It might sound odd to say that 2019 began for me with an epiphany thanks to a complete stranger, but that is most certainly the case. And this lesson caused me to stop and carry my thoughts further than I ever had in the past. It was truly a revelation of epic proportion that I am still struggling to completely understand and appreciate to its fullest meaning and impact. I have always believed in one…
I was recently reading an article about how we as humans seem to take all of the good things in our lives for granted, and sadly we don’t really appreciate their value until they are gone. And in many cases once lost they never return, and we live with the remorse of our lack of understanding and gratitude. That made me think of a time not quite a decade ago when I got very sick.…
Many times we hear of stories about life. We hear and read stories about the life of famous people. We know about the life of our close relatives, of our own family members. We know about the story of our own life. In any person’s life, there would be the good and happy moments or the bad and sad moments. Each of these moments would have their own particular story, a particular situation to recall…
At the Foot of the Cross Looking Up Lord, I lay prostrate and crawl to the base of the cross. My tears soak the earth beneath my face as I edge closer to your holy cross. I embrace the foot of the cross and rise on my knees. My arms hold tightly around that ancient tree. I look upward and feel your holy spirit move within me. Now, I feel your power of love…
The holiday season seems to be a signal to me that after all of the celebrating there is an end coming. In most cases, it is the end of a year which is followed by an opportunity for a new beginning if we choose to take it. New Year’s resolutions can range from being more fiscally responsible, to personal health goals or working to become more mindful of the world around us. But each person…
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…
Failure only occurs when you choose not to learn from an experience. There are valuable lessons to be learned from both good and bad experiences. And each lesson is preparing you for an event or a challenge that you will face later in your journey. You only fail when you refuse to recognize or accept a lesson and are forced to repeat it again rather than moving forward in your journey.
Relationships are much like the sea in that they are ever changing. There are periods of difficulty as well as times of calm smooth sailing. And those relationships that are truly a force of nature not only survive the rough seas but they grow stronger from them. The days that follow the storm are more beautiful and meaningful than any that had come before; much like that majestic sunrise after a night of brutal storms…
For most of us, each day is a long blur of activities, responsibility, and deadlines which consume us. The goal is survival and crossing off as many items on an ever-growing to-do list as possible. As a result, the aspects of life that are most often neglected are the moments of personal connection with those who are most important to our us. We all assume that friends and family are equally as busy and will…
The desire to belong is rooted deeply in the heart and soul of every person. No one wants to be left out, and not a soul can help but ache for the sad-faced child who is always the last one to be picked for a team or picked as a partner for a class project. And it is that burning desire to belong to a group or to fit in that causes some behaviors that…