Biblical Wisdom
Lessons from Mary and Joseph
In an attempt to keep fresh in my mind what Christmas is truly about, I recently read through the Christmas story in Luke and Matthew. I really gave some thought to who Joseph and Mary were and what qualities they had as human beings that would allow God to choose them to raise His son. … Continue reading
Holiday Christianity
My hubby and I did a little Christmas shopping yesterday. As we approached the entrance to one of the stores we visited, there was a bell ringer from the Salvation Army. My hubby asked me if I had a dollar. I quickly scrounged for one. I rarely carry cash these days. My teens make sure … Continue reading
Can You See Jesus?
Yesterday, I subbed in a gifted classroom. My first two classes of the day were fourth graders. Their task for the first fifteen minutes of class was to make a drawing of their own using these squiggly lines. They could draw anything they liked, but they were supposed to include lots of details and give … Continue reading
Upsetting the Status Quo
The season of Advent is a time when we are supposed to prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus. The prophet Isaiah often gets quoted during this season. “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:3 … Continue reading
He Doesn’t Need Us, But…
A couple of Sundays ago, my pastor made the bold statement that God doesn’t need us. I say bold, because in the narcissistic, selfie-stick buying, completely self-absorbed world that we live in, could that possibly be true? Gasp! Is telling people that God doesn’t need them, any way to draw folks to Him? He’s not … Continue reading
Leaving Nothing to Chance
My hubby and I recently taught our middle school Sunday school class a lesson on David and Goliath. They usually know the basics, but it’s really cool to dig into the scripture with them and fill in some blanks. They always light up and sit a little taller when we tell them that David was … Continue reading
The Beauty of Waiting
Yesterday, marked the beginning of the church calendar. The “church” doesn’t run on the January to December calendar or the fiscal year calendar, that ends in June. The “church,” ends its year with Christ the King Sunday, which focuses on Jesus’ second coming, and begins it’s year with Advent, which focuses on getting ready to … Continue reading
There is Power in the Name
In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, the entire world is on edge. We don’t normally hear about that kind of mass killing in the Western world. However, Israel has to deal with terrorists on a daily basis and they don’t just target the Israelis or Jews. Back in October, a 78-year-old Christian … Continue reading
Listening Quietly
I live near a town which is home to a large university. It never ceases to amaze me when I go into a coffee shop, how many students are working on homework on their laptops. It’s often noisy. Sometimes there’s even live music, yet they tap away on their keyboards. Sometimes they even have ear … Continue reading
Battling Entitlement Issues
There’s a lot that has been said lately about entitlement. Our kids feel like they are entitled to everything from the newest electronics to straight A’s without having to do anything to earn them. A large portion of our population has decided that they shouldn’t have to do anything to earn a paycheck. They feel … Continue reading