Thinking on these things . . .

I'm fairly certain this is some kind of computer optical illusion; nevertheless, it is mind blowing and illustrates an excellent point. First, click on link under the picture and scroll to go deeper into the picture... then come back here... http://xkcd.com/1416/ Amazing isn't it?  The more you scroll, the deeper the pictures go; so deep in fact that you totally lose sight of the "big picture". To me this is a perfect illustration of God's working in our lives and circumstances - we have no idea on what level of detail what is happening in our lives is to the enormity of the picture of our own story and then how it plays into God's plan that spans all of history. But it does.  We have confidence that God is working all things together for the good of those who trust Him . (Romans 8:38) therefore we can "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all your do, and He will show you which ...

Perhaps my most favorite time in the world is when I sit down with a friend for coffee, or tea, or breakfast, lunch, dinner, mid morning snack, pie, ice cream... well, you get the idea. There is nothing like an hour of uninterrupted, distraction free time with someone you love, right? However life is much too busy to stop for coffee as often as I'd wish so there's always the ability to make a phone call - or send an email - or, when everyone and everything is spinning like a whirling dervish, a text.  There are ways to stay connected until there is again time for "coffee". I can't help but wonder if a little bit of this idea is germane to I Thessalonians  5:17 where we are told to "Pray without ceasing".  Could this also really just be saying "stay connected"? There are times and seasons where I have the opportunity to really settle into good conversation with the Lord, and then there are others where I'm meeting myself coming and ...

The sun has past its zenith and the ground is filled with people as far as the eye can see; thousands and thousands of people who'd come to hear Jesus, hungry for truth and by now, just plain hungry. Philip feels a nudge and Jesus asks "Where shall we buy bread for all these people to eat?" (John 6:5) Philip, surveying the crowd turns to Jesus and replies incredulously "Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" (vs. 7) or "it would take a small fortune!"  Today he'd probably say "Seriously?!" To their credit the disciples were examining their resources; Jesus had made them responsible by asking the question and they were assessing what little they had in the face of such a great need.  As you know they brought forward the small boy's lunch of five rolls and two fish and presented it to Jesus - in essence saying - "This is all we've got". Then Jesus gave them instructions - a...

Dear Carol, Forty-two years ago today you were a thirty something year old mom of four small children who'd probably dropped them off in their various Sunday School classes after the "fun" of getting a family ready for church on a Sunday morning... And then you went, not to be ministered to, but to minister; to teach five and six year olds about Jesus. I wouldn't be surprised if you left that morning after class and went about your day as if it were a regular Sunday, but it wasn't for me because it was that Sunday - Jan. 9, 1972 - that you told me that Jesus was knocking on my heart's door (Revelations 3:20) and you stayed after class and prayed with me because I wanted to let Him in. I've worked with five and six year olds, prayed with them and their sweet tender hearts - never knowing if they really understood  they were doing...but that day I did. You introduced me to the Lover of my soul. You told me He was calling my name and that if I would op...