• I Love You to the Moon and Back

    “For as high as the heavens are above the earth,     so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west,     so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” –Psalm 103:11-12 On the way to church this morning, my husband mentioned during our small talk that the odometer had just turned over to 66,555 miles. “Just think,” he said. “We’ve driven a little over a quarter of the way to the moon!” Although I knew the moon hadn’t been our destination these past ten-odd years of driving, I had to laugh at his delightful way of mapping our progress. It started me thinking about…

  • Dear Christian, Never Give Up!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BZmuz88KEY “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” –Luke 15:20 The entire fifteenth chapter of Luke is a series of three parables about lost things: a sheep, a silver coin, and a younger son. It is worth noting that all these things have progressive value. The sheep would have been commonplace, the silver coin (worth a day’s wages) would have been of far more value, and anyone could relate to the irreplaceable loss of a priceless child. Now, tax collectors, various “sinners” of all sorts, the Pharisees, and…

  • More Precious to God

    Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. –Matthew 8:24-25 I have often heard this passage spiritualized in some way, using the word “storm” figuratively, as in “the storms of life,” or any stressful event we go through. This is all well and good, but keep in mind that the disciples were afraid to the point they…