I Was Kidding: The Hidden Cruelty by Peggy Webb

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

If you have ever been crushed by hurtful words from someone you trusted and  have then been told, “I was just kidding,” you are likely the victim of bullying and passive aggressive cruelty. Sometimes a statement meant to tear down your self-esteem is lobbed in privacy by a relative or a person you believed to be your friend. Often, the harmful words are flung in your direction in a public place, leaving you the brunt of a so-called joke, with your face burning and your confidence shattered, while others in the group share a laugh at your expense.

Make no mistake. The laughter is just as hurtful as the words. It comes from a group of people who probably never found the cruel remark funny, but felt obligated to laugh because the speaker is often seen as the leader of the pack, the life of the party, the one you need to please, regardless of who is hurt. 

The insidious nature of this kind of bullying makes it easy for the bully to turn the tables even further by accusing you of not being a good sport because you are not joining in the laughter. Now, you are wearing whatever insulting label the bully placed on you, and the additional one of being a person who is not fun to be around.

This passive aggressive form of cruelty is not limited to children in the playground. It can and does extend into adulthood, and it does not exclude the people we should protect and cherish—the aging who have raised a family, used their talents in their church and community, and continue to be productive within the parameters of their new limitations.

Nor does the perpetrator of this I-was-just-teasing form of verbal abuse take into count—or care—what is currently happening in the victim’s life. The target of the insult masquerading as a joke could be suffering because a loved one received a horrible diagnosis of physical or mental illness. The victim could be worried about stretching a too-small salary over a growing mountain of debt, burdened with the isolation that comes from living alone, devastated over the death of family or friends. The list is endless. The bully does not care.

He craves the limelight, the quick laughter that translates into his mind as approval, the power of reducing the current victim to a puddle of insecurities. And often tears.

Why does this happen? Frequently, jealousy is the motive. The bully feels threatened by his target for any number of reasons, both real and imagined—social status, looks, wealth, talent. The bigger the target, the more satisfaction in reducing them to the brunt of a joke. Tearing them down, especially in public, makes the bully the center of attention, the one who knows how to laugh and have a good time, the leader, the one who shows others who is worthy and who is not. 

This is a hard post to write. I am the victim of the I-was-just-teasing bully. And not in the past, either. Recently, and in spite of my gray hair and the many ways I share my faith and the gifts God gave me with my community and my church. I teach the adorable 2-year-old angels, sing in Sunday morning choir, play piano for Sunday night services, work with the ministries in the women’s group, and try very hard to be compassionate, kind, and fair in my interactions with the people I see day-to-day. 

Am I always successful? No. I am human. Sometimes my feelings and my too-crowded schedule dictate my actions. I’m too hurried to lift someone else up or too harried to be part of a church fund-raiser. But I am never, ever deliberately cruel.  From the time I was a small child, my wonderful Daddy taught me to always be kind. That was the mantra I heard from him throughout the short fifty-seven years he lived on this earth. It’s my mantra, too, the one I taught to my children, and to my students at Mississippi State University during my brief stint there.

Kindness is one of the ways you can tell if a person is a follower of Christ. 

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galations 5: 22-23

Be kind. 

Peggy Webb

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Proverbs 8

Posted on April 10, 2023 by kathc2

The Excellence of Wisdom

There is a saying, “ Money doesn’t buy happiness.” For multiple reasons, society seems to rank wealth with success—which may or may not be true.

Years ago, my husband almost didn’t make it to his next breath. I had sold my first two or three books to an established fifty-year-old plus publisher based in New York City. However, the books were published in hardcover, so they weren’t as lucrative as paperbacks nor as income-producing as one would have liked (one being my husband)–although the monies I earned were respectable.

We were at a party and he began introducing me to his coworkers. He said, “This is my wife, the budding author.” Not only was I offended, but the people he introduced me to were put off on my behalf. He was shocked to learn the definition of “budding” was quite different from what he had thought. What I had attained through hardwork and dedication led me to a level of success many people valued as much as or more than cash.

In my hubby’s defense, he hadn’t intended his introduction as a slight. He lived, but just barely, and he was schooled on the value of wisdom over lucre. Not all of us grow wealthy in money, but I imagine that most of us strive to become successful and rich at what truly counts.

This is at the heart of the message in Proverbs 8. In God’s eyes it is better to strive for knowledge and wisdom than to chase the dollar.

Have you been guilty of this? Using money as a mean of validation or valuation?

Merely because someone earns a lot, doesn’t mean they are a good or worthy person. I’ve seen firsthand how some people value a person’s bank account over other considerations. Spiritual wisdom leads us to happiness and understanding. Too often humanity ascribes value to income rather than far more important, and lasting, attributes, and this often leads to dissatisfaction or unhappiness. It comes at a spiritual cost.

I recently watched a TikTok video about a celebrity who years ago was introduced to Elon Musk. The celebrity had no idea who Musk was, so the celebrity assumed the man must be a fan of his, hence why the introduction was made. In reality, the opposite was true—the person doing the introductions thought the celebrity would be thrilled to meet Musk. To the celebrity, fans wanting to meet him was something that routinely happened because of his success in Hollywood. Although having fans was not a monetary valuation, it was something the celebrity associated with his own success. It wasn’t until years later that the celebrity realized the truth of the situation. Through experience he had grown wiser.

Wealth doesn’t mean the person is evil or bad intentioned. It doesn’t mean they are not good. There are people in this world who are quite wealthy but at least equally wise. Wisdom is the far more valuable asset.

8:11 “For wisdom is more precious than rubies.”

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The Irony of It All: JAIL FOR BAPTISM—ON GOOD FRIDAY? by Vicki Hinze

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

On Good Friday, I heard about a legal case.  A divorced couple battling.  The wife had the couple’s child baptized.  The husband, of the same faith, also wanted the child baptized, but not until later in life.  So now the husband wants the wife jailed, and it looks as if she might be jailed for this.

We’ve all heard of cases where people of different faiths disagree on baptism and, while tragic, it shows the wisdom of a couple sharing a common faith.  This is the epitome of a house divided, in my opinion, and I think of the sacrament of marriage and wonder how two become one when their fundamental spiritual beliefs are at odds.  But that’s not the topic of this post.

The topic of this post is that news of this case broke on Good Friday, the day representative of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  The irony in that shatters the heart.

When viewed from the father’s perspective, I see the agony of the choice.   This is his child and his wishes should be considered and have equal weight, and he should have an equal say in the spiritual duties regarding his child.   His wishes were known, and ignored by the mother.

From the mother’s perspective, I see the agony of the choice.  Their child is a gift from God and it is her duty and responsibility to nurture and meet the needs of the child, which definitely includes the spiritual care.   There are two divergent thoughts here.  One, if she’s of the opinion that her child is protected in the way the Bible describes those who do not know the Law are protected, then having the child baptized without the father’s knowledge knowing his objection was for less than pure motives—to give back to God the child He gave her.  If she’s of the opinion that the gates of Heaven are closed to all those who are not baptized, then I can see how she’d neither sleep a wink nor draw an easy breath until her child was baptized.  I don’t know which is her school of thought, but whatever it is, it speaks to the purity of her motives.

Either way, the situation is a tragedy.  That the father wants the mother of their child jailed.  That the mother felt compelled to act over the father’s objection.  That a secular court is being relied upon to resolve a spiritual matter.  That the greatest victim in all of this is the child, whose parents are at war over the state of the child’s soul.

The bitterness of divorce, the depth of an individual’s beliefs, can be powerful motivating forces.  When any human being is confronted with such a significant choice regarding  his or herself, the confusion and challenges in making wise decisions is difficult.  But when one is in that situation and the impact will rest on the shoulders of one’s child, the challenges become far more complex and far more difficult.  Agonizing.  Traumatizing.  And that additional weight brings additional challenges to bear on the decisions.

These are weighty matters.   And the conditions are not good ones for making wise choices.  I wouldn’t dare to presume to judge either parent, for it’s all too easy as an objective outsider to imagine both positions.  What goes through my mind most on this is a question:  Why didn’t the parents jointly seek wise counsel?

The Bible explicitly tells us in  Proverbs 1:4-6:  “A wise man will hear and will increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsel.” (KJV)  Perhaps they did seek spiritual counseling on the matter of baptizing their child from church leaders.  I don’t know.  But it is doubtful that they did so jointly and arrived at an outcome that landed them in court with the threat of jail on the mother’s head.

I can’t believe this current situation is in the best interest of their child.  I can’t believe it is in the best interest of the father, for surely bitterness and anger are driving his desire to see the mother of his child put in jail, or in the best interest of the mother, who is surely fearful of jail and of the care of her child during an incarceration.

And what of the child, who so easily could feel (and likely does feel) responsible for the war going on with the parents and confusion and upset and tension and fear.  Kids do tend to take on these issues and deem themselves responsible though they are not.

There are no winners in this situation.  Everyone loses . .  but no one more so than the child.

Word of this came came about on the morning of Good Friday.  I think of that from God’s perspective.  This day, like that one, how His heart must ache.

Then, He knew what would come.  He saw His son berated, beaten, lied to and lied about.  He was fully aware of the abuse and the struggles, watched as Jesus carried His cross, fell and struggled to His feet; experienced fully each pound of the hammer nailed into His flesh.  Above all, God fully understood what was happening, why it was happening and what it meant.  He knew it all.  Knew and watched and suffered the full-throated brunt of every bit of it, and because He did, without doubt, He suffered even more than did Christ.

We are imperfect people and imperfect parents.  We love our children and want the best for them.  Still we err.  But God is perfect and loves His children with a depth and breadth we can’t completely conceive only glimpse.  Imagine his agony, knowing Christ’s agony.

I think of that horrendous burden, and then of this child.  I wish I could say, if in that family’s position, I would have been strong enough and wise enough to have sought wise counsel.  But honestly, I think what would have been fixed so strongly in my mind is protecting the immortal soul of my child.  Being sure that the child was in God’s hands, offered to Him and claimed by Him as His own.

It’s hard to say.  None but that family can truly answer the question of what would be done in that situation.  We can imagine, but even in imagining, we’re doing so from where we stand now.  Not from where those family members stand.  Only God knows all of the details of that for father, mother and child.

What I do know is that the wisest of counselors stood waiting.  One who had endured a parent’s ultimate sacrifice and witnessed every moment of it, suffered every moment of it, and yet managed to still love unconditionally everyone involved in it.  He lifted His son that day, carried Him, and I’m certain He carried this child and will continue to carry this child through these trials—and his mother and father.

Though surely weary and longing for comfort and rest and peace in their minds and hearts, I pray they have the clarity in judgment to seek His wise counsel.  For I am wholly convinced that above all else that is in their child’s best interest . . . and in their own.

Blessings,

Vicki

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Nora’s Review of: The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

The Sound of Light By Sarah Sundin

Published by Revell, 384 Pages

NORA’S REVIEW: I’m blown away by this story and its amazing cast of brave characters. I didn’t think the author could top the characters and the situations from her last book titled, Until the Leaves Fall in Paris, but oh my she went above and beyond what I ever suspected could happen, in this novel.

Furthermore, I loved how this author shows ordinary, flawed people rising to the challenge to go and do extraordinary things. This is the first novel (by this author) that made my heart race at the nail-biting suspense in this story. I wasn’t sure how this was going to work out, and yes, I stayed up way too late seeing how things would go. I wasn’t sure this book would end on a happy or/or satisfying note.

Readers meet Else a well-educated woman, who dreams of being a physicist, she took great joy in solving puzzles. Then we are introduced to Henrik Olympic rower, well-educated Harvard man, running from his overbearing father. He gets into a situation with a close friend that has him changing his name and social status. It’s hard, but he would do anything to get back at his father.

When things begin to get crazy for the Jewish people, Else’s friend asks her to step in and help in resistance work. What could she say, her best friend was Jewish, she had to help, but to what extent?

Both Else and Hendrik are asked to do things that if captured would have them arrested and shot. (Or just shot, given the situation) They both live in the same boarding house and neither knows what the other is up to. Just doing their jobs, him at the factory and Else at the laboratory. They couldn’t deny their attraction for one another. I enjoyed watching Else and Hemings friendship bloom. It would be dangerous for them to take it any further than friends. They each had a secret they could not tell the other. It was too dangerous to share, which made things awkward.

I hadn’t heard of this part of history before. The author says, “The Danes outspokenly refused to allow the oppression of other human beings – and acted on that principle.” Hooray! It was amazing to see the Danes unite to help the Jewish people. There were some parts that choked me up and had me teary-eyed. This is a powerful, moving story you don’t want to miss. It would be a wonderful book club pick; the author includes discussion questions.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent

TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! 

The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

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Have you washed your feet for dinner?

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Ann Malley

That’s a crazy question, but not at the Last Supper.

Holy Thursday commemoration of Our Lord’s institution of the new covenant with his people. Us. The Jewish sin offering of a spotless lamb at Passover was definitely replaced by the superabundant sacrifice of the Lamb of God. And thank heaven!

John 1:29 T

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

What a joy to hear. We fallen creatures desperately need our savior. Still, before partaking of Christ’s body and blood, one should be properly disposed. Cleansed if you will, prepared for the grace to come in order to receive more fully.

John 13:6-11

Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.

In like manner, we are called to wash our brethren clean of offenses that might otherwise impede our union. Similarly, we should submit to the overtures of others. Slights, omissions, sharp words add up if they’re ignored. These stains impede the flow of God’s grace, the same he suffered and died to give us.

But how often do we respond like Peter? Embarrassed? Shocked at the spectacle of Christ’s humility. Do you believe your issues are too insignificant? I frequently hide my feet of clay in wooly socks. Might be time for a good soak!

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Significant by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 5, 2023 by jrcoggins

In a recent devotional piece, I presented the “Ten Commandments” as they actually were—a covenant in which “the Israelites would agree to worship God and obey Him and God would agree to be with them and bless them and make them significant.” I compared this to the new covenant in which Jesus died on the cross to free us from sin. I said, “Under this covenant, God asks us to worship and obey Him. In return, He promises to be with us (in the form of the Holy Spirit) and to bless us and make us significant.”

One of my readers asked, “What leads you to believe that He promises to make us significant?” It is a good question because many Christians certainly don’t feel significant or important.

Notice that I said “significant,” not famous or great or rich or powerful or influential. If God loves us, we are significant. But there is more to it than that.

Through the Old Testament covenant, the Jews were given the task of sharing God’s revelation with the world. Christians today have been given the same mandate. Whatever role they play in this individually, Christians are part of something very significant, something earth-shatteringly important, the central movement in the history of the world. In this sense, every Christian is significant.

Even from a secular perspective, human society functions, not because of a few great men, but because of the billions of people who get up every morning (or evening), go to work, and do their jobs.

The city of Antioch was the home of the first significant gentile Christian church. It is where believers in Jesus were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). It was the church which sent out the first missionaries, Paul and Barnabas and Silas and John Mark (writer of the Gospel of Mark), to evangelize the Roman Empire. And how was that church founded? Acts 11:19-21 (NIV) says: “Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” In other words, the greatest missionary church in the history of Christianity was founded by a few nameless foreign refugees.

There is an illustration of a great evangelist who won many people to Jesus. He was converted by a lesser known evangelist who brought fewer people to Jesus. And he in turn was brought to Jesus by an unknown lay Christian.

A friend of mine preached through the book of Ruth. In the last sermon in this series, he talked about the “other kinsman redeemer,” the one who refused to redeem Ruth and Naomi. This minor dereliction of duty deprived him of the opportunity to become the ancestor of David and Jesus and play a necessary part in the redemption of the world.

Tolkien’s Gandalf said something like this: “Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”

The vast majority of the work of the church is carried out by ordinary lay Christians, backbenchers. They are the Sunday school teachers, club leaders, ushers, greeters, janitors, secretaries, committee members, donors, singers, pianists, drummers, musicians, prayer warriors, and groundskeepers. They make the coffee and serve the meals. They are the nameless volunteers who staff food banks, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, women’s shelters, prison visitation ministries, thrift stores, and numerous other ministries. They are the godly parents and godly grandparents. They are the good friends and good neighbors who help out in numerous little ways and who are “just there.”

So, yes, God does promise to make us significant. And He always keeps His promises.

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Sunday’s Coming!

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

This week marks Holy Week, also known as Passion Week for Christians, which begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday.

Passion week is filled with so many memorial events, from Jesus turning over the moneychangers’ tables at the temple, to the Olivet message about end times, to the Last Supper spent with his disciples in the upper room. Followed by the garden of Gethsemane’s prayer, being betrayed by Judas, and arrested and going through several sham trials involving the former chief priest, the current one, and then Pilate and Herod.

They beat Jesus beyond recognition and forced Him to carry His own cross. He was crucified at Golgotha on Friday. Satan thought he’d won. . .but Sunday was coming.

No matter what struggles you are going through, or how impossible they seem, remember one thing; Sunday is came. You have hope through the One who defeated the world and can bring you through every problem you face.    

There’s a powerful sermon by Pastor S.M. Lockridge entitled, Sunday’s coming.

Here are a few of the words from that famous sermon. If you haven’t heard it yet, you should listen. It’s profound.

It’s Friday.

Jesus is praying.

Peter’s a sleeping.

Judas is betraying.

But Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday.

Pilate’s struggling.

The council is conspiring.

The crowd is vilifying.

They don’t even know that Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday.

The disciples are running

Like sheep without a shepherd.

Mary’s crying.

Peter is denying.

But they don’t know that Sunday’s a comin’.

It’s Friday.

The Romans beat my Jesus.

They robe him in scarlet.

They crown him with thorns.

But they don’t know that Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday.

See Jesus walking to Calvary.

His blood dripping.

His body stumbling.

And his spirit’s burdened.

But you see, it’s only Friday.

Sunday’s comin’.

If you’re in a Friday period in your life, and everything seems dark, don’t lose hope. Sunday’s coming! Praise God!

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net

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Certain Words by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 29, 2023 by jrcoggins

“Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus said in John 14:1 (NIV). What does this verse mean in context? Jesus had just announced that He would be crucified and would be taken away. In the immediate context, the verse meant that Jesus’ followers should not be worried or afraid when they saw Jesus die. It also meant that Peter should not have been afraid to die with Jesus—even though Jesus had just warned him that he would be afraid and would betray his Master. It might also have meant that Peter should not despair over his betrayal and that even after this failure there would still be hope.

In a larger context, the verse means that believers in Jesus should not fear death: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2 NIV) or “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2 NASB). The Pharisees and Sadducees had a great debate going about whether there was life after death (see Matthew 22:23-33, Acts 23:6-9). The Old Testament teaching was not clear on the subject. But Jesus spoke with authority, stating emphatically that there is life after death: “If it were not so, I would have told you.” Therefore, Jesus was assuring His followers that they should not fear or be upset over His death because He would live on after death. Similarly, Jesus’ followers should not fear their own deaths because they would live on after death also—and Jesus would be with them there, having gone ahead to prepare a place for them. He would do this by His death and resurrection, which would atone for their sins, give them forgiveness, restore them to life, and overcome the curse of death, which was the penalty for sin.

We should not underestimate the power of Jesus’ words and the assurance they offer. Years ago, when my wife and I were preparing to undertake a long-distance move to the city of Winnipeg, we packed the TV and radio. We stopped delivery of the newspaper. We returned our home phone to the phone company (there being no cell phones in those days). We were, in a sense, cut off from reliable sources of information. Then, just as we were setting out, we heard rumors that there were floods in Winnipeg. We began to worry, wondering whether the house we had recently purchased had been washed away by the flood. We did not know whether we had a home to go to. Then we found a telephone and talked to someone who was already there in Winnipeg, a man who was taking care of our new home and getting it ready for us. He assured us that the rumors had greatly exaggerated the seriousness of the flood. We were relieved to learn that our house was still standing and we had a home to go to.

Certain words, reliable information, from someone who has been there can blow away our fears, worries, and uncertainties. “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Jesus said. “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

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Faith Through Music, by Peggy Webb

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

I have played piano at church since I was eight years old and knew only two songs, What a Friend We Have in Jesus and Bringing in the Sheaves.  Through the years I have either sung first soprano in the choir or played piano for church services, depending on the size of the church I’m attending–and its needs. Currently, I’m in a very small church, and both singing in the choir and playing for evening services. My repertoire has greatly expanded to include concert versions of the grand old hymns we love. Great is Thy Faithfulness. In the Garden. The Church Is One Foundation, and many more.

Music is one of my favorite ways to worship. Both the melody and the lyrics speak to my soul. That is often the way with musicians. But the lay person who knows nothing of music is left to appreciate only the beautiful sound of organ or piano.

When I became pianist for Sunday evening services at the little church my grandfather built, I decided to share the history of the preludes I play. Some might call my brief exposition a miniature course in music appreciation, but I believe giving the background of a song also increases the listener’s faith. 

Most of our great hymns are based on scripture. Some have murky origins, especially the spirituals such as Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. But some of the truly magnificent songs have a history so compelling it will bring the listener to tears.

It Is Well with My Soul is just such a song. Both words and music were composed by Horatio Spafford from Chicago. He had a thriving business, a wife, and five children. His life was perfect. He was the envy of all his friends.

Then 1871 came along. He lost his son to pneumonia and his business to the now-famous Chicago fire. His family was devastated, his wife cast into deep mourning.

In 1873 Horatio decided to send Anna and their remaining children–four daughters–on a holiday to Europe so they could recover from their grief. They sailed on the French ocean liner, the Ville du Havre. His plan was to join them later.

A few days into the ocean voyage, the Ville du Havre collided with an iron-hulled Scottish ship, the Loch Earn, putting all 313 passengers in danger. Anna and the girls hurried to the top deck where they prayed for God to deliver them. They also prayed that if deliverance was not in His will, He would give them the courage to endure.

Four minutes later, the ship sank, carrying 226 passengers. A sailor rowing a small boat spotted a woman floating on a piece of wreckage. She and the other survivors were put aboard a ship that landed nine days later in Wales.

Anna was one of those survivors. She wired her husband: Saved alone. What shall I do?

Horatio immediately boarded a ship to Wales. When they came to the spot where all his children had drowned, the captain took Horatio to the top deck. “This is where the tragedy happened,” he said. Horatio stood for a moment over the spot where his four daughters died then went back to his cabin and wrote the amazing hymn, It Is Well with My Soul.

When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll,

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul

Horatio and Anna had three more children, but lost another to pneumonia. His daughter, Beth Spafford Vester, said that her father kept the telegram from Anna framed in his office.

Saved alone. What shall I do?

The message served as reminder to him that no matter what happens in life, God, who put the stars above and the ocean beneath, is always there, a constant port in every storm, a Father who loves us so much He sent His only Son to die that we might be saved.  

God is good.

Peggy

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Spring: A season of renewal

Posted on March 23, 2023 by Ann Malley

Welcome to Spring: God’s season of rebirth, growth, and regeneration. Nature awakens from slumber in springtime. New life flourishes. No wonder spring is used as a metaphor for spiritual rebirth and development in the Bible.

Makes sense, right??

There is a season for everything, including planting and uprooting, according to the author of Ecclesiastes. The best time to plant is in the spring since the warm, moist soil is ideal for seed germination and growth. And what of the soil in our souls?

Mankind is formed from the slime of the earth, so its only fitting that we’d be somewhat attuned to those cycles from whence we came.

Winter’s deprivations certainly prime human drives to regenerate by denying us warmth and fruit and light. Humans come to appreciate more for the lack. I certainly do.

Who doesn’t rush to drink when deprived of water? (Seriously. Who?)

Personally, I’ve been known to soak up sun like a lazy cat after a long winter chill. But sunbathing is so much more than getting a tan or manufacturing vitamin D. Sun fuels one’s sense of hope. One can see when it’s bright outside. Opportunity abounds when our landscape is animated by all that’s fresh and new.

But God is wise to grant us humans the cycles required to maintain optimum function. This flux of fasting and feasting encourages us to sow seeds of trust and hope in our hearts just as we do in the ground. Why? Because we survive on stores of hope and trust when darkness comes…and it always comes until we’re finally called home.

The prophet Isaiah mentions spring in his writings as well “Look, I’m trying something new! Do you not notice it as it now emerges?” (NIV) (Isaiah 43:19). This chapter serves as a reminder that God is constantly at work, creating new things, and that we should be receptive to the fresh opportunities and blessings that present themselves to us.

The passing of one thing makes way for the new, for God’s will to work in place of the human will that often becomes stuck in ruts, killing our spirit by holding onto passing phases and refusing his will. Our expectations are limited, God’s not so much!!

As he says, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow,” the apostle Paul uses the metaphor of planting and growth in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 3:6, NIV). This chapter serves as a reminder that while we may sow the seeds of hope and faith, it is ultimately God who causes those seeds to grow and bear fruit.

The Israelites are told in the book of Leviticus to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the spring, during which they are to purge their dwellings of all leaven and consume unleavened bread for seven days. This celebration serves as a reminder that we should purify ourselves before God by removing sin from our lives in the same way that we would purge leaven from our homes.

And don’t forget Spring cleaning!!! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure may be a crass saying, but it is absolutely true. I cannot tell you how grateful I’ve been in my life for second hand shops. Clothing, crafts, furniture, teaching tools, and books in abundance.

Have you ever benefited from the largesse of others? From strangers?

Waste not, want not. Embrace the new this Spring. Yield to God’s seasons and realize His goodness in all its splendor!

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The Circle by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 22, 2023 by jrcoggins

Years ago, I lost a tooth after getting hit with a hockey stick while I was playing hockey—so I can claim to be a real Canadian. But I also broke a finger playing softball, so maybe I am just clumsy.

In the interests of full disclosure, the stick in the mouth was not deliberate. I fell in front of another player just as he was shooting the puck at the net. Neither the puck nor the tooth went into the net.

I haven’t played hockey or softball for quite a few years. Time took a toll on my body. But it can’t be said that my early retirement was a significant loss to the sporting world.

Some of the boys I went to high school with were obviously better athletes and stayed in better shape. They played a lot longer, into their fifties and even sixties.

I talked with one of them a while back. He had been playing in a community old timers’ hockey program for a number of years. He said he was finally forced to retire from hockey a couple of years ago due to an injury. He wasn’t hurt playing hockey. He fell while taking the dog for a walk and injured his arm.

My friend told me that he doesn’t miss the hockey so much, but he does miss “the circle.” Apparently, hockey players sit at their lockers around the outside of the locker room and face inward, toward each other. They talk and become a community. (Baseball and football players apparently sit in a similar circle but face outward, toward their lockers.)

The idea of the hockey circle reminded me of women’s sewing circles of a generation ago. Women, often connected with a church, would get together to make quilts or sew clothes for poor people overseas. While they worked, the women would share their lives and offer each other encouragement and advice. It was a community-building practice disguised as a charity project. Or a charity project disguised as a community-building practice.

Like my hockey career, I fear such circles and such community-building exercises are becoming a thing of the past. Today’s young men and women do not often sit in circles. They mostly sit alone, staring at their iPhones.

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Brand New!

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

Though this week has felt more like winter than spring, there are signs popping up all around the countryside that all but scream spring has arrived.

The bluebonnets are here; the grass is green, and the fields are colorful with wildflowers. It’s a wonderful time of the year and I believe just a small glimpse into what heaven must look like.

During those long winter months when the trees are bare, and the grass is brown, it’s hard to imagine new life is coming. But it always does. Every spring, those dull and lifeless-looking trees sprout new leaves. The brown grass becomes green and filled with new vitality.

Springtime always reminds me of what happens when we become Christians. The old lifeless person we were is gone and in its place, a new creation is born. One filled with hope and the promise of eternal life.   

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

We become brand new in the sight of God, and we will spend the rest of our time here on earth being sanctified.

And one day, like us, the earth with be made brand new. There will be no more groaning under the weight of sin’s hold.   

As Revelation 21: 1-3 says,

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

So, whatever your part of the world looks like now, know that spring is coming. A season of renewing. A time of brand-new things.

Many blessings,

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net

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Proverbs 5, 6 & 7

Posted on March 20, 2023 by kathc2

Warnings against Foolishness

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth

Proverbs 5:18

There is little interpretation needed for Proverbs 5, 6 and 7 other than to make a blanket statement, “Do not stray.”

Faithfulness, trust, belonging, commitment, strength, deep friendship, loving family and other such ideals are the benefits of monogamy. Others look at you with respect.

This advice to Solomon’s son provides wisdom, comprehension and prudence. Following his advice to remain true to your spouse, despite the temptations of the flesh, assures that your life will be happier than if you fall.

Some of the warnings seem to be about what we call today STDs. Others are more about damage to your spirit. The temptress may not realize what she does to your soul but nonetheless, the harm is done.

Foolishness, folly, weakness, becoming ensnared, poverty of spirit or material, deceit, impulsiveness, and sure punishment are what may follow if Solomon’s advice isn’t taken to heart. The Lord sees all.

In Proverbs 6, Solomon issues warnings against foolishness. In 6:16-19 he says:

16There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him:

17haughty eyes, 

a lying tongue, 

hands that shed innocent blood,

18a heart that devises wicked schemes, 

feet that run swiftly to evil,

19a false witness who gives false testimony, 

and one who stirs up discord among brothers.

Each of these faults may come into play when someone cheats on his or her spouse.

Early in our marriage, my husband told me a little about one of his co-workers. This young man was married and often bragged to the other men at his company about his extramarital conquests. My husband couldn’t help but question whether if a man cannot be trusted by his nearest and dearest could he be trusted by his peers or the company he worked for? In endeavors outside his marriage, would he be any more reliable?

My husband kept his opinions to himself, but he never trusted this co-worker, and I agreed with him completely. Men or women who consider cheating on their spouses need to remember they will be looked on by others, and usually not with admiration, but the opposite. It shows a certain self-centeredness that doesn’t allow insight into other people’s thoughts about them. They are willing to risk their marriage to something fleeting and without meaning. This shows anything but good judgment.

Solomon’s teachings on faithfulness will lead you to greater understanding and wisdom. This insures a more complete and well-respected life, allowing you to walk in God’s good graces.

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Finsta Faith by Julie Arduini

Posted on March 17, 2023 by juliearduini

Have you ever heard of “Finsta”?

What does finsta mean?

Finsta is short for Finstagram, or “fake Instagram,” referring to an account made so that a user can post images and interact with other accounts in a more private way, usually reserving the account’s followers to close friends.

—Merriam Webster

As a youth group worker and mother of a teen, I’ve heard the term more than once. The teens have an account they want the world, including adults, to see. Then there is the account only friends can see. Their Finsta. Chances are those pictures would contain things adults/parents probably wouldn’t approve of.

When you think about it, it’s living a double life.

The more I reflected on that, the more I realized there is such a thing as “finsta faith.”

There’s the appearance one wants the world to see. Perhaps that account is generous with money and is at a church service every Sunday.

The finsta faith? That version might be of someone who doesn’t live for Christ Monday-Saturday. Perhaps alcohol or people take first place in their lives. Maybe their language is generous in profanity. Basically no one would be able to tell the difference between someone in finsta faith versus a person with no relationship with Jesus at all.

Years and years ago I witnessed finsta faith up close, and it stuck with me. When that person was around me or my family, they spoke of hymns. Their language included “Praise God” and “what an answer to prayer.”

Then their finsta life collided with their other life.

My family was at an event and so was this other person. They were with a group that was not living for Christ. I watched that person’s eyes as they looked at us, and then the other group. If they talked hymns with that group, they would be found out by the others. If they talked like the group they were with, the charade was over.

They chose to act like the other group.

James 4:8 contains a verse that I think addresses finsta faith pretty well.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8, ESV

It would be easy and tempting to judge the teens for their finsta accounts, but I better take a look at my own life first. I believe with all my heart we are in a time where the faith fence sitting is behind us. No more lukewarm faith.

—Julie Arduini

You are either for Christ, or against Him.

I’m studying and teaching on Revelation and John wrote down everything he experienced as inspired by God. He wrote it from the island of Patmos in 95 A.D. where he was living as what we would now call an enemy of the state.

His crime?

He refused to renounce Jesus as Lord.

He refused to bow to the emperor.

That’s real faith, and as believers, that’s what we’re called to.

No I’ll talk Jesus with this group and live completely different with everyone else.

Do you dare take inventory? Are you ready to ask God where you stand? Is your faith authentic or finsta?

If you align more with a finsta faith, it’s not too late. In fact, now is the perfect time to get on your knees, confess, repent, and watch Jesus make all things new. Most of all, you! (By the way, that challenge starts with me. Heading to my prayer time right now).

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Stay In Your Own Lane

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Patricia Bradley
photo by Photo by Jonathan Chng on Unsplash

What does it mean to “Stay in your own lane?” And how hard is it? Quite hard, evidently.

I have a friend whose husband is unhappy in his job. He only focuses on the negatives, and when he comes home to his family he shares his negative feelings. Feelings his wife tires of hearing. She asks how the negative things affect him and he says they don’t—he just doesn’t like seeing people slack off. That’s when she told him, if it doesn’t affect him, to let it go—stay in your own lane and do your job.

That made him mad, and he stormed off only to come back a few minutes later complaining about something else that had happened. When he went outside, his five-year-old granddaughter looked up and said, “Pop-pop doesn’t listen.”

We laugh about that, but how many times have we done the same thing? Focus on someone who slacks off and gets by with it and is sometimes even rewarded. But when it has nothing to do with our job, or us…why do we complain? Is it because we resent others getting by while we do our jobs the best we can? Could we even be a little jealous?

Jesus talked about this very thing in the Scripture for my Sunday School lesson this past Sunday. It was from Matthew 20:1-15 and is the parable of the workers in the vineyard. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. (I know there are other definitions, but I like this one.)

The story goes like this: a man has a large vineyard and the grapes are ready for harvest. Early in the day, he goes to the place where workers hang out and hired a crew who agreed to work for a denarius for the day. Then he goes back three hours later (around 9) and hires more men, promising to give them a fair wage. This happens two more times, around noon and then around five, near the end of the work day.

He pays the workers, starting with the last hired (who worked about an hour) and gives them a denarius. Same thing happens with the ones who worked half a day and the ones who work three-quarters of the day. Can you imagine what the workers who had been there all day thought by the time the paymaster got to them? They were certain they would receive more money than the others. Probably their expectations were very high.

And then the vineyard owner paid them what they agreed to—one denarius. The first workers complained—after all, they had worked in the heat all day, and the landowner paid those who’d lazed around in the shade the very same thing they received! It wasn’t fair.

We might even sympathize with the first workers and agree they had a legitimate beef. But did they? After all, they had agreed to work for a denarius. If the land owner wanted to be generous to the others, did it cost the first workers anything? No, they received what he promised.

This is when I remembered that metaphor about staying in your own lane. By the way, Webster’s defines the saying as advice to worry about your own assignment and not worry about someone else’s. But it’s more than about assignments.


Do we cast a jealous eye when God gifts someone else with riches while we can barely make ends meet? Or in the case of an author, how do we feel when another author becomes an overnight success while we’re still on the B-list, struggling to get recognized? Read Jesus’s answer in Matthew 20.

Life is a journey. Don’t compare yourself or your work to others. Be happy for others when they succeed. Stay in your lane and enjoy your journey.

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