Blog Posts
The Bell
God's Faithfulness, Grace
|John, the husband of a dear friend, is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Robbed of much of his memory and most of his strength, this once sharp, active man spends his time frustrated and dozing in front of the television. He has been cautioned many times not to get up (much less walk) on his own. To…
Waiting for a Dream
Faith, God's Faithfulness, Prayer
|Ever notice wait is a four-letter word? Like some other four-letter words we generally don’t like to hear it. Most of the waiting we do is no big deal; an annoyance: waiting in the grocery line (even the self-check lines usually require some waiting); waiting for the school bus (you’re required to be there ten…
Forgiving Ourselves
Faith, God's Faithfulness, Grace
|Jesus is always faithful to forgive. When we “miss the mark” – either by chance or choice – we need to go to our loving Lord (and anyone else we’ve wronged) with a repentant heart, humbly asking forgiveness. While Jesus is always faithful to forgive, sometimes others are not. They may be angry, hurt, or…
Choice
Faith, God's Faithfulness, Grace
|Sometimes we forget that the Lord has given us the privilege of choosing who we want to be. At any point, we can choose to continue to be who we’ve always been or grow into the person the Lord envisioned. At a wedding reception, I saw a couple I hadn’t seen in a while. I…
The Inconvenience of Compassion
God's Faithfulness, Grace
|There are times when we’re asked to do something inconvenient. I was asked to occasionally drive an elderly patron to church. Occasionally turned into a regular thing. It meant losing twenty minutes of sleep every Sunday, driving in the opposite direction of the church, then backtracking to reach our destination. Inconvenient. And, I’d have to…
Passed Over
Faith, God's Faithfulness, Grace
|Being “passed over” when teams were being formed in gym was never a good feeling. Being rejected – “passed over” – for an opportunity to participate in a play or join others for a special activity was painful. Being “passed over” by the in-crowd was wounding. As adults, we may have found ourselves “passed over”…
When God Says “No”
Faith, God's Faithfulness, Prayer
|How do we respond when the Lord’s answer is “No”? When we struggle with relationships, problems, finances, illness, or see a loved one slowly slipping into the deepening shadow of Alzheimer’s? My sister suffers from schizophrenia. Diagnosed decades ago, I long prayed for healing only to watch her symptoms worsen. There are so many stories…
Everlasting Love
God's Faithfulness
|As a teenager, I dreamed of finding that one, perfect “someone.” My “knight in shining armor” who would love me (as Luther Vandross wrote in his song) “always and forever”. To him, I would be “perfect” despite my physical imperfections (I would never look like Twiggy or have thick, flowing waist-length hair like the model…
A Steadfast Focus on Jesus
Faith, Grace
|At the conclusion of 2020 many of us (myself included) were optimistically looking forward to the fresh start a new year brings. Hoping to put political and racial tensions behind us, encouraged by the announcement of vaccines to help protect us from COVID, we anticipated a respite from the unending anxiety and stress of a…
Trusting God with the Future
Faith, God's Faithfulness
|Lately, I’ve struggled to trust God with the future. Listening to the news, I’m challenged to believe for a better tomorrow – or at least one that’s no worse than today. Sometimes I slip into worry. I have to remind myself that God is sovereign. Over and over I recall Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know…