-
Have You Paddled Out Too Far?
Beach Lesson #1, 2019 On our first day of our fall beach vacation this year this happened…. I looked out our balcony to see 3 emergency vehicles towing jet skis with lights flashing. Of course, I was curious as to what was going on and went for the binoculars. I could see one of the rescuers also looking through binoculars but pointed toward the horizon. As I continued to watch, eventually a paddle boarder appeared…just this side of the horizon and very far from shore. A girl in a bikini with a hat on, and no life vest. When she got almost to shore, she got off her board and…
-
Embrace God’s Faithfulness
This is last in a 4-part series on embracing God’s attributes. Here you can read part 1, part 2 and part 3 here. Everything that God has promised will come to pass. His faithfulness guarantees this fact. He does not lie. What He has said in the Bible about Himself is true. He will honor His promise that our sins will be forgiven and that we will live forever with Him. He will never leave us, no matter what. We are told in Deuteronomy 7:9, ”Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who…
-
Embrace God’s Holiness
Today, in this 4-part series, I want us to look at how to embrace God’s holiness…not just know about it, but embrace it. You can read the first post here, on embracing God’s love and the second on here, about God’s forgiveness. Do you know what the most loved hymn is? As I was studying about God’s holiness I found out, it’s not Great is Thy Faithfulness or Rock of Ages. It’s Holy, Holy, Holy. There is something mysterious and wonderful about God’s holiness. I read, in Our Daily Bread(April 21, 1997), a story about a little animal called the ermine that lives in the forests of northern Europe and…
-
Embrace God’s Forgiveness
How do you deal with forgiveness? Do you think something you did is just too bad that even God wouldn’t forgive you? This is the second in a four part series on embracing God’s attributes. Read the first post here on God’s love. Forgiveness indicates pardon, absolution, exoneration, clemency, mercy, pity, and lenience. Human forgiveness is often not as generous towards others as God’s is to His children. Proverbs 10:12 reminds us that “Hate stirs up trouble, but love forgives all offenses.” As humans, we often struggle to forgive those who hurt us. This can make it hard to believe God truly forgives our sin. God’s forgiveness is is clear in Romans 5:6-11, “For while…
-
Embrace God’s Love
I recently taught at a retreat…at the beach, no less! The theme was Embrace the Journey and my general session topics were based on embracing God’s attributes of love, forgiveness, holiness and faithfulness. As I studied and prepared, the Lord truly blessed and taught me much. This will be part 1 of a four part series of posts dealing with these attributes. Knowing God’s attributes is one thing, but embracing them is totally different. As we take a look at these four attributes of God, I want us to consider moving from head to heart by embracing of each one. I spent a lot of years living a mediocre life…
You May Also Like
The Cost of Leadership Part 5
Just Below the Surface
The Cost of Leadership Part 6
-
Big Life Stuff
Today’s post is taken from my daughter Alycia’s FaceBook post. I get to do that, well, because she’s mine and she lets me use her wisdom on this site! And because she’s such a great writer of God’s truths and daily life. So enjoy her post on the question “does God really know everything“. You can see more about her at the bottom. One of the boys got off the bus today and decided to ask me 50 questions about Big Life Stuff. I fail these kind of tests often and usually fall back on my charming wit or use big words they don’t understand to confuse them and throw…
-
Karen’s Legacy
I was given the honor of reading a letter at the celebration of life service for my dear friend, Karen Alexander-Doyel. She wrote it to her three boys to encourage them to see her heart for them, and for Christ. She wanted them, and those attending her funeral, to know how much she loved the Lord, and how much God entrusted to her in this ordained, though not always easy, life journey. I have been given permission from Karen’s boys to share “Mom’s letter to her boys” here (and these are her exact words from that letter): “As I sit here tonight, I have so much to be grateful for.…
-
What Does it Take For Your Heart to Burn?
My Bible reading this week, took me to Luke 24. I love the new insights the Holy Spirit gave me as I studied the passage this time. This is resurrection morning, so imagine being one of Jesus’ followers and what you might be experiencing that day. I want to make two points I believe the Lord said to me that morning. Take time to stop here and read that chapter if you can. Make a note of anything that refers to something that is bright, light, or fire-like. First the women, who came to anoint Jesus’ body, saw two dazzling men! Or, as the Bible states: “two men stood by…
-
Does God Really See Me?
How alone do you feel right now? Isolated completely? Perhaps isolated in a crowd? Do you wonder if anyone really even notices you are in the crowd? I tend to enjoy alone time at this stage of life. This desire to pull away from people and “cocoon” began when my work/ministry life began to become so fast paced and began to involve lots of people…groups small and large. My cocoon time became a cherished respite to be quiet and to recharge for the next busy rush of life. But too much isolation would bring great loneliness and unhealthy living. Then there are times we are in the middle of a…
-
From Unbelief to Pillar
When you think of a pillar, what’s your first thought? Strong? Holding up something? Foundational? Been there a long time? All of these are accurate pictures of a pillar. Various shapes and types of pillars are used in buildings. Now, think of a person as a pillar. One who holds up something. Again, we see lots of different things and ways people are pillars. What about you? What are you holding up? What do you support? Are you like everyone else you know? Or an individual God has shaped to hold up His values and truth, different from any other Christ-follower to bring His glory to your part of the…
