I always pictured belief to be the tall figure of Abraham counting stars, laughing under the sparkling joy of a promise. Or the voice of the fiery prophet calling in the wilderness and the rock-sure conviction of the way. You said to abide and that seemed simple when in the company of these, the … Continue reading Help my belief
It happened at the very beginning, when that crafty serpent whispered, "Did God really say . . . ?" Doubt crept into Eve's heart, and she saw the shining object of her desire that had been forbidden to her, and she reached out her hand and took it. The questions begin right there, don't they? … Continue reading Doubt and walk on anyway
The politicians hated him. They saw in him something they did not have or understand, and this was a threat. His faith was a menace. The law they manipulated into place was pointed straight at him. He knew that. He was no fool. You’re so confident, they muttered. Let’s see what happens when we demand … Continue reading Choosing the Lions
(The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a fictional series of letters from a senior demon in Satan's army, named Screwtape, to his junior nephew, Wormwood. In the letters, Screwtape is training Wormwood in techniques to attack the "patients" (humans) and win the war against the "Enemy," who is God. Please note, the following letter was written by me, … Continue reading The Further Letters of Screwtape
Five Minute Friday: Refrain Refrain: The part of the song or poem that is emphasized or repeated. The chorus. In other words, the part you remember. The part that gets stuck in your head. Refrains are powerful. Consider the songs from your childhood that you still know: “Yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me … Continue reading Refrain
Thank you, dear Noelle, for the inspiration for this post. No one notices her slipping into the crowd, but she is used to that. She prefers anonymity. She would rather live alone in the shadows than endure the stares, the whispers, the pity. She may have been beautiful. Now, she doesn’t know. There is … Continue reading Daughter
Mark 5:1-20 Part I He lives among the dead. Naked, crazed, violent, desperate, driven. He’s the crazy one, not right in the head. His people do not know what to do with him, so it is a relief when he flees to the tombs and stays there, tormented and alone. Forgotten. Who knows how he had come … Continue reading What to do when all your pigs die
Five Minute Friday: Perspective What the soldiers see: A giant of a man, ten feet of confidence and swagger. Bronze-covered muscles swinging his beam of a spear. He craves blood; he is soaked with the blood of his enemies. His mocking jeers ring mighty through the air. Always he challenges, and always he prevails. … Continue reading Perspective
We are natural collectors of things, we humans. We like to compile and stockpile, to assemble and amass. I collect old books, mainly classics of literature. I love the look of them and the thought of surrounding myself with ancient words of wisdom. My great-aunt once collected cats on her large Texas estate. Rumor has … Continue reading What are you collecting?
Five Minute Friday: Patient This post isn't really about patience, it's about Good Friday and my reflections from my reading this morning. But how patient is our God to continue to love, accept, and forgive us, even when we are as blind and pious as those who killed him. May we all be on our … Continue reading Good men on Friday
