Saturday, March 9, 2024
Faith in God's Mission for You
Saturday, April 22, 2023
Is the Church a Hospital for Sinners?
![church church is for sinners](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8-SWLcqpAntJeqysBdDr4JyKykIZuVBMSZaE-gNrtsskfHTnLvp0dDVhtcxgRI81rabHoFkaSVl_xVNL1EsxbhdLzTP6E5ZPQqS9SNQpxcjU-QJ7XvGJYimVJLdM46FbeT7qehnoBvIahaCJLb_cAeDiIgt00ehJ1pS3X8G9cLZx8pgkL7ywiHZG9Q/s600/church.jpg)
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Faith and Soap
I love soap! The fresh natural kind with a soft fragrance and rich lather. The abundance of suds make me feel extra clean. I’ve been told I’m all about some feels.
Friday, December 2, 2022
Faith and Grief
The waning grief seems to be unearthed and dug up again when any holiday rolls around, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I'm not sure why death seems to come calling more often during the holidays. I've attended three funerals in the last two weeks. I cry at every funeral. My heart breaks for the families. These three funerals were "good" funerals or rather, celebrations of life. The three individuals professed hope in Jesus so we know we will live with them forever in heaven. Until that glorious reunion, please allow me to share a wonderful message I heard at my uncle's funeral recently. I pray the words comfort you during your grief as they have me. The minister used the following scripture in his delivery.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to seperate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
His message is "Nothing can seperate us from the love of our loved one", just as nothing can seperate us from the love of God. The love of Christ in us binds us with others for eternity. We can appropriately insert the name of our loved ones into this verse...
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to seperate us from the love of ___(insert name here)___, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The comfort of knowing love remains is powerful. I Corinthians 13:7 (paraphrased) assures us that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Certainly, love helps us grieve.
Much love,
Thursday, April 28, 2022
Five Basic Elements of Unconditional Love
Everyone wants unconditional love. These are the five basic elements of unconditional love we embrace and practice:
- Different is good. Diversity was cool in our home before it became a popular buzzword.
- Compassion not pity. Compassion and pity are synonyms but aren't the same. Both convey sympathetic feelings for others, but pity creates cause for regret or disappointment. Pity comes across as sadness or misfortune. Advseristy encourages strength, adaptation and courage. Those valuable charcter traits desire compassion not pity.
- Wear a smile. A smile is so much more comforting than that furrowed brow frown; no sad faces allowed. Caring is revealed with a happy face. Show your love for ohters by greeting them with a warm smile.
- Do not stare, gawk or crane. When I share my story with groups, I laugh at myself. I've become so used to people staring at me, I get offended when they don't. I wonder what's wrong with these people? LOOK at me! (That is a joke, of course.) I really don't enjoy being stared at for the wrong reasons.
- Take time for all. Individuals are put into our lives for various reasons. We will learn and grow from every person we meet if we invest wisely. Understanding people is a full-time job. Friends are a blessing to cherish.
Lovingly,