Janet was fussing at her children. Well, actually, she was fuming. But the reason for her upset had nothing to do with the kids. She was in charge of planning a special luncheon for the ladies at church. Two women had not yet called her back to confirm that they had their responsibilities taken care of. Suppose one or both of them couldn’t come through! What was she going to do? Janet was worried and stressed and she didn’t have time for any drama with kids. Everyone believes that worry is not a good thing. Worry increases stress and leads to anxiety. Worry makes us less pleasant to be around, just like Janet. We know this. Yet we still worry. […]
Yearly Archives: 2018
128 posts
Parents, how would you answer these questions: • Do you want your children to see you as someone they can trust? • Do you want your spouse to take comfort in just being with you? • Are you easy to talk to? • Is your family hesitant to talk you when they are hurting? • If someone in your family messes up or is in trouble are you the person that helps him feel secure and safe, the person that she knows will help make things right? • Do you sometimes get angry and hurt when those close to you don’t seek your help? If these questions created some uneasiness and tension as you read them, God does have a […]
Jesus was on a boat with his disciples. He decided to take a nap. While he was sleeping, a fierce storm came up. Waves were crashing over the top of the boat. The disciples feared for their lives so, in a panic, they woke Jesus shouting, “We are going to drown!” Let’s pause the story for a moment. Can you identify with the disciples? It appeared the boat was about to sink and there was Jesus, sleeping! The disciples acted as if they didn’t alert their master, he wouldn’t know that they were in danger. At that precise moment, they were acting very much like you and me. We somehow think it is our job to remind God that he […]
Seth came home with a heavy heart. He had just been demoted to second-string. He was no longer a starter. He would still be playing a lot, but the coaches decided to give another player the starting job. He was disappointed, but this is not why his heart was heavy. Somehow he would have to tell dad he was no longer a starter. That was the moment he was really dreading. Seth’s dad was always a star at whatever he did in sports. He never failed to remind Seth that he expected Seth to excel, so being second-second-string was unacceptable. Seth, didn’t want to disappoint his dad. The sad reality is that Seth’s dad was living his life through his […]
God’s wisdom is not pledged to make us happy in the fallen world or to make us comfortable in our weakness and petty heart idolatries. God is at work with exquisite wisdom to continue his work of grace in us, by transforming us into people who will love him, honor him, praise him and delight in him. So he is at work with wisdom in the wonderfully ordered and complex events of our lives to make us grow in grace and the likeness of Jesus Christ. Sometimes that glorious work will bring us through times of affliction and trial as he unrelentingly chisels at us like a gemologist would cut a diamond to make it more beautiful and more valuable. […]
Have you heard comments like these from your children? “Do I have to?” “I had to that yesterday.” “I’m too tired.” “That’s not fair.” “I’ll do it later.” “Seriously?” “I don’t think so.” These are all responses from children to a parent’s request for obedience. Not exactly encouraging responses! There is one commonality in all of these responses: a disdain for obedience. The children giving these answers have little regard for their parent’s authority. For these children, obedience is a curse and certainly not a blessing. One of the ways children come to this conclusion is because obedience has presented to them as a means to get a reward. However, biblical obedience is not something used to gain a reward. […]
Rick was angry. He had been turned down for a promotion again. Someone else with less experience was given the position. By the time Rick arrived at home, he was seething. He snapped at the kids, yelled at his wife and started bitterly complaining about his supervisor. Even the dog could not escape Rick’s wrath. “How can they do this to me? I do a great job for the company. This is so wrong! I am praying for God to judge them.” But the truth is, Rick was not a good employee. His job performance was getting worse, not better. What he didn’t know was that in two days he would be fired. He complained so much that no one […]
Luke tells the story about how the early Christians were caring for each other’s needs. He specifically mentions a Cypriot Levite named Joseph who sold a field and brought the money from the sale to the apostles. Joseph’s gift and example was such a blessing that the apostles called him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” This was a good thing. There was a married couple who apparently observed Barnabas’ good deed and the appreciation he received for it. So they sold some property that they owned. But something happened to these two when they collected the money from the sale. While we can’t be exactly sure of their thoughts, Luke does tell us about the plan that they conceived, […]
Today is the first full day of fall and spring. If you live in Australia, today means that warmer weather is on the way. If you live in North America, it is time to get ready for winter. The Lord announces the change of seasons with spectacular outbursts of color. Spring arrives with fresh greens and stunning pastels. Fall is announced by splashes of bold yellows, reds and golds. The Lord delights in color. He specifically designed your brain to recognize the visual beauty that accompanies the sun’s passage across the equator twice each year. Your eyes are portals which allow light to be transmitted to your brain so that you can be in awe of intricate colors that God […]
Lying and the pursuit of sinful desires go hand-in-hand. For example: Teenagers are unlikely to tell their parents that they want to borrow the car to go to a party with drugs, drinking and sex. No, the story will more likely be along the lines of “… a couple of the guys want to go catch a movie and a pizza. And since Joe has to go back to school in a couple of days, I’ll be later than normal, okay? Thanks Dad!” Lying becomes more sophisticated as children grow older. The lies progress from from immediate cover-ups and blame-shifting to more elaborate plans and schemes designed to acquire objects, favors or, as noted, to feed lustful desires. This type […]