Is the love of Christ to compel me? Or is the love of Christ to constrain me? Perhaps surprisingly (or perhaps not!) - the answer is both! His love for me is to both compel and constrain! I first came across this idea as a young Christian, when reading 2 Corinthians 5:14, which in part states in some translations, “For the love of Christ compels us…” and in others “For the love of Christ...
“I’ve read the entire driver’s manual! I know everything there is to know ABOUT driving. Now all I need to learn is HOW to drive!” I laughed as my almost-16 year old son went on to describe all that he knew about driving yet how much he still had to learn about how to drive. He had the knowledge; he needed the experience. We went on to discuss how that parallels life and...
(Click here for a printable list of verses.) “Can I just do it MY way?” My son truly believed his way was better, faster, and right! What he didn’t realize was that as a seven year old, his understanding was limited and his view was short-sighted! How I can relate! How easy it is to rely on our understanding and therefore desire (or insist!) upon doing things our way! Wisely,...
“Ugh! I stepped in mud,” I said as I attempted to wipe the mud off my boot. It was a spring day, and my son and I were crossing the softball field to take our seats before my daughter’s game began. “Huh. My shoes are made for mud,” my contemplative six-year old replied. He continued, “My shoes are made to get muddy. That’s why I have them!” I laughed at how...
“I don’t need to see you, Mommy. I know you’re here.” These words, spoken in the dark of night by a troubled little heart, were uttered by my son as I sat next to his bed. He did not need to see me nor did he need my touch or to hear my voice, he just needed my presence. Knowing I was near was enough to bring comfort and calm to his heart. David expressed similar thoughts when he...
Download Scripture Cards Most of my kids love to fish and to spend time on their grandfather’s boat. One, however, only enjoys it under certain conditions: not too hot, not too windy, and above all, not too rocky. We have learned how to work around his stipulations and when he should join in a fun fishing trip and when it is best he does not. However, we have also learned that not all of...
Before moving forward into 2021, let’s take a quick trip back to the 1300’s. Here we find one of the earliest definitions of “resolution,” taken from a Latin word meaning “a process of reducing things into simpler forms.” Over the centuries, the word’s usage and meaning changed and evolved. But if we consider that early definition, we may very well get to the heart of what we truly desire...
“He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze” (2 Samuel 22:35). In this exuberant psalm of praise and thanksgiving, David declared the mighty and powerful acts of God, who saved him from all of his enemies (verse 1). While verse 35 is just one of the many recountings of the Lord’s faithfulness, two little words stuck out to me: “so that.” Clearly David was praising...
Humility. It may just be the key to walking into a new year with renewed vision. It may be the secret to experiencing restored relationships. It may be our answer when facing difficult people and our response when we just don’t know how to respond. In other words, humility may be just what we need to leave a difficult year behind us and walk into a fresh year with endless...
Reminder: You define your goals. Your goals don't define you. The longer (and truer) version: You define your goals, through the guidance of the Word of God and the leading of the Spirit of God. Your goals, whether the simple act of setting them or the admirable act of achieving them, do not define you. As thoughts of the New Year, and yes - new possibilities, and even new goals - loom in...