Reading about the merciful in the Sermon on the Mount connects me to Jesus’ later teachings about forgiveness. In the Lord’s prayer he taught his disciples to pray, ‘forgive us …. as we forgive others.” In forgiveness there is great mercy, but in order to receive something it must be given to you. A hard-hearted person struggles with forgiveness. You…..
Perhaps you’ve heard someone say: “He/She’s so meek.” More than likely you were thinking that in terms of emotional or social weakness of some sort – maybe being shy. But the biblical meaning of the word meek is different than what this generation of English speaking people understand it to be. When Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount the word meek meant humble and…..
Have you ever asked yourself this question and sit still long enough to let it sink into your soul? Sometimes when you become familiar with a certain verse or verses of Scripture you begin using it without giving it much thought or putting true empathy into the giving of a card, plaque or poster to another person. We read something, look at…..
By the mercies of God, Paul asks the church members to present their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.
When I read the opening lines of this letter written by the Apostle Paul I can’t help but think about his conversion. From being a man who had been hurling murderous threats against the church to now asking it’s members to become ‘living sacrifices.’ It’s a remarkable transformation! Proof that people can change and that the power of…..
In Matthew 4:19 – 20 we read that when Jesus told some fishermen that if they followed him he would make them fish for people they left immediately to follow him.
Interesting – there was no two week notice, five or twenty year plan to get ready to follow Jesus. Immediately they dropped what they were doing and followed. Maybe that’s the problem with most people today – we want time to plan for the future. We want to make…..
Several days ago I participated in a Walk for Hope hosted by Columbia County Prevent Suicide. It was the third annual walk. I had attended the first one which was in a different location and it seemed there were many more people in attendance. This year the walk was held at the High School Track.
I have a somewhat funny story to share with you although a little sad. I heard a name read and know a person of…..
Last evening I attended a local International Day of Peace event at the public library. I wasn’t exactly sure what the facilitators were going to lead us through and was surprised and pleased and I am still a little bit in awe of how the Holy Spirit worked personally in my life during those brief two hours. I’m only going to share from a portion of the evening as I am still allowing the full work of the Holy Spirit…..
Sometimes we remember Traumatic Experiences from a healing point of view and other times we experience remembrances from a traumatic point of view. We cannot control flashbacks, but we can control – with help – how we respond to them when we realize we are having one or that someone else is having one.
Today I’ve heard rumblings about remembering the traumatic event of 911 – it was surreal for so many people around the world. I myself thought…..
It seems sometimes that we are so fixated on endings, rather than beginnings.
When you pick up a book to look at and decide if you want to read it – do you open it to the end or the beginning? When the seasons change – do you call them the end summer or the beginning of fall? Most people say it’s the end of a season and yet our calenders mark the seasonal changes as the first day…..
