Scripture: "So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to...
Photo Credit: James Jordan via Creative Commons [dropcaps style= 'square']T[/dropcaps]he calendar has turned to August. Today, I watched as a few leaves fell from a tree, and I stopped. It caught me by surprise, because surely it isn't time for fall. There are more bright, summer days to be lived....
Scripture: “'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the Lord. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. The rain and snow come down from the heavens and...
Photo Credit: Danny Huizinga via Creative Commons [dropcaps style= 'square']W[/dropcaps]e want to live comfortable lives. Our comfort zone is an interesting thing. Outside of our comfort zone, we can feel out of control, uncertain, or afraid. But, there also lies excitement, adventure, and new things. At the edge of where...
Scripture: "Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally. Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge:...
[dropcaps style= 'square']A[/dropcaps]s I was floating in the ocean last week, the strap on the back of my sunglasses broke. Despite my efforts of trying to keep it to repair, it was gone, swept away in miles and miles of ocean. After spending a solid 15 minutes looking for it...
Scripture: "Now he brought me back to the entrance to the Temple. I saw water pouring out from under the Temple porch to the east (the Temple faced east). The water poured from the south side of the Temple, south of the altar. He then took me out through the...
[dropcaps style= 'square']T[/dropcaps]his morning, I walked along the beach, taking in the scenery - waves gently crashing along the shore, pelicans catching their breakfast as they dove into the ocean, and the slight breeze blowing through my hair. I paused. I breathed deeply. I took time to remember. God holds the...
Scripture: "Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy,...
Photo Credit: Nicola via Creative Commons [dropcaps style='square']M[/dropcaps]y short, leisurely walk to clear my head turned into more than I anticipated. I had all of the intentions of making it brief, but the longer I walked, the less I thought about the way back. It wasn't until I was done...
Scripture: "God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God;...
Photo Credit: Nathan O'nions via Creative Commons [dropcaps style='square']W[/dropcaps]e don't want to include people in our dreams sometimes, because we are afraid that we might fail. It might not happen. Our plans might not turn out like we thought they would. So, we want to protect ourselves; we want...