Hope Over Fear

The torch has been passed to a new generation. President Obama boldly spoke of hope over fear. In the movie The Shawshank Redepmtion, there is a line, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." The hope that lies with God and within ourselves fuels the engine of change in the face insurmountable obstacles and immoveable objects. He embraced the truth that with God all things are possible. He reminded us that together we can make a better future.

Just A Question...

Worldly Passion

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,”
Titus 2:11-12

Jesus teaches us to "just say no to ungodliness".  Advertising demands we give into our "worldly passions".  The economy runs on us losing our "self control".  It's time we gained our self control back.  What good is the economy in the next life?  And how can we say we are with God, when our hearts belong to "worldly passions"?

Fighting Against God

Losing Faith

It is hard to keep the faith when desire and greed rule the world.

There is so much greed in this world. It runs through every street. It runs through every community. Greed takes many forms. Money is the most common. As a Christian, how do I reconcile immense quest for wealth that is the American dream, and the teachings of Jesus who asks me to give it all up and follow Him. If I am my brother's keeper, how do justify my standard of living while others go hungry or thirsty. A simple glass of clean water is a luxury in some parts of the world. Forget about whether it is half empty or half full, can I drink the water at all. There is the desire for the material, and then the desire to know God. Can a person be wealthy and still be a Christian? Or does the wealth get in the way of knowing God? What is getting between us and God? It sometimes seems we are peering over a sheer rock face, and we can catch a glimpse of the other side but only for a fleeting second. We are afraid to look too long as we will lose our balance. Maybe the key is keeping our eyes on God. If we fall, we fall with our eyes to God.

Darkness Closes In

There are times when I just get so tired. When the weight of the world drags me down.  It's like the sun is setting, and I don't even have a match. As the light scatters, and flees the coming darkness, I find myself growing cold and weary. In my despair, I can only think of one thing to do:

Oh, merciful God, hear my plea.

I know that you are there.  

I know that you won't let anything happen to me in the approaching darkness.  

I fear what I cannot see, but Lord, You see everything.

Be my eyes in the darkness.  

Lead me into the night.

Guide me to the path that is narrow.

Plant my feet on solid ground.

Help me , oh Lord, to place one foot in front of the other.

By the light of your salvation, I will see the sun rise.

I will revel in the glory of Your sunshine.

My soul will bask in the grace of Your love.  

And I will love you Lord with all that is my being.  

Which Way Will You Take?

Does it really matter which way you go in life? If we end up with the Father, isn't that the important thing? A journey is as simple as a few steps out your door, or as long as wandering for forty years in the desert.

I used to believe that the journey makes us who we are. I used to become really resentful because some have it easier than others. Some have a hard journey with rough going. Some have it much easier.

Our Lord makes us who we are. His course for our lives is His choice. How can I be resentful of that? I can't. Once you realize that, then the ground levels out and softens beneath our feet.

He presents us with a series of doors to walk through. Sometimes we recognize the door and willingly walk through. Sometimes we can't see what is right in front of us. But always He is there giving direction as long as we are willing to listen.

Stop for a minute. Listen for that gentle, quiet whisper.

What the journey looks like is our Lord's choice. We need to be concerned about our own journey first, then worry about others. The we can teach others to listen for the gentle, quiet whisper.

Keep the focus on the Father. That is our compass. Our true north points to God.

Just Pray

Just Pray

Just talk to God. God already knows what's on your heart. Pray to him from your heart.
Pray from the heart and He will speak to your heart.

Worried He won't undertsand you? God speaks all languages. God speaks to all levels of education, income, and any other dividing line society chooses to draw.

Matthew 6:5-6

‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Just pray. He is always listening.

Not Enough Time

Why isn't there enough time? There just never seems to be enough. I often feel like I am running out of time. Like the an old movie scene, the calendar pages are turning faster and faster. When you have a task that's really important, time constricts your ability to complete the task. You feel like you cannot enjoy life as there is always something pressing to get done.

Do you ever notice that people with a strong faith in God are not pressed for time?

That's because they know they will have all eternity with the Father. When you realize that faith provdes you with all the time you'll ever need, time will slow down.

Do You Think...?

Matthew 25:37-40 NRSV

...“Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?

And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?

And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

Do you think anyone grows up thinking, "I want to be homeless?" Do you think a child's career dreams involve living on the street? No one wants to be homeless. No one. The fact is that the homeless are member's of God's family.

How did they get that way? The reason only matters, if you're looking for an excuse not to help. I can't give that bum money, he'll just buy booze? Is that really you being so self-righteous? Who are we to judge?

Whatever the reason:

hurricane, flood, tornado, job loss, bad economic times, alcoholism, drug addiction, mental/ physical illness, or a thousand other reasons they ended up up homeless,

the only thing that God would have us do is, unconditionally, lend a hand.

Virginia Roadtrip

Virginia Roadtrip-June 19-22, 2008

I had such a great time with my sisters, Christy and Mary. Christy lives near Belpre, Ohio. Mary lives in Leesburg, Va. Christy and I made the drive from Ohio to visit Mary and her family. This was quite a crew. I have not laughed so hard in such a ling time. I thank God for my family. They are all truly wonderful people. Christy works in the child care business. Mary manages a thrift store that benefits the homeless in Loudoun County. Christy and I spent a couple of days working at the store. It is trully humbling to witness the zeal with which Mary goes about the business of raising money for the homeless.

One of the things I discovered is a search engine site that gives money to your charity, as long as they are listed, for each search, http://www.goodsearch.com/. There are over 61,000 charities listed thus far. Some may say this was a working vacation but I say it's a labor of love. Thank you Lord for surrounding me with such a loving family.

How Do You Worship God?

With all the different religions around the world, is there a right way to worship God? Does worship have to be done in a certain order or way? I don't think so! God's commandment to us is to:

Deuteronomy 6.5: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

Luke 10.27: He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’

You know if you're giving God your whole heart. He knows if you're worshiping with a full heart. Open up, give all your heart, your soul, and your might, and watch the God's grace descend like gentle rain, cleansing your soul.

Disciple Bible Study

Last Sunday, my disciple study group was recognized for completing Disciple 3. I was asked to say a few words but in my own style, I had a video as well to tell the world what study of the scripture means to me. I firmly believe that Disciple Bible Study strengthens your faith.

What Time Is It?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.

We read these words but what do they really mean? To me, they mean that God has a plan for everything. He alone knows what will happen moment to moment. Our faith in Him shields us from the immense burden of what's going to happen next. Does that mean that we are not in charge of our destiny? Of course, we are. Freewill makes the decision ours, and only God knows where it will lead.

Do Not Be Afraid

There are times in your life when it all seems impossible, like every door is closed, and there is no hope. That's exactly what Satan wants you to believe. The extraordinary news is there is hope in the midst of chaos, and despair. God is waiting for you. God never gives you a burden that you can't carry. There are doors waiting to be opened, and for you to walk through.

The Lord's Prayer

As Jesus taught us to pray...

The Cycle of Life

I tried to capture the complexity yet simplicity of life from birth to death.

There Is Hope...

So True, So True

There is no need for hundreds of dollars for self-help books. The greatest self-help book comes in the form of a living God who is always there for us.

Honoring Those Who Gave All

It is fitting that we honor those who gave all. This world is so enriched by the sacrifices of a few. Remembering those who gave their last full measure of life to preserve our freedoms is just and righteous. We do not celebrate the wars they fought or get bogged down in the politics of that era. To all those who lost their life for our continuing freedom, we thank you.

Rebirth

I watched my grandson, Anthony, who is three months. Every minute of every day is filled with wonder for him. He is learning from every sense. Can we as adults recapture that sense of wonder? Yes, we can. Through our Lord and Savior we can be reborn and experience the world through the eyes of God for the first time.

The Simplicity Of It All

There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord gave us the easiest choice ever in the history of religions around the world. There is no complicated rules to follow. No complex rituals to become slave to. For all the knowledge that is in the Bible, the one simple fact is that Jesus Christ died for our sins. All we have to do is to accept Him as our Savior, and we will be welcomed into the arms of the Lord. Too many times we want to make it more complicated than it really is. Of course, accepting Christ means walking in His footsteps, the path of righteousness.

What If?

?What if you woke up and everybody was gone? They just vanished. I'm certain you would frantically search for other people. You would wonder why this has happened. You think you are so alone. My question is would you talk to God then?

DEUTERONOMY 31:8

He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”