The Load is too Heavy Our devotion today revolves around lending a hand to an overwhelmed friend. Yes, I mean assisting others with talents and gifts God has put in us. Here is our guiding passage Matthew 11:27-30. The story below is a good example of what the passage means. Mark you, it is a real story that happened in some remote parts of Africa. Let us read together, In most remote parts…
At times it can be very hard to believe that the universe has order and that you need to experience a certain time and place. At the moment it just feels pointless and painful; a random act of cruelty. But in most cases, there is a bit of knowledge, some shred of compassion or perspective that you are meant to glean right at that moment to carry with you on your journey. Because at…
There is a certain magic to be discovered during a walk on the beach. Somehow all of your troubles and all that is weighing on your mind and your heart is left behind. Bit by bit your troubles are wiped away by the sand with each step you take. Suddenly you feel calm and relaxed as you turn to make your return trip down the beach. Only this time you are mentally at peace. The…
We have all experienced difficult times when we thought that things just couldn’t get any worse. And usually, that is very far from the truth. But because we tend to think only about our own little slice of the world, we believe it. But later, often times much later, we learn that what we thought was our deepest darkest fear, could really have been far worse. At that point, it becomes clear that…
I seem to have entered another time in my life when “why” is the thought of most days. And unlike in my youth when I really expected an answer, I think as an adult, when I hear myself utter this question, I know that it is time to reflect on the issue and search for my own answers. The short version of the current need for contemplation is a set of challenges for myself and…
I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you for a very special gift that and only you could have given me. I’m not sure that you recall the story of my dad’s brother Wally, and the fact that he was killed in WWII. But it was a story that each of us kids learned more from overhearing grownups talking than from a discussing with Dad. In time, as we each reached an…
When people speak of carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, we often think of that oppressive object as worry, fear or concern, but in many cases, it can be the immense weight of anger. This is not the anger that is focused on someone who cut you off on traffic or made a rude comment to you. This is the anger that you feel deep in your chest that burns red…