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Be My Valentine…
It was at the beginning of this month that I asked God for a word, and within a few moments “love” came to mind. I thanked God, acknowledging that it seemed very timely in this Valentine season and went on my way. Over the course of the days that followed, I’ve pondered this crazy thing called love and wondered what God wanted me to see beyond all the red and pink hearts and tantalizing chocolates decorating the shopping aisles. It wasn’t until yesterday that I began to understand that God wanted me to consider more fully the unconditional sincerity of his love. He wanted me to see what it means…
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What we learn from Martha
You may not have been fortunate enough to have a grandmother named Martha, like I did, but if you’ve spent enough time in church you’ve heard of Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus. They were friends and followers of Jesus who generously offered hospitality in his travels. During a particular visit recorded in Luke 10:38-42, Jesus was teaching a number of people in their home and Martha was apparently busy with preparations of some kind, possibly waiting on everyone, while her sister, Mary, sat at the feet of Jesus listening to him teach. Martha being slightly disgruntled at having to do all the work, interrupts Jesus to complain, and…
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Feasting & Fasting Part 3: Preparation for the Feast
We’ve finally made it to the main course and are ready to talk feasting. So at this point you’re probably hungry and wondering what there is to talk about. We all know “feasting” and need no instruction on the subject, right? Yet in our culture, where food is so much more than sustenance, I wonder do we really know feasting or is it just another day of eating? If we look to the Bible, feasting is always associated with a celebration or a holy day. It’s important to understand that although a celebration may include feasting, the feast isn’t usually the focus of the celebration. Some may come to a…
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Feasting & Fasting Part 2: The Provision Between
In part 1 we began our discussion by recognizing there is a natural provision of rations on the earth and there can be a supernatural provision as well, something incredibly different and capable of sustaining life beyond expectation. Like anything with God there is always a purpose when he intervenes in such an incredible way. Which is where we left off. If there is truly a purpose for everything God does, then what is the purpose of us having to eat to refuel? We know the need to eat is not something that entered the earth with sin because Adam and Eve were permitted to eat of the trees in…
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The Life of a Child
I’ll be the first to tell you living with three young children is challenging. They are constantly making demands, throw annoying tantrums and have difficulty listening when you tell them to do something. Then just when you think you’re at the end of your sanity and patience, you look into an obscure corner of a room and notice little toy soldiers surrounding a blue beast and suddenly your heart warms and you can’t help but smile and maybe tear up a little. The innocence of a child is priceless and to be cherished. Jesus even told us we must become as children to enter the kingdom of heaven. At that…
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Feasting & Fasting Part 1: The Introduction
Long before I took my first college course or got my first job, I was a dietitian. I have always loved food and started cooking and baking when I was just a kid. My grandfather also taught me about gardening, how to clean fish and allowed me to help as he milked cows and cared for the other farm animals. From a young age, I learned where food came from, how it was processed and how to make it pleasing to the palate. Becoming a dietitian deepened my understanding of the nutritional aspect of food, and later discovering my own food intolerance and allergy further broadened my education and gave…
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Creating an Ishmael
In the book of Genesis we are introduced to a man named Abram and witness God’s blessing and calling upon his life. As their relationship develops Abram voices his concerns over having to leave all that God gives him to a servant, because he has no heirs, and God makes Abram a promise. Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall…
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If My Life was a Reality TV Program They Watched in Heaven
For many, including myself, the idea of God watching over us night and day, like a super-powered Santa, may seem a little absurd or hard to grasp, but what if we consider our lives running like reality tv with no breaks or pauses, and the All Mighty watching, maybe with a few of the Apostles. What would they be saying as they watched you?
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And Then There was Grace
When God formed Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7), God knew man would fall. He saw the depravity of the human condition long before that sixth day of creation, yet he created us anyhow. When God spoke to Abraham in the desert wilderness and told him to count the stars illuminating the unpolluted expanse of darkness overhead (Genesis 15:5), he knew the Israelites would wander far from him like an unfaithful bride, yet he made a promise to Abraham despite this. For thousands of years we see God’s children fail him time and again. They drew near in one generation, only to…
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What God’s Provision Really Looks Like
We all know what it feels like to be in need: humbled, broken, even broke. The trials of life show no favoritism. In one way or another, we will all experience our share of pain and heartache, and in those times of crisis we may turn to God, whether it’s something we normally do or not. So if we call out to God on our darkest of days, what can we expect? Many say prayer works, yet there’s an entire population of disheartened souls out there wondering why it didn’t work for them. Maybe their loved one still died, their partner still left, they continue to struggle in addiction or…
