My three favorite holidays are Christmas, Easter and Independence Day. This week- beginning with Palm Sunday, the day Jesus was welcomed with palm branches and ending with Good Friday. A day of death. Of atonement. Of one innocent man dying a horrible and painful death so that all may live. Not because we asked Him too, but because He loved us. In all of our broken, ugly, dirtiness. He loved us. Even as our sins nailed him to that piece of wood. The crowds that went ahead of him and those …
Are You Willing To Surrender
Have you ever been in a place where you wanted something so bad that everything else seemed like a hinderance to being in the perfect place that you wanted to be in? How many times have you given something a try and seen the result as a total failure? Do you have relationships that seem to be falling apart at the seams, yet you're holding on to them by a thread? Is your head spinning, as you try to figure out what to do? How do you move forward? What is God asking you to give? How …
Long Suffering
What is long suffering? Patience under repeated wrongs, forbearance under ill will, endurance in the face of adversity, steadfastness when everything is coming crumbling down. Long suffering. Often times when we think of long suffering we think of people struggling with illness or disease- like my grandmother or my aunts sister fighting cancer. But long suffering has so many more faces, long suffering is the person who bites their tongue rather than snap back at the person …
When Fear Looks Efficient
Everyone has fears. Categories of phobias can range from the animal kingdom to personal pain and more. Among them all, most individuals can identify with the ever-looming "fear of failure". God showed me something about this one this morning that caught me a little off guard. You see, I never really considered myself a fearful person. Cautious, yes; wary, sometimes; worrisome, rarely. Yet, I realized that there is a huge part of my life that is based on fear, without my ever knowing it: ACTION. …
A Different Kind Of Peace
Peace. Everyone wants it but few truly have it. When most people think of peace it involves world peace, Christmas, everyone getting along, or just a day laying on the beach. The word 'peace' is used 429 times in the King James Version, but what does it mean? I can mean tranquility, harmony, security, prosperity or well being. In the Old Testament the word used is "shalom" for peace. It is often tied to covenants or promises kept or in some cases a familiar friend. So technically peace is …
Peace is a Person
Peace seems to be pretty hard to attain sometimes, doesn't it? Even when it seems that life is going right- personal balance and contentment can occasionally be just out of reach. For some of you, an inner feeling of calm comes naturally and not much can ruffle your pretty little feathers (I envy you). For the rest of us, there are many things DAILY that threaten to steal our joy and sense of balance. While I absolutely believe that peace comes through prayer and the closer we are to Christ and …