"But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and… Continue reading Arise & Build! Scripture Writing Plan October 2021
Category: Trust
Trust in the Lord: September 2021 Scripture Writing Plan
The last two years have been quite the "adventure." Usually, adventure triggers images of excitement or glamour, but there is also the little matter of discomfort and even danger---near-death experiences, large bugs, deadly snakes, dehydration. diseases. Adventure is not all it's cracked up to be. I remember lamenting the lack of exciting historical events as… Continue reading Trust in the Lord: September 2021 Scripture Writing Plan
Riding out the Storm
Hail violently pelted my car. Knuckles white and body tensed, I gripped the steering wheel, gently apply pressure to the gas. I expected a window to bust out at any moment. I couldn’t find any place to safely shelter. Cars sat stubbornly beneath the overpasses, leaving anyone stuck behind them with nowhere to go. My… Continue reading Riding out the Storm
Pandemic and Panic vs. Perspective and Prayer
According to the CDC, roughly 56,000 people die from the flu each year.
According to the NHTSA, 36,560 people died in car accidents in 2019.
At the present time, there have been 12 deaths from Coronavirus in the U.S.
Yes, you read that correctly: that’s a two-digit twelve without any additional zeros.
It’s possible that the virus could become a pandemic. It’s possible that more will die. It’s possible that the fears are legitimate, but that could have been the case with Ebola, SARS, MERS, etcetera.
I could panic…
…Or I could face the fact that death could come at me in other ways—car accident, tornado, cancer, flu, etc.
Some things are just beyond my control. It's time to accept our limitations.
How Do We Respond to Challenges?
The kids and I are currently reading through Numbers. We've already tackled the first three books of the Pentateuch and they are well-acquainted with the Israelites' litany of complaints since their departure from Egypt. Shaking our heads in disgust at their obvious lack of faith is a knee-jerk reaction. However, if we are looking into God's word like a mirror, we may see some glaring (and disturbing) similarities in ourselves!
Three Things You Need to Remember Before Making Plans.
Once upon a time, in a life far, far, away, I had my whole life planned out. Well, honestly, I only had it planned out through age thirty. My seventeen-year-old self couldn't really think past thirty. As I mentioned, I had these grand schemes. I knocked out my Bachelor's Degree, landed a good job (followed… Continue reading Three Things You Need to Remember Before Making Plans.
You are here… for such a time as this
As a young adolescent, I remember thinking that I had been born in the wrong era. I imagined that I would have fared well as a young adult during World War II, listening to big band music and supporting the war effort overseas. I remember as a teenager in the 90s feeling lost among the… Continue reading You are here… for such a time as this
Dangerous Doubts
The deceitful and cruel nature of humanity molds many of us into skeptics. We have no desire to be duped into evil schemes. Investing, for example, often feels like an exercise riddled with doubts. Experts tell you to hang on to your Mutual Funds for 20 years and they will yield a decent increase. All… Continue reading Dangerous Doubts
How Do You Deal With Fear?
Mountains, beautiful and majestic, serve to remind humans of their mortality and insignificance. There are those who climb the mountains "because they are there," and we consider them fearless. Don't be deceived---they are not without trepidation. They are fully aware that one misplaced grip, one sudden avalanche, or one failure in equipment could lead to… Continue reading How Do You Deal With Fear?
Patience, Even When Suffering Doesn’t Make Sense
Suffering is frequently linked with the word "why." Why do we suffer? Why does God allow suffering? Why me? Suffering triggers an immediate desire to understand why. When sin entered the world suffering came along for the ride. We have seasons of peace, seasons of prosperity, and seasons of pain. Even in the good seasons,… Continue reading Patience, Even When Suffering Doesn’t Make Sense
