Meat for the Hungry

Let’s use the next seven days leading into our Resurrection Day Celebration to pray for our world, our country, its leaders, AND those affected in any way by COVID-19, the victims, workers, residents of each state and nation.  DAY 1 O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments. We have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments… O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face…because of the unfaithfulness which we have committed against You.  O Lord, to us, belong shame of face…because we have sinned against YOU. To the Lord, our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us THROUGH HIS WORD. Yes, all THE WORLD has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as no...

Painting by Sara Hancock (used with permission) COVID-19 and the state of emergencies have caused widespread distress. Fear and anxiety are rampant, and bordering on panic. Rapidly dwindling stock in stores has amplified fear. I must admit, when I saw Dollar General’s empty shelves, it unnerved me. In fact, I teared up as I realized just how much our lives have changed in only a few days. When we should be focusing on our upcoming Resurrection Day celebrations, we are smacked in the face with a pandemic and FEAR. In response, some believers have shouted the first part of II Timothy 1:7, saying, “The Lord has not given us a spirit of fear ...” While this is true, these believe we should not cancel church, etc. because we can trust God to keep us healthy. God is able to keep us healthy just as he was able to keep the three Hebrews safe in the fiery furnace. [1] But, the world sees this as being irresponsible.

     Have you ever had someone ask the question, “ If God is love , why does he allow suffering in the world?” Of course, you have because this is the classic question non-Christians pose to the true believer.      When this happened to me recently, I thought I had a good answer with something I heard on Moody Radio, “God doesn’t cause suffering. People make people suffer.” The statement made sense on the radio program, but that day it sounded weak. Thankfully, the person seemed satisfied, and the conversation ended. Later, I thought of the many things I could have said.      About a month later, a close family member shared an article on Facebook; The American Life is Killing You by Erik Rittenberry. [1] Because I love the sharer, I read the article. It was gloomy, and in the reading, I could feel despair, hopelessness, and suffering.      The writer began with a quote from new-agey-type a...

Every December, I say to myself, “After the holidays, I’m going to lose weight and exercise more.” My goal is that by Valentine’s Day I’ll look the way I’ve always dreamed. I start with a hope and a weak prayer that somehow accomplishing this will make me beautiful. So far, God hasn’t answered that prayer. (Lol) But, when the New Year rolls around, I have trouble, especially if New Year’s Day is in the middle of the week. (I prefer to start a transformation on a Monday.) So, a few days go by, I recall my resolution, and for a second time, determine to make these changes. However, as the cliché goes, life happens. I begin, but then have a hard time remembering to insert them into my daily routine (probably because I really didn’t want to do them in the first place). Soon I find myself wondering why I thought they were so important. Still, weight loss and a more physically fit body are important to me. I know I should not dismiss them. So, once again, I’ll make the effort. ...

Tinsel, glittering trees, sparkling lights, wreaths, and decorations in their place. Nativity displayed. Cards addressed and mailed. Candles lit. Table set. Ham glazed. Cookies baked, candies molded, nut bowls filled. Cocoa simmering, presents wrapped, ribboned, and bowed, and a family dressed to the nines. What a p e r f e c t C h r i s t m a s ! Oh, how I wish this were me. I did better with C h r i s t m a s when I was younger, probably because I started in September. Lately, though, the perfect Christmas seems elusive, and I’d rather escape into Christmas poems, books, and movies. In them, I rarely see the behind the scenes work or the chaos that ensues with my not-so-perfect Christmases. Neither is there the stress, depression, or frustration building during the holidays. Sometimes we’re missing loved ones, sometimes we’re lonely, sometimes it’s disturbing news or a serious diagnosis, and sometimes we’re simply dreading the work of putting up decorations, just to take th...

Among the myriad of things for which I’m thankful , at this moment, it’s the two movie reviews I just read on Crosswalk.com. Freelancer, Michael Foust, writes about Frozen II [1] and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood . [2] Both should be wildly popular at the box office, but for different reasons, and with different messages. Frozen II, while appealing to our “baby” generation, promotes the elements of witchcraft, fire, water, wind, and earth. And, using animism, gives each a soul and a spirit body. Although Frozen II teaches courage in the face of adversity, it also conveys an antichristian source for Elsa’s courage/power, and this puts me in a bit of a predicament. As a long-distance grandma, I promised my granddaughters. I would buy them tickets to see the movie. They saw the first Frozen , and yes, it does have a bit of animism—Olaf, the walking and talking snowman. But Foust says Frozen II is darker. I’m not surprised, and in my opinion, it’s deliberately darker, s...