I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again and that I may be less anxious. ... [Read More]
{Joy Day 2} Making my Prayer with Joy
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:3-6, emphasis added Do you make your prayers with joy? Paul's heart was filled with gratitude for this church in Philippi and in his prayers he shared that joy. It's easy in ... [Read More]
We Will Remember
Ten years ago today I was with my entire family - parents, brothers, sister-in-law, nieces and nephews - at "The Happiest Place on Earth." We were on our second day at Magic Kingdom and looking forward to doing all the things we'd missed the day before due to those late afternoon thunderstorms in central Florida. We arrived at the park when it opened and immediately agreed to meet back around lunch time at the Mickey and Walt statue to see how everyone was doing. Scott and I headed to Country ... [Read More]
Slowing the “Unholy Smear”
"In a world addicted to speed, I blur the moments into one unholy smear." Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts On page 67 of Ann's book, this one sentence stopped me. In fact, I stayed there - rereading, pondering, praying, and confessing - for a few days. My heart weighed heavy at the conviction of my own smearing of life's moments, my own haste to accomplish the day's tasks, my own guilty addiction to speed. Soul-weary and with deep desire, I confessed and prayed for strength to s.l.o.w. In ... [Read More]
All is Gift
People who live in the truth, that is, people who are humble, realize that all is gift and that we are here on earth to be recipients and transmitters of God's grace. (32) Bishop Robert Morneau, Not by Bread Alone All is gift. Whether trial or triumph, all is gift. Do I believe that? Really believe that? How do we unwrap the gift we have been given? The gift of life ... abundant life ... life to the full. Do we rip through it never slowing to cherish the small, the slow, the still? Or do ... [Read More]
Practical Suicide
Got your attention? I'm reading this amazing book ... The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath by Mark Buchanon. Do you ever have a book you KNOW you are supposed to be reading ... RIGHT NOW? This is that book for me. Scott bought Buchanon's book for me for Christmas and I added it to the large stack of books I received. In January, I was reading (again) One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are and noticed a few quotes that resonated within me ... guess ... [Read More]
