Journey into Forever

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience , not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?      - Romans 2:4 I am not, by nature, a patient person.  I guess I am better than I used to be, but that is not saying a lot.  I am like my infant granddaughter....I want what I want, when I want it.  Period.  I may act like I'm accepting my circumstances when they are less than desirable, but deep in my heart I know I cry out for what I really want. Luckily, we are the children of a God who has infinite patience.  I know that for a fact, because He has shown infinite patience with me.  He still does.  Paul David Tripp says it this way:         " Again, most of us don't like to wait, but our God, in grace, is willing to wait.  We want life to be a series of completed events; God is willing to live with incompletion until his work is...

Lots of truth here..... "I would like to think that I am one of the good guys, that I am basically righteous.  Okay, I'm not perfect.  Maybe I do need some minor tweaking, but that's all.  But the truth is, I am not okay.  I have a deep and abiding sin problem that I have no ability whatsoever to solve.  I give empirical evidence every day that this dark thing lives inside me.  Maybe I show it as a moment of irritation or selfishness.  Maybe it's revealed in unkind words or a vengeful action.  Maybe it's shown in an unwillingness to serve or a refusal to give.  Maybe it's shown in impatience with other people or anger at my circumstances.  Perhaps it's revealed in demanding to be right or in control.  Somehow every day I prove I am a person in need of help - and so do you.  God is working and will continue to work to solve our biggest problem and to meet our biggest need.  And he will be faithful to his agenda until fore...

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”           - John 8:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.               - Hebrews 4:12 You know,it never fails. Life is always changing, many times not for the better. It's tough. I know just about the time I think everything is going really well, I get slammed into a wall with something else. Or, some previous problem or event rears its ugly head once again.  Life is not stable.  It is never stable. I like to think that life will someday just be serene. Then I won't have to worry about my kids, grandkids, my mom, my husband, or how m...

                                 "I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength."                                                        -Phillippians 4:13       Well here we are.  Another year, another contemplation of what it will bring.   A day for assessing ourselves, thinking of what we need to change, hoping for the best.  New Year's resolutions are really cliché, because most of us know they will last a few days or a few weeks or even a month or two, but that's it.  We just don't seem to have the st...

                                             "Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope."                                                                        -Lamentations 3:21         Well, it's over.  December 26.  The presents are opened, the ham is eaten, the family is gone.  Back to "normal".  Whatever normal is.  Last night, while we were sitting i...

"The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai:  "Go to the great city of Ninevah and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."  But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed to Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the L ORD .          - Jonah 1:1-3      We just watched the production of "Jonah" at Sight and Sound Theatres for the second time.  It is a powerful performance, with so many messages for us.  Although the play follows the scripture very closely, there are parts that have to be fictionalized to make it long enough to be a 2 1/2 hour production.  In this play, Jonah was angry with the Ninevites because during one of their sieges his father was killed.  The Bible does not state , however, why Jonah did not want the Ninevites to be spared....

" Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.  Mercy triumphs over judgment!"        - James 2: 12-13 "Love does no harm to its neighbor.  Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."        - Romans 13:10      I was unexpectedly spending the evening at the hospital with our grandson.  I knew he would be watching television, and I always have to have something to do when I'm sitting.  Can't just sit there....not made like that.  Anyway, I went to the gift shop to look for a book.  I found an author I had read before, the only author I recognized, and decided that was the safest bet.  I had no time to look and see what the book was about, but I knew this author wrote about issues of the day in a novel form.  And I knew she was a compelling writer.  The book was ...