Consider the Lilies

Category: Suffering

  • Strength

    It really fascinates me.  For whatever reason, in the past fifteen years, I have endured multiple fractures.  Two fingers, an elbow, a knee, an ankle, and most recently, a wrist. No, I am not morbidly interested in breaking bones.  But the incredible fact, the amazing thing is –  that the bones don’t remain broken –…

  • Without Faith

    Faith is quite a mystery.  We exercise it every day, yet it seems complicated. It is easy and straightforward, but at the same time hard to get a handle on.  It’s essential to life, yet not often acknowledged.  And this confusing, but simple concept just happens to be the thing that God wants from us.…

  • Into the fray

    I don’t know what you think of Paul, the last of the Apostles. He can be quite a polarizing figure.  Once a prominent, powerful Jew, using his ruthless power to quell the “rebellion” of followers of the Way…then dramatically changed into a follower of the Way. And Paul was not just a simple follower of…

  • My Right Arm

    Have you ever had a moment when you are reading something – say, the Bible – and an image or a word jumps out at you, vividly? (I hope it’s happened to you, because, it happened to me.  And it’s a cool experience.  Read on.) The image that impressed me was an arm.  Yes, a…

  • Whom Shall I Fear?

    After living out the book of Job, was Job able to say, in any situation, oh so confidently, without a tremor in his voice, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?”

  • Living between revelations

    I have had no new revelations lately.  I love revelations – not the book of Revelation in this case, although that’s also a great read – but moments of insight when a truth unzips itself in a new way and I see it clearly.  When I first started seeking God, everything was “new”.  And even…

  • The Power of Limitations

    It took me about three decades to come to terms with my limitations.  I always expected “greatness” from myself, I had this conception that I could and should be greater and better than what I actually was.  Always striving and never achieving the standard of…the world?  myself?  I included God in the picture, and His…

  • Salvation Bucket

    Two frogs fell into a bucket of cream, or so I’ve heard it told. The sides of the bucket were shiny and steep, the cream was deep and cold. “Oh, what the us?” said No. 1, “”Tis fate-no help’s around. Goodby, my friend. Goodbye, sad world.” And weeping still, he drowned. But No. 2, of…