EXTRAVAGANT: Going beyond what is deserved or justifiable. Exceeding the bounds of reason. Spending much more than is necessary. The Bible tells us how wide and deep Jesus's love is, yet so many of us live as if we are not loved that way—though we want to believe. So, we struggle to live confidently and… Continue reading Extravagant Love
“When we are willing to risk venturing into the wilderness, and even becoming our own wilderness, we feel the deepest connection to our true self and to what matters the most.” Brene Brown On January 1, 2023, I posted a blog called I Choose Joy in 2023. I shared how I discovered my theology was… Continue reading Joy Chose Me
Our nation is grieving because of senseless killings. Can any of us describe how we feel? These are scary times, and amidst all the chaos and confusion, I find myself searching for Bible verses to ground my troubled soul like a tree with roots so deep that it does not fall during a violent storm. This… Continue reading Staying Grounded and Strong in Troubled Times
Sometimes life does not meet our expectations. What was supposed to happen didn’t materialize, and what you got in its place is something entirely different. Yesterday was one of those days, and the outcome reminded me of a familiar metaphor, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Why not? The lemonade might be delicious. Especially… Continue reading Unmet Expectations don’t have to be disappointing
2024 has been a transformative year for me, marking the moment when I finally reached a significant milestone and saw my long-held dream come to life in a burst of joy and fulfillment. My Milestone: I have reached the age of collecting my full monthly amount from Social Security. I always knew that day would… Continue reading 2024 – My Year in Review
The Bible does not teach us to be conformers – even within our Church culture. Conforming has never changed my character or heart because it is an outward act. The Bible teaches me I am to be transformed through the work of the Holy Spirit. There is a stark difference between conformity and transformation. Conformity:… Continue reading Transformed vs. Conformed
My very being dwells in the flux of time’s flow. I must learn how time has shaped me. James K.A. Smith Last week I checked out a book from the library called How to Inhabit Time by James K. A. Smith. As I consumed the pages with delight, my annoyance grew as I could not… Continue reading When am I?
We create narratives by choosing the order of events we share in our story, and the telling promotes a specific point of view. Have you ever challenged the narratives you create in your mind? This past year I examined some stories I have told myself and others about my life and realized that not everything I… Continue reading The Grace Narrative
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7 Lately, in my quiet times with the Lord, I have thought a lot about Jesus’s invitation in Matthew 7:7 to Ask, Seek and Knock. I have been asking myself: “Am I approaching Jesus with the… Continue reading The Practice of Asking Good Questions
Psalm 23: 1-3 The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters.[a]3 He restores my soul. In this blog, I comment on the 5th chapter of W. Phillip Keller's book, A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23. Keller enhances our understanding of the 3rd line in Psalm 23, “He restores my… Continue reading Psalms 23 – He Restores My Soul
