A Man with Leprosy by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 29, 2022 by jrcoggins

Mark 1:40-45 tells an interesting story about a man with leprosy who came to Jesus and begged for healing. Jesus healed the man but then gave him a strong warning not to tell anyone about it. However, the man was so thrilled about what had happened that he began to tell everyone he met what Jesus had done.

This seems to be a story about healing, about God’s graciousness in healing the illnesses that come because we have turned God’s good creation into a sinful, fallen world. If so, it leads us to praise God.

But, at another level, it is a story about obedience.

We can understand the leper’s exuberance. He was dying of a painful disease, he was a social outcast, he could not work, and he was probably in desperate poverty. Then Jesus changed all that with a word. Jesus healed him miraculously and changed every aspect of his life for the better.

Jesus told him not to tell anyone, but he couldn’t help but tell people what Jesus had done for him. We find his exuberance understandable, even commendable. People should be praising Jesus.

How then do we understand Jesus’ command that he remain silent? We probably think that Jesus didn’t really mean what He said. Perhaps we think Jesus told him to be silent so that the man could demonstrate the proper exuberant attitude regarding Jesus’ healing by telling people anyway.

But does Jesus really give us commands He doesn’t mean? How far do we want to push that idea?

Jesus didn’t make a suggestion. He gave the man “a strong warning.” The only possible explanation is that Jesus meant what He said.

So why did Jesus want the man to be silent? Shouldn’t we tell other people about Jesus?

In the first place, this command was not a general command to all of Jesus’ followers but a specific command for this man in this time and place. Generally, Jesus wants us to tell others about him. But at this time, Jesus commanded this man to remain silent.

Why? The last verse in the story tells us what happened next. Because the man reported widely his miraculous healing, people flocked to see Jesus. This meant that Jesus was besieged by the curious and by sensation seekers and He could no longer go into the towns. It also meant that it was harder for those who were truly seeking Jesus to find Him and harder for Jesus to get to them. Were other people not healed or taught because of the leper’s disobedience?

The issue for us is also obedience. Jesus has given us general commands to tell other people about Him, and we should obey those commands. But sometimes, at specific times, He tells us to be quiet, perhaps because the person we want to tell is not ready to hear. Are we willing to obey that command too?

More generally, has Jesus ever told us to do something or not do something—and we have disobeyed because we didn’t really believe Jesus meant it? Are there times when we think we know better than Jesus? If we really are grateful for what Jesus has done for us, isn’t it best to demonstrate our gratitude by doing what Jesus wants?

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What Is It about the Irish? by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 23, 2022 by jrcoggins

How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe by Thomas Cahill is a somewhat older book (published in 1995) that has stayed with me. This is partly because I borrowed it from the local library so often that the library gave it to me when it decided to clear out some older books. But it is also because this is an important, well written, and thought-provoking book.

What Cahill achieved is to draw attention to a part of Christian history that has not received the attention it deserves. Much of central Europe was evangelized in the early Middle Ages by Irish missionaries. They did it by planting monasteries—not small groups of monks hiding out in cloisters but dynamic outposts of Christianity. These monasteries offered rudimentary health care, food distribution, model farms, and other social services. Towns grew up around them. And they were centers for the preservation and copying and even writing of manuscripts, serving as both libraries and schools. They thus preserved “civilization,” the culture and learning of the past.

Cahill’s book begins with the fall of the Roman Empire, the end of classical civilization, a civilization preserved only in small enclaves by the Roman Catholic Church.

Cahill’s story then shifts to Ireland and the man called Saint Patrick. Patrick was a Christian English boy captured by Irish raiders. He eventually escaped Ireland but later returned as a missionary, converting large numbers of Irish. Cahill vividly explains why Patrick was so successful. For one thing, Patrick had no fear of death, being willing to risk his life to preach to the Irish. For another, Patrick offered the Irish a more attractive worldview. Cahill describes the pagan Irish as living an uncertain, purposeless existence, living in fear of cruel and unpredictable shape-shifting gods. In contrast, Patrick described a world ordered by a benevolent God, who, through Jesus, had abolished fear, violence, and death. (It could be noted that in recent centuries, many animist people have converted to Christianity for similar reasons.) The conversion eliminated slavery and greatly reduced violence among the Irish, as well as bringing other social improvements. In subsequent centuries, the Irish exported their more dynamic and natural Christianity to England and then central Europe.

While Cahill’s book brings attention to a much neglected movement in Christian and world history, his book is not without weaknesses. For one thing, Cahill seems to have little knowledge of and no interest in any Christianity beyond Roman Catholicism. Christianity, for him, is defined by Saint Augustine. He says that Patrick was the first missionary to move beyond the safety of Roman Empire/civilized world, which ignores the apostle Thomas, the Arians, and a host of nameless others.

For another thing, Cahill is a secularist, a philosopher who values civilization. He praises the Irish for saving civilization, a tribute that would have puzzled the Irish missionaries. It was not the Irish who saved civilization but Irish Christians, whose goal was not to save civilization but to save the pagan people of Europe. Cahill values the benefits brought by Christianity, not Christianity itself, as if the side benefits can be had without the core. He reduces Roman civilization to a philosophical construct of order and power and Catholicism to a philosophy of creative naturalism. His hope is that as Western civilization crumbles and falls, a new impetus of creative naturalism will arise to restore the world.

Cahill offers some rational explanations for why the Irish accepted Patrick’s Christian preaching, but his thinking does not seem to go any further than that. But what if that preaching happens to be true? What if it is not some vague creative naturalism that saves the world and not even Christianity, but Jesus Christ Himself and faith in Him? What if the world really is ruled by a benevolent God who offers a purpose in life, freedom from the fear of death, and salvation and peace and forgiveness (being made right with God) because of Jesus’ sacrifice?

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When the Road Disappears

Posted on March 22, 2022 by Author Mary Alford

It’s easy to stay on track when everything is going smoothly. The road ahead is clear, and life is chugging along like a well-tuned car. Honoring God during those times comes naturally.   

But what happens when it feels as if your world collapsed and you can’t see the road ahead? Those are the hardest moments to have a grateful heart because it feels as if the storm waves just keep coming.

A few years back, right before Easter, my mother passed away. It came as such a surprise that it sent my world tilting. Though my mother was a strong Christian, and I knew she was in heaven, missing her hurt physically.  I lost the road ahead in the fog of grief.

During this time, Revelation 21:4 really spoke to me. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away   

Though I couldn’t see the road before me, I held onto the hand of the One who could.

The words of the Casting Crown song, Praise you In This Storm, kept coming to mind.

And I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

Then in December of the same year, shortly before Christmas, I lost my father-in-law and once more the world didn’t make sense. Our family was left to ask why?

And God spoke; My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26.

During those dark times, I clung to the promises of God to wipe away every tear and be my strength until the road became clear again. Though my heart was breaking, I praised the One who deserved all my praises and knew He would get me through this storm as well.

No matter what we face in this life, we can always rest assured we are not going through it alone. In the words of our Savior, Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

All the best…

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net

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A Spark Of An Idea by Tara Randel

Posted on March 21, 2022 by tararandel

As a fiction author, I get asked all the time, where do you get your ideas? The answer? Everywhere. Some little detail or big picture idea will capture my attention and I have to sit down and figure it out.  

Let’s start with big picture.

When I begin a series of books, I usually pick my location. I love setting my stories in small towns, so I decide in which state and area I will build my fictitious town. In the last several books I’ve written, I chose the north Georgia mountains. Why? Because we love to vacation there and I have lots of wonderful memories, so I wanted to spend time there in my imagination.

Before the Georgia books, I had a series set in a small beach town. This was an easy choice, since I live on the west coast of Florida. All I had to do was go for a drive and I had plenty of ideas for my special town.

I write for two different publishers. With one, I create my locations. For the other, they have guidelines for the line and pick the state where the stories are set. That’s been fun, because I get to do research on places I’ve never been.

I have my location, now what? Plot. What is my story about? Depending on a romance or mystery, I can come up with ideas from conversations I’ve had with family or friends. Sometimes I sit at a very busy coffee shop or at a park and people watch. Let me tell you, that’s a goldmine for ideas. Or I can get inspired from the news or an article I’ve read. It takes that one little kernel and I can come up with an entire story. What if… Once upon a time… On a dark and stormy night… You get the picture.

Characters will come next. I always have so much fun figuring out who I’m going to spend the next couple of months with. Who are they, what are their issues or situations in life? How about their family and friend dynamics. Many secondary characters spin off into other books. It can get big and messy and so much fun.

For a romance couple, how do I get them interested in each other, then cause problems between them until the happily ever after? Or in a mystery, how do I throw my protagonist into dangerous events that are not part of their daily life. Who did it and why?

As you can see, I spend a lot of time in my head answering all sorts of questions.

Now for the smaller details. Take names for example. Do I pick then because I like the sound or do they have meaning?

Many years ago I was visiting a friend and our children were outside playing. I went to check on them and there was a cat hanging around. One of the kids told me it was the neighbor’s pet, Ruby Sue. I loved the name and couldn’t get it out of my head. In the first series of books I wrote, I gave that name to the feisty grandmother, and boy, was it appropriate.

Once I create a town, there are all the shops and restaurants and city buildings or parks or marinas that pop up on each book. I keep a notebook near my computer containing all the names of my characters and places in the series I’m working on so I don’t forget, or to add new names and places. If I want my characters to visit, say, Smitty’s Pub, a local restaurant for the locals in my mountain town, I have it right there at my fingertips. These places become just as real as the hangouts we go to in our daily lives.

The next time you read a book, pay attention to the details. The author spent a lot of time being creative for your enjoyment; to round out the story and make it interesting. We have just as much fun coming up with all the details as you do reading them.

As for me, I’m off to the mountains in my current work in progress.

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her next Harlequin Heartwarming romance, HIS SMALL TOWN DREAM, available August 2022 . For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter and receive a link to download a free digital book.

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Reverence Part 2 by Bridget A. Thomas

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Bridget

In my last post, I talked about how kneeling in prayer shows respect and reverence towards God. Today I wanted to talk about a Biblical example. You are likely familiar with the story of Daniel and the lions’ den. Daniel was living in Babylon where a law was passed stating that everyone had to pray to the king. Anyone who prayed to someone else would be thrown into the lions’ den.

It says in Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

Although there was a new law stating that everyone had to pray to the king, Daniel still prayed to the one and only God. Well, the king’s men saw Daniel do this and reported him. However, the king liked Daniel, so it upset him very much. The king didn’t want to throw Daniel in the lions’ den, but now he had no choice. You likely know how the story goes. When the king went to the lions’ den the next morning, he found that Daniel had survived, against all odds.

Daniel told the king in verse 22, “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

I love this story because it shows how deeply Daniel honored the Lord. He had such reverence for Him that he kneeled in prayer. And not only that, he continued to kneel in prayer, even after a law forbid it. Daniel did not fear the king or his men. Daniel feared God and only God. As a result, Daniel was faithful to God, no matter what.

If you are unable to physically kneel, then don’t try it. The key to reverence is in our hearts. And when we learn the art of reverence, I believe our hearts will also cling to God in the same way. No matter what we face in life, we will still hold tightly to God and honor Him. We will know deep in our hearts how faithful and trustworthy our God is. And nothing can keep us from putting Him first in our lives.

Photo by Gary Whyte on Pexels.com

Originally posted on bridgetathomas.com © 2021 Bridget A. Thomas

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Reclaiming My Other Shoe by Julie Arduini

Posted on March 16, 2022 by juliearduini

I’ve written before that my theme for this year is reclaim. There is so much the true defeated one has stolen from us, and I feel the season is now to go into his camp and take it back. The fear and lack of peace I’ve struggled with for the last couple years—that’s not how I want to live.

Of course, it doesn’t surprise me when such a challenge is tested. One thing the last two years actually brought in a good way is the best health our daughter has ever seen. My guess is remote learning and quarantine kept her from the weather changes that trigger her asthma.

This season change has hit her hard. When we have a big swing in temperature followed by precipitation and temps dropping back down, she gets a sinus headache. Congestion. Often that turns to a sinus infection. Sometimes ear infection. This year it was ear and upper respiratory.

Usually an antibiotic, allergy meds, nose spray and steam bring her back to health.

Not this year. The antibiotic didn’t work, so another was prescribed. That one is usually the one I wish he’d prescribe because it’s so effective. Not this time. Instead, it really messed with her gut health. I suspect the prior antibiotic didn’t help. He switched medicines, but that only added to her pain and complications.

It’s during these times I tend to fall back on the I-can’t-get-comfortable-because-the-other-shoe-will-drop thinking. We’ve experienced a lot with her health, including near death, doctor error, therapies, hospital stays, breathing treatments, missed school, and more. There were times that was a daily issue, and then there were seasons I relaxed only to find us rushing back to caregiving. I grew to live on edge, expecting problems.

—Julie Arduini

As you can imagine, it’s not a healthy way to live. I honestly think that stress brought on early menopause, and last year, between grief and anxiety, I messed my own gut health up. Through prayer, counsel, and renewing my mind, I’ve worked hard to avoid thinking about what’s coming. To let go of the mentality that when things are bad they will get worse, and when things are good, bad is coming.

This year I’m reclaiming the other shoe. Yes, our daughter isn’t feeling her best. I refuse to let her symptoms consume either of us. I don’t want to think about what bad thing is next. My prayer is to be Kingdom minded, filled with His wisdom and discernment. To praise Him for creating her and knowing exactly what she needs and when.

The reclaiming journey is definitely not a straight-line experience, but it’s interesting and growing my faith.

Can you relate?

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A Day in the Life of Jesus by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 15, 2022 by jrcoggins

Mark 1:21-35 describes one day in the life of Jesus. He and his followers were in Capernaum. On the Sabbath day, He preached in the synagogue and cast a demon out of man who was present. Then they went to Peter and Andrew’s house, where Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, who had been in bed with a fever. In the evening, more people came to Jesus for healing. This passage raises a number of interesting points.

First, Jesus taught “as one who had authority” (verse 23). We do not do that. We relate what God has told us in Scripture. Jesus was God and could speak directly as God. Many of us would like to speak divinely, to have our words accepted as God’s truth, but we cannot. We claim as Christians that God has given us the Holy Spirit, but even when He gives us divine words to speak, they remain His words, not ours. We are not infallible and should be wary of thinking and saying that we are.

Second, Jesus and His followers showed up to worship in the synagogue, but a man possessed by an evil spirit was also there. We often think of our church buildings and worship services, or even our own Bible study and prayer times, as oases, as havens of rest. But they are spiritual battlegrounds. Not everything we hear at such times is of God. We need to test all things and cast out what we find to be evil.

Third, there was the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. Paul mentions that Peter had a believing wife who traveled with him (1 Corinthians 9:5). We do not know what the mother-in-law thought of Peter’s decision to become an itinerant preacher. However, we know that she was healed and she then served food to Jesus and His followers. I must confess to having a niggling uneasiness when I read this passage. After being healed, the mother-in-law immediately began to serve. A voice whispers that Jesus was being selfish here, that He didn’t heal her for her sake, but only so she would serve Him dinner. Isn’t it a bit much to expect a woman newly risen from a sick bed to do all the work? But another voice whispers that when Jesus heals, He heals completely. The woman was perfectly capable of serving. Moreover, the fact is that it is not Jesus who was selfish, but it is we who are selfish. Jesus came to serve, but we think that it is we who are the center of the universe. We are so glad that Jesus saved and healed us because we are convinced that we are important, and that is the end of the matter. The reality is that God has saved us and expects us to serve as He has done, out of gratitude and love and a serving heart. Yes, we are important, but so is Jesus and so are other people. We were not healed so we could rest but so we could work.

Fourth, I read this passage many times before I noticed that people brought the sick and demon-possessed to Jesus “after sunset” (verse 32). Why? Did it take that long for the news of Jesus’ healing powers to spread and for people to get there? No. The synagogue meeting probably took place in the morning. The people did not bring the sick to Jesus because it was the Sabbath day (that’s why Jesus was in the synagogue) and Jewish law forbade traveling more than a few steps on the Sabbath. How do we read this? As the people of God waiting patiently for God’s time to heal? Or as another example of human legalism delaying the healing work of God? After all, Jesus had already healed the demon-possessed man in the synagogue and Peter’s mother-in-law. The Sabbath is for meeting God and being healed, not for following manmade rules.

Finally, Jesus got up before dawn the next day to go and pray. One of the remarkable things about this is that Jesus had had a late night the night before, healing all of the people who had come to the house. It must be remembered that the people who came after sunset would have had to come from a distance (the people who were within “a Sabbath day’s journey” could have come during the day), and they would not have started on the journey till sunset, so some of them would have arrived well after dark, perhaps late into the night. One might have thought that Jesus would have chosen to sleep in the next day and pray early some other day. He did not. Jesus needed physical rest after His long night of work, but ministering to people was even more spiritually exhausting than physically exhausting. In contrast, in the Garden of Gethsemane, the apostles chose physical rest over spiritual refreshing and as a result were too weak to resist the temptation to betray Jesus when they awoke. This passage is a reminder that spiritual refreshing is more crucial than physical refreshing.

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Getting Rid of Rubbish by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Nancy J. Farrier
Photo by Gary Chan on Unsplash

I recently started attending a Bible study with a small group of ladies. I love meeting with them and looking deep at God’s word. This past week, one passage jumped out at me and had me considering my own actions and thoughts.

We began by reading Philippians 3:5-6, where Paul is talking about having confidence in the flesh. I’ll start with part of verse four.

“…If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

Paul had an exceptional heritage as you can see. He had every reason to be proud of who he was and who he had been. According to the Pharisees, he’d served God with zeal and worked hard. But what does he say in the next verses, Philippians 3:7-8?

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…”

Paul counted all his fleshly background as worthless or rubbish. Although where he came from brought him to greater knowledge, it still counted as nothing compared to what he gained in Christ. He had no reason for pride in his past or his heritage.

As I read those words, God brought to mind my past since I have become a Christian. The question formed in my mind—Is my church attendance, my service, my time given, rubbish? 

That sounds pretty drastic. My first thought was an emphatic, “No!” And, yet, as I pondered this question and the reason God laid it on my heart, I had to admit there was some truth there. There have been many times I’ve been prideful over the fact that I am so faithful to attend church and/or Bible study. There have been times I’ve been a bit judgmental of people who weren’t regular attendees or didn’t go to Bible study or serve in some capacity at their church. 

Rubbish. All rubbish. Who am I to be prideful? I am a sinner saved by grace. Aren’t we all? I am sharing this because I see this as a common problem in the church today. We tend to see ourselves as a bit better than others. After all, we gave up time to come to church. We read our Bible. We pray. We may even serve in some capacity in the church or community. 

Yet, as long as we take pride of any amount in what we do for the Lord, it becomes rubbish. What we have in Christ is Him. His love. His grace. His mercy. No matter who we are and where we’re at in our Christian walk, we are to be loving and humble—not considering our works to elevate us above anyone else. 

This was a hard lesson for me to consider. I don’t want to believe I might be prideful, yet sometimes I am. I’m sure there were times when Paul’s background crept into his thoughts too. When that happens, we must take those thoughts captive and banish them. We must remember we are only in Christ because of His grace, not because of any of our works or our background. 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)

Be rid of the rubbish and glory in Christ. Serve with a humble heart, considering others above yourself. That is what I’m working toward.

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Black Angus: A Dramatic Dialogue by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 9, 2022 by jrcoggins
Illustration by Lincoln Doucette.

There are many black tails from the Scottish borderlands, but for shear betrayal, none can bleat the saga of Black Angus.

One fine misty morning, Angus was confronted by his brother Peat, saying, “I have a bone to pick with you.”

“What? You have a beef with me?” Angus demanded.

“Yes. What is all that lowing I hear?”

“I don’t know what you mean by lowing,” said Angus, taking the high road. “Are you talking about Bonnie and Heather?”

“I don’t care what you cull them,” Peat said sheepishly. “Bonnie and Heifer don’t belong this side of the Clyde. A true Scottish Highlander raises sheep, and you shouldn’t have imported those cows from England.”

“They are not English cows. They are Scottish cows, as any fool can see from the bagpipes underneath.”

“Bah! Don’t spin me a yarn. They are still cattle,” prodded Peat. “You shouldn’t be braising them in the lamb of Scotland.”

“You’re still living in the pasture,” Angus said. “Hay, when you come to a fork in the road, you need to change with the tines. You’re bleating a dead horse.”

“Hair it is! I newe it!” Peat cried. “It’s a slippery soap. If we let you bring in cattle, next you’ll want to bring in horses. Pretty soon, we’ll be overrun with elephants and giraffes!”

“Nay,” Angus said hoarsely. “I’d never bring in elephants and giraffes. They’re too hard to milk.”

“You’d butter stop stocking my anger or I’ll cream you,” Peat shouted.

“Don’t dance around the subject. A reel Scot wouldn’t fling such accusations,” Angus said. “You’re butchering the language.”

“You’ve always been the black sheep in the family,” Peat retorted.  

“You don’t realize what’s at steak,” Angus said. “You eat so much mutton, it’s affecting your health. You look haggis, your eyes are lassie, and you’re bordering on colic.”

“I ought to chop your head off,” said Peat. “There’s nothing better than a bit of mutton with tartan sauce.”

“Are you threatening to kilt me?”

“Yes. Scots should have brave harts, and you are nothing but a sniveling cowherd.”

“It’s just my allergy to lanolin,” Angus explained.

“I can’t take any moor of this. Wool never agree,” said Peat. “Ewe are a disgrace, and when a Highlander betrays his clan, it is better if he fleece.”

“I would prefer to hide,” said Angus defiantly.

There being no horses available on which to make his escape, he went on the lam.

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You Are Loved!

Posted on March 8, 2022 by Author Mary Alford

If you ever have any doubts about how much God loves you, all you have to do is open His word. His love for us flows from the pages of the Bible and is written in the red-letter words spoken by Jesus.

In John 3:16, Jesus spoke of the love God had for us,

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

This is the greatest expression of God’s love toward us of all time. God loved us so much that He willing gave His only Son to die on the cross so that His sacrifice could bring us back to God.

And nothing, absolutely nothing can ever separate His children from God.

Romans 8:38-39 says, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And one day, we will be with God forever.

John 14:1-3 tells us, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

At that time, there will be no more suffering. No more tears. No more death.  

Revelation 21:4 tells us, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

What an amazing love story is written throughout the Bible for us to see how much God sought after us when we went astray, and how He proved His love for us over and over again.

So, if you ever doubt that you are loved, open the words of the special love story, written from the heart of God, just for you.

All the best…

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net

Among the Innocent – Coming June 2022

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Reverence Part 1 by Bridget A. Thomas

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Bridget

A few months ago I started a new habit. Each morning I take a moment to kneel on the floor. In that moment I tell God that I am handing my day over to Him. I tell Him that I want all my words and actions to be for His honor and glory.

Kneeling in prayer is often found in the Bible. But I don’t believe many people do this today. I realize this is difficult for some with disabilities. So don’t try it if you can’t get back up! If this is the case, then in your prayer, tell the Lord you are kneeling in your heart.

Kneeling before God is an act of reverence. We show God that we respect Him and fear Him with a godly fear. I feel the art of reverence is being lost, little by little, with each generation. For example, we all know that many people use the Lord’s name inappropriately. Too many people do not give God a second thought, let alone give Him respect. Even Christians allow their pride to get in the way and stop them from fully surrendering to our Holy God.

God is greater than everything we know and can imagine. He is the only One who is completely holy and righteous. Our best efforts are filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6). We deserve the worst punishment. But thanks to His unfailing love, we have been given the gift of salvation. He gave us life and breath. Each day He shows us mercy and grace. There are so many reasons why we should show God reverence.

If reverence is an area in which you would like to grow, simply ask God to help you. He certainly will oblige. And even just the fact that you asked will help turn your heart around. You also can make it a practice to get on your knees each morning, as I do. This practice has helped shape my days for the better. It reminds me to praise Him and to honor Him. It reminds me to do my best each day, for His glory. It reminds me to not allow minor circumstances to affect my attitude. It reminds me that my whole life belongs to Him.

I challenge you today to take some time to evaluate your heart’s posture before the Lord. Do you need a renewed sense of reverence? If so, then pray about it and take a moment to get on your knees, either physically or in your heart. And He will be faithful to meet you there.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. – Psalm 95:6

Photo by Mimi Moromisato on Pexels.com

Originally posted on bridgetathomas.com © 2021 Bridget A. Thomas

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Don’t Assume by Julie Arduini

Posted on March 2, 2022 by juliearduini

Back in January I distributed a survey for my newsletter readers. Honestly, I thought I knew the answers for the direction they wanted..

I send two newsletters a month, per their 2021 input. The first newsletter is about writing. The second, sent mid-month, is more of a personal update.

I asked in the 2022 survey their thoughts on the first newsletter. Did they want to hear about the writing process? Publication? Excerpts? Recipes? Giveaways?

My assumption was readers would want to know the nuts and bolts about writing. How do we create characters? Where do our story ideas come from? What does an agent do, anyway?

I assumed wrong.

Readers were pretty emphatic they wanted to learn more about my writing. They wanted to read past and current excerpts. Behind-the-scenes information. They didn’t want to read about other authors, and that really surprised me.

Recipes and giveaways have their place, but that wasn’t the top interest. That surprised me, too.

Those results were a good lesson for me. I didn’t know my readers as well as I thought, and now I’ll do my best to create content that fits their interests.

It’s a wide swing of topics, but it also reminded me of a recent post I shared on Facebook. February 28 is Rare Disease Awareness Day. Our daughter has Albrights Hereditary Osteodystrophy. This was a late diagnosis but the symptoms were there all along, but we were also dealing when she was younger with chronic asthma, and congenital hypothyroidism.

I write about this because we came across strangers who assumed quite a bit. Based on a glance they honest to goodness would approach me and lecture me. I kid you not. Offer unsolicited advice. One lady was so bold that she was physically touching me and would not let go. I finally told her she was only looking at a piece of a giant puzzle. That we had a team of specialists working with her. Even that didn’t appease her. Exasperated, I asked her if she knew Jesus as her Savior. Before she could answer I said, “Well I do, and He takes care of her. I trust trust Him. Good day.” And I ran home and sobbed.

Like me with the survey, that woman and others like her assumed they knew a situation. I ended my Rare Disease post with a challenge to be kind when you see a circumstance you think you understand, because sometimes what we encounter in kindness is more rare than the diagnosis we’re dealing with.

—Julie Arduini

The world is topsy-turvy lately. It’s easy to make assumptions. I do it. Let’s take March and surrender our assumptions. Confess we don’t know everything. Realize people need compassion and support. Then, offer it. What a way to wrap up winter and begin spring.

If you’re curious about my newsletter, you’re invited to subscribe. It’s free, and I offer some free reads as a thank you.

Happy March!

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Location, Location, Location by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 1, 2022 by jrcoggins

Mark 1:4-20 describe the ministry of John the Baptist and the beginning of the ministry of Jesus.

John the Baptist preached in the desert/wilderness near the southern end of the Jordan River, where it empties into the Dead Sea. He was preaching mainly to the people of Judea (southern Palestine) and its capital Jerusalem (1:4), but he was also on the main road that led from Galilee in northern Palestine to Jerusalem. It is interesting that John was in the wilderness, not in Jerusalem. The people who were interested in meeting God had to come out to him. No revival in history has ever started in a church headquarters.

It was also perhaps safer for John to avoid the cities, although this did not stop Herod from throwing John in prison. This was Herod Antipas, who inherited Galilee and Peraea (on the east side of the Jordan River) from his father, Herod the Great. This suggests that John was living on the east side of the river, even though he was drawing most of his followers from Judea on the west side of the river.

Jesus came down the road from Galilee and was baptized by John, but then went into the wilderness rather than continuing on to Jerusalem. Among other things, this kept Jesus out of the way when John was arrested.

Jesus centered his ministry in Galilee, in the north, although he made several trips to Jerusalem, especially for the Jewish feasts. Thus, while John prepared the way for Jesus, he did so by preaching to a somewhat different group of people. However, when Jesus went to Jerusalem to be crucified, the church of believers that resulted was first based in Jerusalem and Judea, among the people first impacted by John. The church spread rapidly in both Judea and Galilee, among people who had been prepared. Jesus, in the beginning of his earthly ministry, preached a message similar to John’s. John preached “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). Jesus preached: “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

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The Significance of Cockpit Resource Management by James R. Coggins

Posted on February 23, 2022 by jrcoggins

Modern passenger airplanes are extremely safe, with overlapping safeguards (including having a pilot and co-pilot). An airplane rarely crashes due to a single problem. Usually, in an airplane crash, one or more mechanical issues are compounded by one or more pilot errors.

“Cockpit resource management” is a training process that was developed after it was discovered that planes were crashing due to flight crews’ failure to properly respond to crises. One of the prime issues was the previous command structure in which the pilot had absolute authority to fly the plane and make decisions. Less experienced co-pilots were reluctant to challenge this authority or even make strong recommendations. When the pilot made a mistake, when the pilot misunderstood a situation, when a pilot failed to see and understand a problem, when a pilot became distracted or too narrowly focused, there was no way to correct the mistake or save the plane.

For example, one crew of three was so focused on a burnt-out landing gear light that none of them noticed that the autopilot had been turned off and the plane was descending into a swamp.

Another crew was so focused on another landing gear problem that the plane ran out of fuel and crashed into a neighborhood.

Another highly regarded pilot thought he was still heading toward the airport when he had already passed it. The much younger and less experienced co-pilot timidly suggested the truth. The pilot ignored him and flew the plane into the side of a mountain.

Another pilot insisted that the plane was lined up with the runway and ignored the co-pilot’s warning that they were badly off-course. They crashed.

Another pilot trusted his own faulty speed gauge while ignoring the co-pilot’s accurate gauge and put his plane into a fatal stall.

Cockpit Resource Management is intended to foster a less-authoritarian cockpit culture in which co-pilots are encouraged to question captains (pilots) if they have observed them making mistakes and to even take control of a plane in extreme cases. It encourages respect, teamwork, and cooperation. One key element is communication, both speaking up and listening, making clear objections, and giving clear orders. Another is delegating and dividing responsibilities. For instance, in the first example, disaster could have been averted if one pilot had focused on fixing the light (responding to the crisis) while the other flew the plane. This requires trust, and not just the others trusting the pilot to fly the plane. It also requires the pilot to trust subordinates enough to listen, really listen, to their concerns, and also to trust them to carry out delegated tasks without supervision, thus freeing the pilot to focus on his/her own tasks.

If Cockpit Resource Management is so crucial for air travel, could it also provide useful guidance in other fields?

Could prime ministers, presidents, and other political leaders benefit from learning to listen more to their subordinates (and even constituents)? Would it be better if they were able to delegate tasks more effectively rather than micromanaging? Are their subordinates able and willing to challenge leaders when they are wrong, instead of blindly supporting them and going down in flames along with them?

And what about the church? How many churches and ministry organizations have foundered because strong and autocratic leaders have been unwilling to listen to advice and warnings? Because such leaders have failed to trust their associates and followers? Because their followers have failed to warn them when they began to veer off-course?

Proverbs 11:14 (NIV) says, “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.” Proverbs 15:22 repeats, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

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Persistence

Posted on February 22, 2022 by Author Mary Alford

This little guy’s name is Cody, and he loves taking walks. It’s like a new adventure for him every single day.

My husband and I walk each morning around our property. We live on seventy acres, so we have our walking trail mapped out through the pasture in front of our house, into the woods, past the stock tank near the woods, and then across the back pasture to the house.

Even though we walk the same path every day, (sometimes twice in a day), it’s like a brand-new experience every time for Cody.

He has recently discovered some abandoned gopher mounds on our property and he loves to dig in hopes of discovering one of those furry little creatures that used to live there.

Don’t worry, so far the score is the gophers 100—Cody 0. It’s a game to him, but he does it with the persistence of someone who is certainly going to achieve their goal one day, (or probably not in this case).

I think Cody is one of the best examples of how to live each day. Be persistent. Life is filled with challenges. We all have our gopher mounds where we feel as if no matter how hard we try, we can’t overcome. But if we get up each day, and approach that mound with the same determination as Cody, with God’s help, all things are possible.  

In 2 Timothy 4:7–8, Paul says, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.   

Continue to fight the good fight. Finish the course. Keep the faith. Like Cody, be persistent. You will get through it.

All the best,

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net

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