A New Direction

DO you believe that?? If you were put in a position where you kept your job if you denounced that God is living, what would you do?  If you were told your family would die unless you said God is dead, what would you say? What if you were told you would fail unless you went along with everyone else and claimed God is not alive, would you crumble under the pressure? Tough questions and for a Christian who loves the Lord and is committed to Him, it should be an easy answer. But, is it?  What would you do? A teenage girl huddles under a cafeteria table in Columbine High School.  A gun is pointed at her face.  Do you believe in Jesus? she is asked.  Yes, she replies.  Bang, she's dead.  She knew, in that moment, her life was on the line and yet she refused to refute the living, breathing God of all creation.  Would you be so brave?   I saw "God's Not Dead" last night with my son and a theater FULL of people.  At one point Josh, ...

I recently took a "hiatus" from facebook.  I decided to step away from something that seemed to consume my time.   I didn't realize how hard it was going to be at first, but once I got past the first few days, I realized I was just trying to break a really bad habit.  The silence that ensued was refreshing. Facebook is a habit.  Just like smoking a cigarette, a person who is addicted to Facebook has to have a "hit" multiple times a day.  How has this happened? How have we become so addicted to the approval of others?  We post a picture and look to see how many "likes" we get.  Who likes our picture, who comments, etc.  Its a place to seek acceptance from people instead of seeking the one who is the Ultimate Friend.   We follow pages, people, groups, causes on Facebook.  We justify why we spend so much time looking into other peoples lives instead of looking deeper into our own.  Jesus wants our time.  He wants ...

Jesus died on a tree.  We are compared to a sparrow in God's word.  His eye is on us. Have you ever considered the trees?  How glorious and majestic they truly are?  Trees are mentioned throughout the Bible.  The Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinth trees of Mamre.  Deborah sat under a tree to dispense wisdom.  Zacchaeus shimmied up a tree and went out on a limb to see Jesus.  Most importantly, Jesus died on a tree to save us from our sins. Birds live in trees and wake us on warm spring mornings singing their praise.  The wind whispers through the trees and kisses my face with its gentle touch.  Gods touch - music to my ears. I miss my porch mornings.  Spring can't get here fast enough.  I need to feel the warmth on my body, the breeze on my face, hear the song in my heart.  What is my favorite tree?  I love trees that provide shade on a hot sunny day, a place of respite from the suns blazing heat. ...

 As a Perfume As a perfume doth remain in the folds where it has lain, So the thought of you, remaining Deeply folded in my brain, Will not leave me, all things leave me You remain. Other thoughts may come and go Other moments I may know that shall waft me, in their going, As a breath blown to and fro Fragrant memories, fragrant memories Come and go. Only thoughts of you remain In my heart where they have lain, Perfumed thoughts of you, remaining A hid sweetness, in my brain Others leave me: all things leave me You remain.                  - Arthur Symons Fragrances can transport you to a place you once were...to a memory of a time long gone.  A smell can remind you of a person you once loved, a place once visited.  A sweet smell can bring forth memories that makes you smile and want to dance again. You open an old trunk and the musty smell transpor...

  What do you see when you look at the piece of artwork displayed above?  Do you see a ballerina dancing?  Ribbons flowing?  Light dancing off her body as she balances on her toes? What we see is a matter of viewpoint.  Perspective.  What one person sees will be different than what someone else sees.  I look at this and immediately see someone balancing her life on a single point.  Stretching and reaching to flowing ribbons cascading around her.  This is so indicative of our life.  We have ribbons of life all around us - kids, job, church, finances, sports, friendships, groups - and we are balancing on our toes, trying to make it all work seamlessly.  But, what would happen if we lost our balance?  What keeps her on her toes?  She has strength, endurance, balance in her life.  Do you have that in yours?  Where do you find it? We find the balance we need in God's word.  His promises written in sc...