around me; but lately I have allowed the current unrest of the nation in…
-
The Gift of Love
“There’s nothing you can do to make God love you any more or any less. It’s a gift. Receive it.” – Joel Osteen The greatest gift God has ever given us is His love. It is unconditional. It is the same for every single one of us. That’s right – the same for every single…
-
The Gift of Willingness
Last week, I had a difficult conversation with a long-time friend. While the topic of the conversation is not important, the underlying feelings of fear, discomfort and feeling unheard are. In the conversation, I felt as though my friend was “talking over me” – or more aptly put, not hearing what I was saying because…
-
The Pride Monster
“The only reason I can’t get to God is pride, no matter how humble I seem.” – Oswald Chambers If you have ever read any of the works of Oswald Chambers, you know that his way of presenting God’s message causes many an “ouch” to the reader. Like the quote above, he pulls no punches…
-
The Gift of Forgiveness
“Forgiveness is giving someone from your PAST something they don’t deserve… so you can give someone in your PRESENT what they do deserve.” – Andy Stanley Everyone who has ever been harmed knows that forgiveness is not an easy thing to consider, let alone do. It is especially difficult for those who have been harmed…
-
The Gift of Laughter
“Laughter is an instant vacation.” – Milton Berle Such a fleeting, yet hugely rewarding, gift is laughter. It cannot be forced. It cannot be coaxed into being. It comes only when a moment is real – really real. Sure, there are times when we can obtain laughter through entertaining television shows, movies, or comedians. But,…
-
The Gift of the Mourning Dove
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. – Psalm 148:3a (NIV) While I have been a “prayer warrior” for most of my life, and more committed to regular prayer practices during the past 18+ years, it has only been since my husband and I…