THOUGHTS TO START YOUR DAY!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11 A while ago I sat at lunch with someone who was facing a very serious surgical procedure. As this person shared facts related to their upcoming surgery, I could see the anxiety building in their facial expressions and vocal inflections. At one point that anxiety welled up in his eyes and begin to drip down his cheeks into his l

“What is God really like?” That is a question that all of us struggle to answer from the first moment we become aware of the concept of God until we depart this life to meet Him face to face. As we struggle with that question, we all seem to come up with differing images of God. Even within our denomination and within our church we do not all worship the same “version” of God. Our view of what God is like usually changes over time. As a child I believed that every ‘bad thing’

Luke 15:1-7 (MSG) The Story of the Lost Sheep 15 1-3 By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.” Their grumbling triggered this story. 4-7 “Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and

I tried a new recipe that I had to double for our family. I added the butter, sugar and eggs, but it didn't look quite right. I still kept going and added the next few ingredients. When I was finishing up, I realized that somewhere along the way I stopped doubling the ingredients. So, I went back and added extra to some of the last few ingredients, but I wasn't really sure what I had doubled and what I hadn't. It was a mess. I really just needed to start over, but I was deter

“God Friended Me” is a new TV series for fall 2018. Perhaps you’ve seen it already? The storyline involves “God” communicating with a person and arranging circumstances and conversations that direct the lead character’s path and alters and impacts the lives of others as well. It is based on the Facebook encounter where we become “friends” with others through social media and carry on a relationship via that media. The idea of God reaching out to mankind is really not a nove

The death of Jesus on the cross represents the ultimate act of pure, sacrificial love. He actually “used” the cross for good. He used that hideous device and the heinous actions of sinful men against him to bring about God’s good plan to rescue and bless humanity. Through the pouring out of his life in this manner we receive “one gracious blessing after another.” In Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul refers to the incredible wealth of God’s grace and kindness toward us demonstrate