when we mourn

I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. 

- Lamentations 3:20-23

For some people, especially the younger generation, this is just a regular Monday.

For many it is a day to remember a tragedy that happened to our great nation 16 years ago.

For me, it has a personal note from 1992, when my 17 year old brother was hit by a truck and killed.

Recovering from any tragic event is a challenge, but to turn your face to God in the aftermath of tragedy is to defy the power of evil, and to place your hope in the one Person who can bring good out of even the most horrifying disaster.

I know my little brother is with our Savior.

My hope for the future lies in Christ Jesus.

If you were affected by the 9/11 attacks, may your sorrow and mourning point you to the glorious hope of Jesus Christ, and the restoration He promises.

Have a blessed day!

Love who?

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

—Mark 12:30-31

I struggle occasionally with the “love your neighbor” thing. 

(Not my actual neighbors, mind you, those are some great people!)

When I have to deal with people that are not followers of Christ, I find myself getting short tempered with them and just wanting to walk away.

But that is not what God wants from us.

Sometimes the most important things are not hard to understand.

God wants us to love Him with every fiber of our being and to also love those around us.

All of His demands on character really boil down to honoring these two great principles that transcend law and bring the character of God to hearts.

I need to take the “love your neighbor” thing to heart, do you?

Have a blessed day!

writer's block?

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

—Romans 8:26

I have heard that all writers at some point experience writer’s block.

I look for verses to send that pop out at me or mean something to me, but there are times that I find myself at a loss for words.

OH!! Song reference!!

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

Word of God speak
Would you pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That you're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In your holiness
Word of God speak

Isn't it incredible!

Even in those times that my words are blocked and my heart is heavy, God hears my prayers, and gives me words to share with all of you.

It is not because I am articulate, wise, or faithful enough to pray as I should.

No, it is because God has graciously placed His Spirit in our hearts to make known what my words cannot capture and my mind cannot verbalize.

God hears my groaning, my yearnings, my heartbreaks, and my heart-cries.

He knows what I cannot think, but only feel.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, He answers those unuttered prayers with His presence, grace, and power.

And then I have words to share with you.

Have a blessed day!

Do NOT be a bully

Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into His confidence.

—Proverbs 3:31-32

School has started and I have already seen some of my friends’ sadness that their school age loved one is being bullied.

This breaks my heart and it should break yours too.

God does not like bullies, oppressors, or exploiters.

Even sadder is that it is not limited to school age  - there are bullies everywhere, in the workplace, at events and yes, even in church.

Those who control by intimidation and violence are detestable and an abomination to the LORD.

We are not to idolize, praise, or reward those who have risen to power by exploiting others.

If you are a bully, STOP NOW.

If you are being bullied, please please please, reach out to someone that can help.

Have a blessed day!

It's not just you

For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.”

– Matthew 18:20

It is September, you know what that means?

See you at the pole is coming! 

This year it is September 27th – more on that later.

Last year we had some folks gather for prayer around the flag pole at our office. 

It was amazing.

It doesn’t take many people, because God is best experienced in community.

This is our community.

There are people who say, “I don’t need anyone – it’s me and Jesus”, but that is not what Jesus taught.

The God who is in all places has promised to let us know His presence when we gather with other followers of Christ.

This doesn’t need to happen on Sunday morning – it can happen during a lunch break, a basketball game, or even shopping or at work.

When given the opportunity, don’t miss time with God’s people.

Community is one of the wonderful gifts that God has given us to know Jesus.

Have a blessed day!

Shelter

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

—Psalm 91:1

With this being Labor Day, it is officially the end of summer.

I hope everyone that is out playing in the sun takes care not to get burnt and drinks plenty of water, as we all need protection from the end of summer's scorching heat!

Every day though, we need to have a place in the shade, a shadow of protection and refreshment.

When we place our lives in the care of God Most High, we find that His shadow of protection and refreshment covers us.

Even in times of difficulty, we know that He has protected us from the worst of the evil one’s attack and that His presence offers us strength that we may not often see but always can trust.

Live your life in God’s shelter, you will be glad that you did.

Have a blessed day!

Step out of the comfort zone

Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

– Ruth 2:11-12

Ruth was an amazing woman who left everything to be associated with the God of the Israelites.

Many times we want the blessing of God, but we’re not willing to leave the comforts of our current lifestyle.

We need to learn to step out of our comfort zone and let God work in us and through us.

Don’t be held back by staying with what you know, because sometimes the refuge that God offers us is on the other side of a storm.

Have a blessed day!