Not My Will
When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane struggling over what He was facing, He ended His gut-wrenching prayer with the words, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Not easy words to say. Not for Jesus. Not…
Mixed Emotions
Is it possible to be happy and sad at the same time? That seems like too much of a contradiction; but yes, it’s possible. I was reminded of that recently when I received news that a dear friend had passed…
Always
Always means at all times, in all circumstances. Always speaks of consistency. We exaggerate sometimes and say, “He always does that.” Chances are, he or she doesn’t really always do that thing, but often. But when God says “always,” He…
My Shepherd
God is pictured lots of ways in the Bible. Our Rock, our Strong Tower, our Light, our Shield. But probably my favorite is Shepherd. Now I’ve never been a shepherd or even known a shepherd here on earth. So I…
Anxiety
Let’s face it. There are a myriad of reasons to be anxious these days. Family concerns, politics, finances, health problems, severe weather, taxing relationships, difficult decisions. On and on the list goes. So what are we to do? We have…
Shadows
“She crouched in the shadows and silently hoped that her oppressors would move on down the road.” Doesn’t that sound like a quote from a scary story? It’s just the first thing that comes to my mind when I think…
Citizenship
Some countries, but not all, allow dual citizenship. The United States is one of those. I knew a young man who grew up in a missionary family in Brazil who had citizenship in both nations. The US and Brazil. It…
A Legacy
I’m reading the final book in a series by Michael Phillips called “Secrets of the Shetlands.” This third in the series is titled The Legacy, It deals with what a young woman discovers about her heritage and how it changes…
Contrasts
Life is full of contrasts. That’s good, basically. I was reminded of that recently while attending a wonderful concert by the Kansas City Symphony. As the music washed over me I was aware of the contrast between soft and loud,…
War
War is not a pleasant subject. In fact, I detest war. Why does anyone think that fighting and killing is the answer to conflict? The Civil War had to have been the worst war on American soil. People fought for…