A friend asked, “Do manipulated words manipulate people?” We were discussing the ongoing war on words and representations and the division and pain it causes. We discussed that two things can be true at the same time, like it can be sunny and raining, I’ve experienced that irony often. But two totally opposite things cannot … [Read more…]
Recent events have brought this question to the forefront of many minds. Although we ask it over and over, the answers never change. You and I have a choice in life, the option to do good or bad. We have free will, a gift from God. Our choices, and those made by others near to … [Read more…]
A question came to me by email from someone who watches services online. I know that being cooped up during COVID has made me more cynical. I say stuff before thinking and that’s not the me I want to be. How do I stop? I need more peace and to make better decisions. Anonymous This … [Read more…]
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus addressed grace and social responsibility by talking about the dangers of traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, something well understood by the hearer. But this parable is the response to two questions, not one, and that second question reveals a guilty conscience. First the man asked, “what must … [Read more…]
Researching The Twelve Days of Christmas and what it means to us The 12 Days of Christmas begin December 25th and end January 5th the day prior to the Feast of Epiphany. The Twelvetide was created in the year 567 by the Council of Tours as a sacred and festive season of Advent (waiting) and … [Read more…]
Jesus teaches us how to handle bullying by explaining the blessing our chosen traits and practices bring through the Sermon on the Mount. Bullies aren’t meek. They seek power. Yet the meek inherit the earth. That doesn’t make sense to the bully, does it? After all, meekness requires gratitude for what we have right now … [Read more…]
Discipline – training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character What is training? It’s learning. Sometimes by example. Sometimes the hard way. Why do we learn? To live the best life we may. We also learn in order to teach others and raise them up by sharing what has worked and … [Read more…]
Faith is a Choice, Not a Feeling, and NOT for the Faint of Heart The Message Paraphrase of Hebrews 11:1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of … [Read more…]
I love images that tell a story and this drawing shows a difficult discussion in progress. We have to have difficult discussions sometimes, don’t we? Learning how to communicate effectively especially during stormy seasons is important. You see furrowed brows, genuine interest and patience as one listens intently to what the other is saying, the … [Read more…]
“Do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus Remembering is very important, according to Scripture. According to “Word Counts” the word the original language translates to our word “remember” appears in the NIV Old Testament 130 times and 36 times in the New Testament. What are some of the passages you remember that feature “remember”? Here … [Read more…]