Sometimes, I am weak. God, you set me upon this course. I get weary. I get impatient. I get frustrated. Can I persevere? 8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:8-11) Sometimes I am weak. I need peace of mind. I need comfort. I need now. Lord, set my eyes on the eternal. --------------------------- ~~~> still in His grip... ---------------------------
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(Edit: this post is a look back to the summer of 2002) Angel, my kids, the dog, and I said, “Good bye, Tennessee!” as we passed into Missouri. We were on our way to Colorado. God called us there so that I could finish my ministerial studies required for ordination in my tribe. Making the decision was easy once we felt assured that this was God’s deal. We’d been there before – stepping out into the wild blue yonder with nothing but the assurance that we were doing what God wanted us to do. He blessed that obedience, making every curve straight and opening the doors that needed to be opened. It was awesome to watch God work and experience those blessings. We knew what God did for us during that first leap of faith, and we were confident He’d do it again. It was going to be awesome!...
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Once upon a time, I was a political, religion, and science forum debater. I was good at it. I took pride in my ability to scribe the compelling nuances of my position as to masterfully refute my debate opponent. I knew I was right. More importantly, I knew that if you did not agree with my opinions, then you were simply wrong. It was thrilling, and intellectually invigorating! It was also hopelessly pointless. At some point I began to resent the person on the other side. “Why don’t they get it? See how masterful my logic is? See how I intricately wove the Bible into my position?” I began to believe that they were just too stubborn, and dishonest debaters because they would never change their mind. During one particularly intense debate, my opponent asked, “Herb, is there anything I can say to change your mind?” I quickly quipped,...
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I love a good, slightly over-ripened tomato that’s been warmed by the sun. My grandmother used to put unripened tomatoes on a shelf in front of a window to let them sun-ripen. When they were perfectly ripe, we’d devour them. Mmmmm… A few times she forgot about them and they’d over-ripen and begin to rot. What a waste! Those tomatoes were robbed of their joy of becoming a savory treat! And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God (emphasis added, Verse 10 of Colossians 1:3-14) This is verse 10, of a larger passage which I encourage you to read for context. But let me summarize. Paul has heard about the zeal and fervor of the people in this church. It excites him,...
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Angel’s mother, Jan, is a sweet giving woman. She amazes me at her generosity. A few weeks ago, she gave us her 2-yr-old lawn tractor – gave. The only catch was that I had to get it to the house. We don’t have a trailer, and my old ’65 Ford truck isn’t operable yet (broken steering box). But, we do have a minivan. So, I went outside, walked around the minivan a little (chin in hand), and decided that it would fit. Now, my son, who was with me, disagreed. My wife thought I was just nuts saying, “how can a lawn tractor fit in our minivan?” Richard  and I drove over to Mom’s. When we pulled up, and as Mom walked out, she had a grin on her face – you know the “bless your heart” grin. In the south, “bless your heart” is akin to saying “you’re...
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