December 22, 2011 This week in Brentwood, TN, a 23-year-old soldier came home from Iraq for Christmas. Complete with a police escort, he was welcomed by miles of yellow ribbons and American flags, as family, friends, and many folks he didn’t even know, lined the streets to receive him back home. ..... Read more
Years ago, when house-hunting in the Nashville area, the real estate agent pointed out a beautiful, blood-red brick antebellum home, complete with striking white columns, acres of rolling hills, and surrounded by pre-Civil war era stone walls. “That home is known as, “Glimpse of Glory,” my lovely Southern connoisseur of homes exclaimed with delight, as we approached the beautiful estate from around the bend. “Isn’t it, Ju-u-st ‘gaw-jus?”
We recently saw the popular Dr. Seuss cartoon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which depicts a very green, and very mean Grinch character stealing all of the trappings of Christmas, and thereby thinking that he can stop Christmas from coming. This secular holiday cartoon, set in the imaginary world of Who-Ville, reminds us all too much of our current day and time
Imagine God rising from His throne and smiling as He welcomes us into our eternal dwelling place. Imagine the peace that comes from knowing we will never cry again, never fear again, never hurt again because we are in His presence, at rest in His arms.
Alleluia! Praise the risen King! Lord, we trust in Your great might as evidenced through Your death and resurrection. The resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of our faith. Nothing else matters. If Jesus did not rise from the dead then the gospel is not true. If Jesus had not risen from the grave, we would be without hope. Death would still have its sting each time we lose a loved one to its cold grip. We would live in constant fear of its dark veil shrouding our days.... Read more
The time for doing and for living is now. We must let go of the worries and burdens built upon our yesterdays and tomorrows, for they are what undermine our faith and cause us to lose today. It isn’t the experience of today that threatens our sanity, but remorse over yesterday and the dread of tomorrow. We must learn to live one day at a time knowing that the same God who saw us through yesterday, guides us through today, and prepares us for tomorrow. As faith grows, we gradually realize that our strength lies not in what we have, but rather in what we are willing to surrender to God... Read more
As Christians we believe that God is Lord of all, but on a daily basis we don’t always live our lives consistent with that belief. Why do we find it so hard to dwell in the shelter of Christ even though we know He is our only true refuge? Why are we tempted to... Read more
In hours of darkness it is easy to feel that God has forgotten us, and at times we even blame Him for our pain. Instead of lifting our hands and worshipping Him, we often accuse God as if... Read more
Why do we doubt the goodness of our Lord? Why do we hope – even demand – that God make His way clear to us before we follow Him in faith? We often know in our hearts what must be done, yet we are short-sighted and fear taking that important step of faith. We cry out for... Read more
In a world where only scientific documentation determines what is “truth,” we often experience doubts similar to those of the disciple Thomas. We question God’s incredible love for us. Did He really allow... Read more
If Christ’s message can be distilled to its simplest form – “Love God and love one another” – why is loving God and loving others so difficult to do? Perhaps we are afraid. Perhaps love has hurt in the past. Perhaps we have felt... Read more
“Please help me with Christmas,” I found myself asking God in a panicked prayer, realizing how much needed to be done and how few days there were until December 25th. ... Read more
As I look back through my childhood Christmas memories, the birth of Jesus with all of its amazing details was a difficult concept to grasp. I tried to put the Christmas story into practical terms, in an effort to wrap my brain around it and have it make sense. How did this baby's birth manage to turn the world upside down?
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Spend time with Me and you will recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with Me- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I wont’ lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you will learn to live freely and lightly.”
