This time of year our hearts are turning toward Christmas, and the story we know so well. There is a lot of detail in Luke 1 and 2, beginning with the origin story of John the Baptist. Have you ever wondered why Zechariah was struck dumb for questioning the angel who gave him good news, …
Tag Archives: faith
Words and Confessions
Words. Twenty-six letters in our alphabet. They can be arranged to create a nursery rhyme or great works like Shakespeare produced. Letters can be put together in such a way as to inspire, or to criticize, to convey truth, or to spread falsehood. In the very beginning, the world came into existence with words, God’s words. The nothingness became …
Over All
In the information age, we want answers. The demand for information is insatiable, and we seem to want, and in many cases can get, almost instant access to news and other details about a situation, even if the news is just beginning to break. If facts are not forthcoming in a timely manner on a …
Live Out Love
“I will show you a still more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). If you have trusted in Christ, then you are a part of his Body. Like our physical bodies, this Body has many parts, but all function together, each doing its job. If one member suffers, all suffer together. This is easy to understand …
Parent or Guardian Required
Forms are a part of life, beginning in childhood. I remember all the school and medical forms of various kinds which had to be signed “by parent or guardian.” I think being adopted must have made me more sensitive to the distinction between parent and guardian, and I remember the feeling of discomfort that some …
A Long Way Off
Don’t you love it when you read a passage of Scripture and something jumps out at you that you had not noticed before? Sometimes it may be the Holy Spirit giving you that insight or it might be simply your own mind discerning more of the richness of Scripture, but either way it is a …
Deconstruction
Deconstruction. What a sad word. It implies an undoing of something that is complete and whole. Deconstructing is far easier than constructing. In my work as a pediatric occupational therapist, I often see children whom I call my “deconstructors.” They are not yet able to grasp the concept of a particular activity but will …
Surrounded
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 What does it mean to be “in Christ?” That phrase (in Christ) is used around 180 times in the New Testament, depending on the translation you use. The dictionary definition of …
What Are You So Afraid Of?
Fear. It can paralyze us or send us running for cover. It seems to be in our nature to look at our circumstances, and at times be held hostage to our feelings. Our moods sometimes rise and fall with our feelings, and we can easily be overcome with anxiety and fear when faced with trying …
