Tag Archives: Renewal

Why Attend Church With the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Many people are turned off by church people and so don’t attend.  Although I attend, my feelings run in different directions because of my experiences: a.   Church people have been unusually nice to me, visiting me in the hospital, … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Adaptability, Belief, Bible, Choices, Christ, Church, Commitment, Communion, Despair, Diversity, Eternal Life, Faithfulness, Feelings, God, Grace, Healing, Identity, Music, Peer Pressure, Perfectionism, Perseverance, Persistence, Perspective, Praise, Reconciliation, relationships, Religion, Social Pressure, Spirituality, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

If Jesus Were a Contemporary Writer

While my wife was reading the story of the Prodigal Son to me, I was struck by the powerful dialogue, the structure, and the twist at the end.  Granted it was only a parable, the impact was still stunning.  This … Continue reading

Posted in Christ, Drama, Eternal Life, Family, Father's Day, Fathers, Fathers and Sons, Fiction, Forgiveness, Inspiration, Novel, Parenting, Problem Children, Prodigal Son, Reconciliation, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Not Made by Human Hands

With so much gorgeous color all around in Spring it is natural to stop and notice it.  In fact men and women have so admired flowers and other parts of nature they have made duplicates of them.  I remember seeing … Continue reading

Posted in Aging, Appreciation, Art, Balance, Belief, Creation, Depression, Enjoyment, Fear, Feelings, Gifts, God, Grace, Letting Go, Life, Nature, Old Age, Perseverance, Photography, Reality, Seasons, Spring, Time, Trust, Worry, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Life Closing In

After a blustery snowy winter and then c0ld rainy days we finally are seeing signs of new life all around us.  As soon as the rains stopped, the store rooms of water in the ground and trees provided plenty of … Continue reading

Posted in Creation, Eternal Life, Nature, Spring | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Second Look at Life-Every Sunrise Brings a New Day

An experience with despair need not end there.  Every sunrise brings a new day. A Second Look While I traveled through The back pages of my mind In search of something meaningful To calm my awareness of failure, I realized … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Adaptability, Adventures, Adversity, Appreciation, Contentment, Creation, Darkness, Depression, Despair, Enjoyment, Feelings, Grief, Healing, Letting Go, Life, Miracles, Morale, Perseverance, Perspective, Providence, Restoration, Spirituality, Stress, Suffering, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Denial

The final part of a daily devotional series at Words of Hope (https://woh.org/word/devotionals/2013/03/23) looking at how people in the Bible handled tough situations: Read Matthew 26:31-35 Have you ever denied you are a follower of Jesus? In many countries a … Continue reading

Posted in Courage, denial, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, Identity, Peer Pressure, Perseverance, Perspective, reinstatement, relationships, Repentance, Restoration, Social Pressure, Spirituality, Trials, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Questioning Life’s Reproductive Mystery

A blessing breeze blows over the earth each time a seed is created.   A seed is the product of fertilization and growth within the mother plant.  It is the miracle of potential encased within a tiny coat, packed with enough … Continue reading

Posted in Appreciation, Creation, Gifts, Life, Meditation, Nature, Pleasure, Praise, Spring | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Promise of the Rainbow

Living in the Past:  Back in the late 1970’s I was returning to Michigan from California.  I had lived out there for almost two years and was now heading home.  I was driving through New Mexico when it started to … Continue reading

Posted in Adventures, Appearance, Faith, Fear, Heaven, Nature, Perseverance, Perspective, Providence, Religion, Stress, Suffering, The Past, Trust, Visual, Weather, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Resolutions are Not Me!

Experience as a Flashlight: I can make all the resolutions I want, but they really have no connection with me.    I live in the real world.  Say, for example, I resolve that I am not going to eat any cookies … Continue reading

Posted in Accomplishment, Adaptability, Belief, Bondage, Courage, Feelings, Focus, Food, Habitual Sin, Health, Life, Morale, New Year, Perfectionism, Perseverance, Perspective, Priorities, Reality, Resolutions, Stress, The Past | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I Am An Optimist and a Pessimist

Lessons I Have Learned:  I suspect the notion that life has it’s ups and downs came as a surprise to me.  I am the kind of person that likes things to be positive and happy.  I guess that makes me … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Adaptability, Appreciation, Contentment, Courage, Faith, Fear, Focus, Grief, Holidays, Letting Go, Life, Nature, Perseverance, Perspective, Stress, Suffering, Trust, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment