Why We Forgive by Vicki Hinze

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Vicki Hinze

 

Forgiveness, sorry

We’ve all been wronged, and we’ve all wronged.  One would think that would make the art of forgiveness easier, and yet it is something most still resist.  We tend to remember every infraction against us, but to forget every infraction we’ve committed against others.

 

Oh, it’s easy to forgive when someone genuinely expresses regret or sorrow at hurting us.  It’s much, much harder to forgive when that person denies having done anything which requires forgiveness.

 

Let’s say, for example, someone accuses you of something you didn’t do. If given the opportunity to deny doing that thing, you might resolve the difference.  But what if you aren’t given the opportunity?  What if that person severs any relationship with you, and you’re forever tainted as one who did something against them when perhaps you were trying to protect them?  There’s no opportunity to forgive or be forgiven…or is there?

 

There is.  Forgive them anyway.  They won’t know it, but you will.

 

Let’s look at gossip.  It’s rife in our world, and it often wounds in ways we can guess and in ways we can’t begin to understand.  What if gossip is repeated and it proves untrue?  Who does it harm?  Everyone who listened and repeated the gossip.  And everyone else who heard it third and fourth-hand and repeated it—or believed it.

 

You see, the harm in gossip isn’t just to the subject of the gossip, but to the gossiper, and to those who listen to it.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that if you just listen, it’s not causing harm.  It is.

 

The thing about forgiveness is that we’re all going to do something that hurts another.  Perhaps not intentionally, but even unintentionally, it hurts.  And odds are high that at some time we’ll be on both ends of that kind of hurt.

 

We’ll be sitting in a restaurant and overhear a conversation about us being deceived by someone being dishonest with us.  We’ll be told about some unidentified person doing something foolish or dishonest—and recognize that person is us.  We might know it isn’t true, or we’re being maligned unjustly, but we still feel shamed, embarrassed, or worse.

 

The point is, at some time we’re going to need to extend grace and to receive grace.  If we refuse to extend grace when someone maligns us, what happens when we step over the line and need grace?

 

 When there’s a disagreement, often we have the chance to apologize and set things right. That’s a blessing and once it’s done, it’s over.  We don’t apologize to keep the peace.  We don’t apologize to end a disagreement for the sake of ending the disagreement.  On those things, we agree to disagree.  We disagree with respect.

 

When there’s a disagreement and we do not have the opportunity to explain things were taken wrong, or out of context, then the art of forgiveness isn’t lost.  It’s just different. 

 

You don’t have to address an infraction with another to forgive them. You forgive them on your own. 

 

The bigger the harm to you, the harder this is to do, and there’s no way around that.  But that you forgive them anyway speaks to your character, not theirs.  It speaks to you attempting to do what is right even when only you and God know you’re making the attempt.

Sometimes forgiveness is easy.  The fonder you are of the person before the infraction, the easier it is. You have all their endearing traits to draw on to soften the upset of being maligned.  If you love that person, it’s a hundred times easier to forgive anything. It comes in the love package, because we’re all human, and we all make mistakes.

 

If there is tension in the relationship before the infraction, it becomes a bit harder.  And the more emotions the infraction engages, and the more people involved, the more difficult forgiveness becomes.  But it is so important to forgive anyway.  Regardless of where things end up on the surface, inside you forgive. Only by forgiveness do you reclaim your peace.

 

You see, inner peace is at the root of forgiveness.  Without it, you don’t have peace.  But if you can forgive the unforgivable, you can reclaim that inner peace. 

 

That doesn’t mean you permit someone to hurt you.  It doesn’t mean you forgive and forget.  That’s absurd.  You forgive and move on.  Some are best forgiven and kept distant—by your choice or theirs or both.  Some are best forgiven and reunited.  You know the difference by the nature of your relationship and the infractions.

 

The art of forgiveness isn’t to do it.  That’s a given.  For the other person and for you.  Anger, upset, pain is a heavy burden to carry.  When you forgive, you let go of it. 

 

You do not let go of the wisdom and insight you gained in the experience.  It hones discernment.  And that is where the real art of forgiveness is expressed. 

 

An example.  A former president said, “Trust but verify.”  That’s discernment.  Watch actions as well as hear words. 

 

We’re taught to “pray for our enemies.”  We’re also taught to forgive over and again, by those who ask. That extends to those who hurt us, whether or not they’re beloved.  So, what if someone with whom you had differences has passed on.  You are not prevented from resolving this within. 

 

If direct means for resolutions are not available to you, if the person is alive or dead, you aren’t prohibited from forgiving. Forgive them in prayer.  This enables you to regain your inner peace. And remember, use discernment. You can forgive, but not put yourself in a vulnerable situation with that person again.  Still, you forgive. 

 

There are as many types of forgiveness as there are situations that require forgiveness.  If you always begin with the premise that forgiveness is essential—to both parties—you’re halfway there.  Be determined and steadfast in resolving the conflict.  If you do not resolve it, it’ll become an old tape in your mind that replays over and over, even when it shouldn’t.

 

Remember these things: 

    • We all need forgiveness.  If we give it, we’re more apt to get it.
    • Forgiveness is the means through which we can let go of old problems and reclaim inner peace.
    • Forgiving doesn’t mean permitting disrespect or abuse.
    • Forgiving is an art aided by discernment on what is right in a given situation.

 

Determining what you should do to forgive and reclaim your inner peace—what is the right thing in this specific situation—that is the home of discernment in forgiveness.

And for the best example of it, we need only to look at the most amazing act of forgiveness ever expressed in all of human history:  to Christ on the Cross.

 

There wasn’t an infraction that wasn’t committed against Him, and yet he forgave, and He prayed for forgiveness for those who harmed Him.

 

Discerning, and the Master of the art of forgiveness…

Blessings,

Vicki Hinze

Posted in Vicki Hinze | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“When the day of Pentecost was fully come . . .”

Posted on May 15, 2025 by dtopliff

Throughout scripture, the dove represents peace and restoration. When the flood waters receded, the dove returned and brought Noah an olive branch. Doves feature in Psalms 55, 68, and 74. After the Lord’s baptism in the River Jordan, all four Gospels record the Holy Spirit descending like a dove to remain upon Jesus.

We celebrated EasterApril 20th. Pentecost is seven weeks later, on June 8th, and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit while the disciples waited in the Upper Room for God’s promised comforter as described in Acts 2.

I’ve visited the Upper Room, the traditional site of the Last Supper, on each of my nine trips to Israel. While the actual location might be debated, the current structure is a 12th-century Crusader chapel built above a known first-century church-synagogue. The acoustics are wonderful. During my times there, groups from various nations and languages have worshipped with songs that spound like heaven.

I enjoy a blog by Bobbie Ann Cole, a Canadian Jewish-Christian Writer studying at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. She and her husband post photos of their local journeys. Here is an excellent short video of what you would see if we walked with them through the Church of the Dormitian in the Old City. The remarkable painting shows the mother of Jesus with the disciples while the Holy Spirit dove descends to hover over them all in the fulfillment of Luke 24:49, “I am sending the promise of My Father upon you, but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

It’s a wonderful video–enjoy. And have a blessed and meaningful Pentecost.

Bible Hubhttps://biblehub.com › luke

Click here to view

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Delight by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 14, 2025 by jrcoggins

The English word “delight” is used to translate three Hebrew words: chaphets (pleased with, desire), chashaq (cling to, love), and anag (soft, pliable). It is interesting how these words are used.

Perhaps most astounding is that God finds delight in us:

• “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19 NIV).

• “The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love” (Psalm 147:11).

• “The Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory” (Psalm 149:4).

• “The Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:12).

• “I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more” (Isaiah 65:19).

• “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

As well, we are told to delight in God and His Word.

• “Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation” (Psalm 35:9).

• “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

• “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God” (Psalm 43:4).

• “Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands” (Psalm 112:1).

• “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word” (Psalm 119:16).

• “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors” (Psalm 119:24).

• “Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight” (Psalm 119:35).

• “I delight in your commands because I love them” (Psalm 119:47).

• “I delight in your law” (Psalm 119:70).

• “Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight” (Psalm 119:77).

• “Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight” (Psalm 119:143).

• “I long for your salvation, Lord, and your law gives me delight” (Psalm 119:174).

Finally, God encourages us to delight in the things He has created for us:

• “They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights (Psalm 36:8).

• “Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them” (Psalm 111:2).

• “Be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy” (Isaiah 65:18). To sum up: God delights in us and encourages us to delight in His creation, His Word, His salvation, and His presence.

To sum up: God delights in us and encourages us to delight in His creation, His Word, His salvation, and His presence.

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Mother’s Legacy: Love That Reflects the Heart of God

Posted on May 13, 2025 by Author Mary Alford

As we celebrated Mother’s Day this past Sunday, I was reminded of the quiet strength and tender love that so often flows through the lives of the women who raise us, nurture us, and shape us. Whether you’re a mother, a grandmother, a spiritual mother, or a woman who’s poured herself into the lives of others—your love leaves a lasting legacy.

Scripture reminds us in Proverbs 31:28 (KJV): “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” A godly mother reflects the very heart of Christ—selfless, steadfast, and deeply rooted in grace.

Mother’s Day is also a beautiful reminder of the quiet strength, sacrificial love, and unshakable faith that define motherhood. As we honored the women who have shaped our lives personally, it’s also a fitting time to reflect on the mothers of the Bible—women whose stories still speak life and hope into our hearts today.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is perhaps the most well-known mother in Scripture. Her humble “yes” to God changed the course of history. Chosen to carry the Savior of the world, she walked a path of faith that wasn’t easy. She pondered deep things in her heart, fled with her family to protect her child, and ultimately stood at the foot of the cross as He gave His life. Mary’s story reminds us that motherhood is often a journey of both deep joy and deep surrender.

Hannah, the mother of Samuel, teaches us about persistent prayer and surrender. Longing for a child, she poured out her soul before the Lord and promised to give her son back to God. When her prayer was answered, she kept her promise. Her faith was bold, her trust unwavering—and God used her son in powerful ways.

Jochebed, the mother of Moses, risked everything to protect her son from Pharaoh’s decree. Her courage and ingenuity saved a life that God would use to deliver a nation. Behind Moses’ strength was a mother who dared to believe in God’s plan, even when she had to let go.

Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, waited many years to become a mother. When her miracle finally came, she rejoiced in God’s faithfulness. Her story is one of endurance and the unexpected joy that can come in the waiting.

And let us not forget Lois and Eunice, the grandmother and mother of Timothy, whose sincere faith helped shape the early church. Their quiet legacy proves that what we pass on in faith to our children can ripple through generations.

In the stories I write, I’m often drawn to women who are fiercely protective, who wrestle with fear and faith, and who stand strong in the face of darkness. Many of them are inspired by the women I know in real life—women who have prayed over their children in the middle of the night, who’ve chosen forgiveness in the face of pain, who’ve sacrificed their comfort for the sake of love.

Though you may not feel it at times, mothers, what you do matters. The prayers you whisper, the stories you pass down, the faith you live out loud—these are seeds of eternity planted in the lives around you.

I hope you felt celebrated and cherished this past Sunday and every day—and may you know that your legacy is woven into God’s story in a way only He can write.

With love,
Mary

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hoping to See by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Nancy J. Farrier
Photo by Surasak P on Unsplash

My breath caught. I stopped and stared at the dead cholla cactus. Nestled close to those wicked spines was a small mammillaria, possibly the mammillaria grahamii. A mammillaria “in the wild,” something I’d never seen before. I couldn’t wait to take pictures and show my family.

Over the next few weeks I kept watch for more mammillaria and soon learned to spot them with more ease. They were usually nestled under a larger cactus and since they aren’t big I had trouble seeing them. But as I practiced, I became more adept, even spotting them under different plants and a few out in the open. 

I didn’t get to see them often because I had to walk a long distance to get to the area where they grew. Then one day, as I trekked down a road I had traversed many times, there under a bush was a little mammillaria, one I had walked past many times and never noticed. A couple of weeks later, I spotted one very close to my house. Who knew? Why hadn’t I noticed them before?

I began to ponder this phenomenon, “seeing” the cactus when I hadn’t before. What did it mean that I walked right by them many times without noticing when they are a plant I love? And why was I seeing them now? As I pondered, I realized there were correlations with this mammillaria lesson and my “seeing” Jesus. 

I’d like to share these in an anagram of the word, HOPE.

H—Hunger: After I spotted that first mammillaria, I had a hunger or a strong desire to see more. I couldn’t wait to look and often thought of them. There is so much busyness in life, so much to do. I want to have a hunger, a strong desire, to see Jesus instead of forgetting to watch when I have so much to do. I must be willing to have Him at the forefront of my mind all the time.

O—Open: Be open to seeing. When I first began to search for the mammillaria, I thought they would only be found under the cholla cactus. Then I noticed them under bushes and other cacti, but I still thought they would be in a sheltered area. Next, I noticed a few that were out in the open. Last, my husband pointed out one that was nestled in a rock completely unprotected. Sometimes, I put Jesus in a box by expecting Him to be in certain places and not others. I must learn to be open to finding Him in unusual places. If I want to see Him, I need to be open to seeing Him where He’s at, not just where I expect Him to be.

P—Practice: I had to work at seeing those tiny little cacti. When I found this little mammillaria “forest” I was beyond excited. The tallest one is only about two inches high. They are so tiny and difficult to spot. It took practice. Likewise, seeing Jesus takes work. Not only do I have to hunger for Him, I have to practice looking for Him. He can be seen anywhere at any time, but I have to work to train my eyes to see.

E—Expect: I began to expect to see those cactus on every walk and I wasn’t disappointed. Each time I would spot a new one in a different place. Likewise, I want to expect to see Jesus. Whether I’m doing my everyday chores, dealing with a difficult situation, doing the shopping, or relaxing on the couch after a long day, I want to see Jesus in the midst of all the busyness and the quiet times. He may not be obvious, but He will be there. 

I hope you will also follow the HOPE principles and try to see Jesus in your everyday life.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

Posted in Nancy J. Farrier | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

When You Win and Lose… Grace by Vicki Hinze

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Vicki Hinze

When You win or lose... grace by Vicki Hinze

 

During the course of a lifetime, we all win some and lose some.  That is the nature of competition and the nature of life.  Learn to do both—to win and to lose—with dignity, respecting yourself, others and the competition.

Have you ever heard someone awarded an honor for an achievement who lacked gratitude to those who helped that person gain the award?   Who boldly states they’d like to thank others but can’t because they’d made it all the way to the award by themselves?  Someone so full of themselves that they couldn’t spare a kind word for the countless others who guided and directed them to that point?

How about someone who lost railing on and on with a litany of complaints blaming others for their loss?

The absence of gratitude and the casting of blame are both reactions that are not only not endearing, they sour our opinion of the person, and that opinion remains sour for a very long time.

As a young writer, I witnessed both of those reactions, and I have to tell you, three decades have passed, and a lot of things have happened in those intervening years.  Yet my opinion on both those individuals is still colored by what I witnessed all those years ago.

I am not alone.  Think back through your life at the responses you’ve seen and experienced.  Have your reactions to those responses changed?  Probably not.

You see, in winning or losing we see a person at their best—the high—and their worst—the low.  If they can’t handle themselves appropriately then, they can’t do it at all.  We recognize that at core level because we’ve all experienced highs and lows in our own lives, or vicariously through someone close to us.

The lack of graciousness in the winner reminds us of everyone we’ve ever gone the extra mile to help who betrayed us, got what they wanted and then put us on ignore, or claimed credit for our efforts as though they had done it all and we had not contributed.  In other words, we were ignored, forgotten or betrayed.  There isn’t a person in the world with whom that will sit well.  Actually, it’s the behavior of the kind of people we try to avoid, and certainly try to avoid being.

The lack of graciousness in the loser reminds us of every time we were blamed for something we didn’t do, some wrong we were accused of committing that we actually didn’t commit and yet paid dearly for having done it.  It reminds us of every time we tried and failed and were berated for it.

It also reminds us of terms like “sore loser” and “sour grapes” and “unsportsman-like conduct.”

Once an opinion is formed in the minds of others who watch your response to winning or losing, it’s really hard to change that opinion.  If you are gracious in winning or losing, the opinion is far more apt to be favorable.

Now what others think of you is, as they say, none of your business.  What you think of yourself, however, is reflected back to you in the opinions of others.  If you respect yourself, you express and reflect it in your conduct.  If you don’t, you reflect that, too.

Whichever you choose to do, respect or disrespect, know that others take their cue from you, and they will treat you accordingly. So do what you will, but do it knowing that you are setting the tone, the bar, the standard for how you “show” others to treat you.

If you respect yourself, then respect others.  Behave with dignity toward yourself and toward everyone else.  Those with whom you agree and those with whom you disagree.

Remember:  Just because you have an opinion on everything doesn’t obligate you to express it.  Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.  And if someone wants your opinion, they’ll ask for it.

When things go wrong, and at some time, they will.  Seek first to understand, then take appropriate actions to assure a checks-and-balances system is in place to avoid future wrongs.  There is a right way to address a legitimate challenge and a wrong way.  Respect yourself and others, address it the right way.

An ancient philosopher once said, “What you do to others, you do to yourself.”

That became a universal truth because it is one.  There’ve been many iterations of it over the years, like:

“When you set out to destroy another, dig two graves.  One for them, and one for you.”  

The lesson in that message is universal as well.  When you set out to harm another, the one most harmed is yourself. You’ve disrespected the other person.  You’ve disrespected yourself more, and guess what?  You might stay away from that other person, but you cannot escape yourself.  Every day, from that day forward for so long as you’re drawing breath, you’re doing so with your attempt to destroy staining your thoughts, your actions, and weighing on your conscience.

You might think you won’t.  But you will.  We all do.

Be gracious in your wins.  Give credit where credit is due.  Be humble and never forget those who helped you all the way.  Honor them by paying it forward, helping others as you were helped.

Be gracious in your losses.  There is no need to assign blame.  Respect the process, the effort.  Look at mistakes you might have made, but also look at what others did right.  Strive to be objective and keep an eye on how you might improve.

That’s respectful to you and to others.  And that respect is key not only to improving but also to creating fewer regrets that will haunt you as you move forward through life.

In life, we win some and lose some.  It is vital to our emotional well-being to learn to do both with respect for ourselves and others, and with dignity and grace.  Our own self-esteem and our rightful respect for others depend on it.

I leave you with this thought…

When all is said and done, what we’re left with in life is ourselves.  What we’ve said and done, and what we haven’t.  How we were treated and how we treated others is a big part of that.  Yes, we’ll all make mistakes and we’ll all do things we wish we hadn’t done or said.  We don’t expect perfection.  We do expect to leave life better than we found it.

To that end, remember this:

Always treat others with the grace you are going to need from others when you commit a wrong.  If you do, when you need grace, you’ll be far more apt to get it.

It’s all about grace.  Gratitude, dignity and respect.  For you.  For others.

Read the quote from the recently deceased Dr. Emily Clyburn.  She left it, it’s said, in a note on the bathroom mirror for her husband, who’d just won an election.   “When you win, brag gently.  When you lose, weep softly.”

 Gratitude, dignity and respect.  

 Grace.  And wisdom.

Blessings,

Vicki Hinze

Posted in Vicki Hinze | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Doctoring in the Old Days by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 7, 2025 by jrcoggins

There were three doctors in the town where I grew up, and the practice of medicine would be almost unrecognizable today.

The doctor our family went to had a big house on the main street, and he had office hours there every afternoon, starting about one o’clock. Patients would walk in through the front door and go into a large room to the left with bench seats on all four sides of the room. The room would be fairly full by one o’clock. There was no receptionist, and there were no appointments. People who needed a doctor would just show up.

At one o’clock, the doctor would enter through a door at the back of the room. It was a double door, with one door opening out and the other opening in, to muffle the sound and maintain patient privacy.

The doctor would look around the room to see who was there and nod to one of the patients to come in. I am not sure how he decided who should go first, but everyone just quietly waited their turn. After the patient was ushered back out through the same door, the doctor would survey the room again, taking special note of any newcomers so that patients would be seen roughly in the order of arrival.

Patients selected to enter would go into another big room, where the doctor would ask what the problem was. If a more extensive examination was required, the patient could be ushered farther back into a third room, where there was a raised bed.

Once the doctor had diagnosed the problem, he would offer advice or prescribe a medication. Most of the time, the patient was not sent to a pharmacy to get the prescription. One wall of the middle room had shelves floor to ceiling filled with bottles of the most common remedies. The doctor would count out the required number of pills and hand them to the patient.

Then the doctor would tell the patient how much was owed. It was cash only. The doctor would pull a massive wad of money out of his pants pocket and add the payment to the wad, making change as necessary. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that poorer patients would be charged less than wealthier patients. There was no medicare, and no government was not involved. There was no bureaucracy such as exists today.

I assume the doctor kept limited records of some kind, but he knew all of his patients personally and stored a lot of the information in his memory.

The doctor offered a wide range of services, including setting and casting broken bones. Some of his treatments were innovative. He treated one woman’s depression by removing a mole from her face.

The afternoon office hours would extend until all patients were seen. In the mornings and evenings, the doctor would make house calls to very sick patients or visit them in the hospital in the next town.

Medical care in those days was quite limited. There were far fewer medical imaging machines and diagnostic tools. There were no cures for many ailments. But the treatment was immediate and personal. There was good patient care because the doctor cared about his patients, who were his friends and neighbors. Medical care has greatly advanced in some ways since that time but certainly declined in others.

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

When Speaking the Truth Hurts: Disinformation, Family, and the Christian Call to Courage

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Ann Malley

I’m diving in because this matter–keeping the peace?–is too serious.

In John 7:30, we read that the Pharisees sought to seize Jesus, but “no man laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.” Christ was never caught off guard; He moved according to the perfect timing of the Father. He knew when to stay silent, when to step forward, and when to accept the consequences of truth spoken in love.

Contrast this with Peter’s misguided attempt to dissuade Christ from journeying to Jerusalem. Upon hearing of the suffering that awaited, Peter rebuked Him — and Christ answered sharply: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me; for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Matthew 16:23).

Peter, though filled with affection, was out of step with divine timing. He tried to preserve peace through avoidance, failing to grasp that love sometimes demands confrontation. That it demands the cross. How often have we masked a sin of omission behind the facade of compassion? Wounds fester that way. Disease takes over the body and kills. We know this and yet we often, for love of Christ, feign that silence is always the way. But that’s not true. Not at all.

In these days of rampant disinformation, even among our loved ones, we are often tempted to be like Peter. Have you snoozed family and friends on Facebook because their posts are riddled with half-truths and inflammatory rhetoric? I have. It’s easier to avoid “Jerusalem” than to risk an argument. It’s easier to say, “Not now, Lord,” when the Holy Ghost stirs our hearts to speak up.

But are we truly Christlike when we hide? Or are we more like the Apostles trembling in the Upper Room, waiting for Pentecost? They were faithful, yes — but they were not yet *bold*. It took the descent of the Holy Spirit, the tongues of fire, to turn them into fearless witnesses.

The Spirit calls us, too, but are we answering? Or are we whispering, “Not now… not yet…” because we fear causing waves at the next family gathering?

Salt kept in the cellar is useless. Light hidden under a bushel serves no one. Christ did not call us to comfort but to witness — “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). He did not die so we could sit quietly while lies run rampant, tearing apart not just our politics, but the souls of those we love. That is what is happening, what has happened. Lies and falsehoods borne of the Devil, the father of lies, are devouring our own flesh and blood while mocking us in delighted silence as we tremble for fear of what? Being seen for who we are? Followers of the Good Shepherd?

We *are* our brother’s keepers. If we stay silent, if we refuse to correct in love, we are complicit in the decay around us. To stand by quietly while loved ones are seduced by slogans and sentiment without substance is not mercy — it is abandonment. We are, all of us, given the leadership we deserve. Those with itching ears and, equally, those with open ears who bite their tongues while Christ’s flock is transformed into a herd of swine and led off a cliff.

To put it another way, how did we get to this time of “itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3), where even our own families resist sound doctrine? We got here because, for too long, Christians have been willing to trade hard truth for fragile peace.

Now, we face a pivotal moment. Prayer is essential — but prayer must be accompanied by action. Faith without works is dead. As in there is no true faith without the actions that speak far louder than words. Speaking truth may cost us comfort. It may cost us relationships. Christ knew the cost. He went anyway.

We must, too!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Is the Death of a Dream Really the Death of a Dream? by Vicki Hinze

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Vicki Hinze

Death of a Dream Really? by Vicki Hinze for Christians Read

 

We begin with a dream.  It might be a pipe dream to some, a lofty one to others, but to us it is a vision, and we create it from desire.

 

That desire is often seated in purpose.  Our vision might be to entertain, to enlighten, to aid or to release.  It might be to shed light on a social issue or challenge.  It might be to work through an issue or challenge.  Whatever fuels our dream is unique to us, and typically is very personal and private, meaning that our specific dream wouldn’t fuel the passion and discipline necessary to make that dream a reality in others.  But it does inspire those things in us.  The desire to see that dream fulfilled makes us determined.  It takes us to places we didn’t even realize we could or would go.  We forfeit other things, make sacrifices and dare to dream when those without that purpose fueling their actions would have given up and moved on.

 

So what happens to us when our dreams die?  We who are dedicated and devoted and have made those sacrifices and forfeited for them?

 

Some of us get stuck right there.  We get frustrated and angry.  We give up and stew in the fact that we gave all and still our dreams were denied.  We stew over the unfairness of it all, and sometimes, sadly, we despair.

 

Our total focus has been on making the dream a reality, and when we accept that it isn’t going to happen, then despair sets in.  Some slide into that pit of despair and move no further.  They elect to replay the events leading up to the death of the dream over and over and over.  And that becomes their new reality.  They’re stuck, unable to progress further and blame anything and everything remotely possible that can be blamed for their loss.  But not once do they move ahead, and it doesn’t occur to them to continue to dream, to find a new vision.  To invest elsewhere.

 

So some of us get stuck on this hamster wheel and some of us despair, and both of those reactions, while human for a time, become our undoing.  Both cause us to still in the water and prevent us from reaching our potential and fulfilling our purpose.

The death of a dream is never easy.  It can be vicious and merciless, taking a toll on us physically, emotionally and spiritually, and the greater the impact on us, the more challenging it becomes.  Simply put, the death of a dream can for some be a horrendous obstacle to overcome.  Yet we know the alternative to doing the work required to overcome it.  We can do that work, or we can settle in for a long stay on the hamster wheel—spinning and spinning and getting nowhere—or be stuck in despair, which no one else needs to bother to describe to us.  We’ve all endured it on something and know how difficult it is to reside there.

 

Spinning and despair—who of sound mind could desire more of either?  Comparatively speaking, the work looks like a picnic.  It isn’t, of course.  The work makes demands on us—some welcome, some not—but we work with the cards we’re dealt.  And so we accept that this dream is dead and we decide spinning and despair isn’t for us.  We opt to mourn its passing and move on.   But move on to what?

 

And here is where many of us encounter and unfortunately where many of us endure the second place of getting stuck.  We flounder and seek and get mired in the muck. We just can’t see what’s next in our lives.

 

Often, the process in the death of a dream thus far is a variation of:

 

Confusion → Denial → Disappointment → Frustration → Anger → Grief → Acceptance

 

And all that leads us right back to . . .

 

Confusion.

 

This is a different confusion.  It isn’t about where you’ve been.  It’s about where to go next.  What to do next.  What is our new dream?  Typically, we’ve been so invested in the old one that we resist letting go, and until we do let go, moving on is impossible.  We’re so busy looking back that any forward movement we make has us stumbling into potholes, tromping through mud puddles, veering into ditches and bouncing off brick walls.

 

We’re running into more obstacles because we’re so busy looking back that we’re not looking forward, ahead to what could be right in front of us.

 

Once we grasp that—for clarity of vision we must look ahead not behind—we have the first major opportunity for growth and new dreams.

 

  So when a dream dies, we work through it until we reach a point where we accept that what we dreamed is in the past and now we must look ahead and create new dreams.

This requires faith.  In our judgment, our abilities and our purpose.  And faith can be scarce because we believed we were doing what we were meant to do last time, and that didn’t work out.  This is where character comes in.

 

Character and an unshakable faith that our perspective and view is limited and if we were able to back off and get a broader view, we would see that a greater purpose lies ahead.  Maybe our dream was too limited.  Maybe our growth expanded our opportunities, and our abilities exceeded our original dream.  Maybe the original dream was a stepping-stone preparation for more.  We had to gain experience and insights that now can aid us in achieving our true purpose.  Wait a second, you say.  If our original dream, the one that died, was a steppingstone, then it wasn’t a failure but a path.

 

That is correct.  And it means that the purpose in our first dream was fulfilled.  Perhaps fulfilled in a way far different than our vision of it, but fulfilled in the broader sense of God’s vision of our life’s purpose.  Were we not told that Jesus would prepare a table? That he would straighten the crooked places?  That he would make a way where none existed?

 

Perhaps we would better serve both God and ourselves to view this “death of a dream” as a pitstop to His dream for us.  Or as a visit to “a door” versus “the door” of our purpose.  Perhaps this door was the path to our door.  An interim door.

 

Our challenge is that we don’t have perfect perception or understanding—not of God’s plans or even of our own.  So faith that we’re taking steps toward our divine destiny and doing our part to envision dreams and manifest them in reality has to be factored into the process.  We dream what we believe are huge dreams.  Perhaps about little things but ones that make huge differences, if not to the masses, then to specific individuals.  And the importance of those dreams should never be underestimated.

 

Yet too often we are mired and stay mired in confusion about what to do next.  We flutter and fret and we don’t do the one thing we should do:

 

We don’t stop and look at what’s left. 

 

The key to the next step is in knowing what’s left after the death of the dream and in being grateful for the good in those things.  We don’t look for what we’ve gained in the attempt.  Being mired in mourning a loss, we focus on the losses and not the gains.  That doesn’t make way for gratitude of what is still there.  What we now have that we lacked before the attempt at the original dream.  Gratitude and appreciation are essential to balance and harmony. We all know of this direct connection, this immutable link, and yet we often fail to exercise discipline to seek our gains, and we still wallow in the mire.

 

When we look at what’s left, we see that which has endured—the gains.  And when we’re grateful for the gains, we’re grateful for the good that has endured.  When we acknowledge its value to us and others, then that is our new direction.  To create more that will endure and be good—blessings to us and others—and that is the foundation upon which we create our new dreams.  It’s solid and firm.  It’s endured.  It’s good and worthy of our investment.  Worthy of our next leap of faith.

 

With all of the changes in the world around us, I receive a lot of questions that ask what offers the safest harbors right now.  These are natural questions.  Human questions.  But ones that separate you from the reason that you are you.  The truth is there are few safe harbors for people of faith.  But that shouldn’t bring distress.  There never have been any save one:  faith itself.

 

We all are who we are for a purpose.  As a writer, I know this in the way only one with a lifetime of experience can know and prove it.  A writer’s purpose is to share insights on the human condition.  Some are tasked to experience and write stories of their trials and challenges and how they overcame them constructively. To light a path for others lost on their journeys to follow.  Some are tasked to shine light on our collective monsters in the closet so that we better understand and overcome those challenges. 

 

Some writers find their purpose is to write to entertain, offering others a reprieve and respite from the challenges in their lives.  Some are to comfort, inform, enlighten; to prove there’s light at the end of specific dark and seemingly endless tunnels, or to offer perspectives that shift thinking and open minds that were closed.

 

The reasons and purposes are as unique as the writers themselves and defined more specifically by them.

 

So does the death of a dream mean the writer stops writing?

 

Maybe.  Maybe not.

 

What’s left?

 

Did the desire and purpose for writing endure?  Is it good?

 

If so, then perhaps the death of this dream isn’t a death at all but merely the completion of it.  Perhaps death is a redefining of the dream. Honing it.  Going from the interim door to “the” door.  Making way for the old dream to expand into a new dream.

 

The answer to whether or not you continue to write, or to continue writing what you have been writing (or doing whatever you’ve been doing in your life)—your original dream or your next dream—lies in those enduring gains.  What is good and worthy of your purpose—your time and life.

 

The seeds for “what’s next” spring from there.  With focus and attention, looking ahead with an open mind and a dedicated, disciplined heart, those seeds sprout, and you get a clearer, sharper view of the path ahead. 

 

You’ll dare to dream again and to embrace this new direction.  Walk down this new road with a spring in your step, believing on faith that what is ahead is better for all that you’ve learned on the journey through the first dream.  You’re wiser, more adept, looking at the bigger picture and broader view.  Your abilities are expanded, you have experience and expertise now you lacked then, and you’re more flexible. Your perspective has changed.  All these things and more are the natural outgrowths—your rewards, if you will—for pulling yourself out of the mired muck and daring to invest again. 

 

For daring to observe the view and, in faith, seek your next dream.

 

Blessings,

 

Vicki Hinze

http://www.vickihinze.com

 

Posted in Vicki Hinze | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Does God Have Fun? by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 30, 2025 by jrcoggins

When I was in high school, a Christian parachurch ministry began renting school gyms in the evening and inviting church youth groups to come and play basketball and volleyball against each other. This encouraged inter-church interaction, these were events that the groups could easily invite other youth to, and frankly the evenings were a lot of fun.

At school one day, I mentioned that I had been at one of these events. Some of my non-Christian friends were astounded that church groups could actually gather for fun. I am not sure what they thought we did when we got together—beat each other with whips?

The reality is that my Christian friends seemed to have more fun than our non-Christian counterparts—who seemed to require alcohol or some other stimulant to make them happy. At university, I remember inviting a couple of non-Christians to a Christian Christmas party. They were astounded that Christians could just get together and be happy, content, without anything else to make them happy.

Consider these Bible verses:

• “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation…while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4,7 NIV).

• “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11)

• “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him…Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy” (Psalm 33:1,3).

• “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11).

• “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…” (Galatians 5:22).

According to the Bible, God created the universe with joy and singing. In fact, God created singing, creativity, fun, and joy. And He wants to fill our hearts and our lives with joy.

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When God Feels Silent: Trusting His Timing in the Waiting

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Author Mary Alford

There was a season in my life when the dream of becoming a published author felt like a distant hope. I had the passion, the stories, and the calling—but no open doors. Manuscripts were completed, prayers were lifted, and yet, the silence was deafening. I often found myself asking, “God, did I hear You right?”

The Waiting Season

Waiting is hard. Especially when you believe you’re walking in obedience. I watched others achieve milestones I longed for, and doubt began to creep in. Was I not good enough? Had I missed my opportunity? But in those quiet moments, I was reminded of Isaiah 55:8-9:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”
God’s timeline is not ours, and His plans often unfold in ways we don’t anticipate.

Growth in the Silence

During this period, I learned that God’s silence doesn’t equate to His absence. He was working behind the scenes, refining my character, deepening my faith, and teaching me to rely solely on Him. The waiting became a time of preparation, molding me into the person He needed me to be for the journey ahead.

The Breakthrough

Eventually, the doors began to open. Opportunities arose, connections were made, and the dream started to materialize. Looking back, I see that had I rushed the process, I wouldn’t have been ready. God’s timing was perfect, as it always is.

Encouragement for the Waiting

If you’re in a season of waiting, take heart. God sees you. He hears your prayers. And He is faithful. Trust that He is working all things for your good, even when you can’t see it. As Romans 8:28 reminds us:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Hold on to hope. Embrace the growth that comes in the waiting. And know that God’s timing is always perfect.

All the best. . .

Mary

http://www.maryalford.net

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

When You Have a Bad Day by Vicki Hinze

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Vicki Hinze

Everyone has bad days.  It’s a rare individual who can live a life and escape at least one bad day.

 

Yet we face them in different ways.  Some have a pity party.  Some phone a friend or their spouse and vent.  Some do far worse things, like using a bad day to proclaim theirs a bad life and sink into depression.  Some use a bad day as an excuse to behave badly, taking out their frustrations on others who had absolutely nothing to do with the cause for their bad day.  And some take in the effects of a bad day so deeply that it robs them totally of their present and that robs them of their future.

 

The good thing is we get to choose how we react to a bad day.  We might elect to learn from any mistakes we (or someone else) made and move on.  We might seek a way to avoid those mistakes happening again.  Or we might treat ourselves to a bubble bath and destress with a quart of ice-cream.

 

Different things work for different people.  For me, I’m reminded of a case that happened in Florida.  A man, James Richardson, was accused of killing his seven kids.  He was convicted in under two hours and spent the next twenty-one years in prison, having a continuous succession of bad days. Every day was a bad day all that time.

 

How James Richardson didn’t lose hope or give up or how he withstood the painful things that were said and done to him, I don’t know.  But I do know that while that was a long, and I’m sure a seemingly endless season of darkness, after twenty-one years James wasn’t electrocuted, which is what his sentence called for initially.  At some point, when the government halted the death penalties, James’s sentence was reduced to life in prison.

 

I wonder if he considered that a blessing or a curse.  I have no idea.  But after twenty-one years, the Attorney General of the United States agreed to release James.  Why?

 

Because he was innocent. 

 

His prosecutor was guilty of misconduct.  He had three convicts claim James had admitted killing his kids–testimony in exchange for reduced sentences. 

His neighbor, who had fed James’s seven children poisoned red beans and rice and had planted more poison in James’s shed, confessed to a nursing home worker that she had committed the crime.  At the time, that neighbor was on parole for killing her second husband and she was a suspect in the poisoning death of her first husband.  The jurors weren’t told any of that, and in short order James was convicted and sentenced to death by electrocution.

 His kids died in 1967.  James carried those burdens of guilt knowing he was innocent and all the abuse that came with being blamed for killing his own kids for twenty-one years before he was exonerated and released.

 

Twenty-one years of one bad day after another and another …

 

James’s story offers all of us perspective.  If, for you, it falls short, think of Jesus.  He was perfect, and yet he was wrongly accused, betrayed, arrested, beaten and crucified by a group of people He trusted, and a second group of people who feared Him because He did not fear them—and He knew all they would do before they did it.

 

That’s a long string of bad days.  Really bad days.

 

If the perfect had to endure them, then why in the world wouldn’t we? 

 

So we need to accept it.  We’re going to have bad days, but it is incumbent upon us to keep them in perspective.  Not to overreact or make more of a bad day than is warranted.

 

Granted, some are truly and completely horrific.  But most of the days we consider bad, in five years, we’ve forgotten.

 

There’s a lesson in that.

 

Blessings,

 

Vicki

 

 

 

Posted in Vicki Hinze | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Golden Age of Poetry by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 23, 2025 by jrcoggins

A long time ago in a land full of mystery,

I earned a BA in English and History.

Actually, it was the 1970s at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. I received a wonderful education there, for which I am very grateful.

The English courses I took included a heavy focus on the many great English poets from the 17th to 19th centuries: William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, John Milton, John Donne, Alexander Pope, Robbie Burns, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, Rudyard Kipling, and more. This was truly the golden age of poetry.

I also studied some English poetry from earlier centuries (“Sithen the sege and the assaut was sesed…”) And there were some later poets of note, including T.S. Eliot and Robert Frost in the first half of the 20th century. Since then, it is hard to think of a poet of equal stature to the greats of the 17th to 19th centuries. Maybe Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, if they could be considered poets.

The great English poets of previous centuries were the rock stars of their age, widely read, widely admired, very influential, and well paid. Of course, many modern people would consider the golden age poets out of date and not worth studying. But there is no doubt that they were the supreme masters of their craft.

A question I never asked when I was in university but a question I have asked more recently is: Why did English poetry peak in the 17th-19th centuries? Why couldn’t earlier and later poets equal the masters of this golden age?

Why?

The answer of course, is technology.

There were “poets” in the years before the seventeenth century, dating back to Homer in the 8th century BC and beyond. But these were mostly “bards” or “troubadours.” Generally, they did not “write” poetry. They wandered from place to place and sang or recited their songs and poems in person, from memory. Some of their compositions were eventually written down and preserved, but these compositions were not initially widely read. Paper was expensive, and writing down anything by hand and making copies by hand required great labor by the few trained scribes who were available. The written works were preserved and occasionally read in monasteries and libraries. But there was no way to make these written compositions widely available. The primary means of bringing poetry to people was to do it in person via troubadours.

What changed everything was the invention of the printing press in the late 15th century and its gradual proliferation throughout the 16th century, as well as the accompanying spread of literacy. The printing press allowed poets to reach the masses quickly, easily, and inexpensively. Their words could spread in all directions at once to many more people than a single troubadour could reach. Poetry was still memorized and recited, but by anyone who could get hold of a written copy, not necessarily the author.

What brought an end to the great age of poetry was not originally a decline in literacy or poetic skill but further advances in technology, notably the development of radio, television, and the computer.

Words are still used in public discourse, but they are accompanied by pictures (even computer enhanced moving pictures) and sound.

I greatly admire the golden age poets. They had to convey meaning and emotion and understanding with words alone. That is very difficult to do and required great skill (as any modern person can attest after experiencing the many misunderstandings conveyed through texting).   

Today, with the multi-layered means available to them, modern “poets” and communicators must be skilled in many disciplines at once. “Writers” have been replaced by “content creators” and “influencers.” Because they need to focus on so many other things, word skill is neglected, which is why so many modern song lyrics are so idiotic and meaningless. Modern singers are admired for how they sound, the way they look, and the multimedia spectacles that accompany their performances. The lyrics are secondary. Words are the ideal medium for convey precise knowledge, facts, and objective truth. Other media are better suited to conveying feeling.

I am a man born after his time. Growing up in the 1950s, I read and wrote before I watched television and before there was much radio available in our small town. I am a word person, I admire the great poets, and I am skilled at using the written word. A rarity n the modern world, I am a published poet, although it would be an exaggeration to say that I am widely read, widely admired, very influential, or well paid.

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Finding Hope – By Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Nancy J. Farrier
Photo by Ron Smith on Unsplash

I published the first part of this post in April 2019. The last part is an update.

Blind! I’m going to go blind.

The thought swirled through my mind in a nauseating repeat. Yesterday the ophthalmologist confirmed the diagnosis that I had glaucoma. No cure. No going back. Possible blindness.

I sailed through the first day after receiving the news. I can do this. I’ll trust God and all will be well. Today was a different story. It was a Friday. My husband left for the weekend and the emptiness of the house echoed my fear, pinging the negative possibilities back at me until I curled into a ball on the couch.

The thought of never seeing my grandson’s smile. Not seeing my beautiful kids. No more sunsets. The flowers in so many colors. The stars at night or the moon in its full glory. I couldn’t face the thought of losing all this beauty I treasured. 

My pity party was in full swing with all the bells and whistles. Cute hats. Noisemakers. Punch and cake. I had it all. All by myself.

Yet, in the midst of my whining, I kept hearing a voice. A voice I tried to ignore because this was a party for one. A superb party. But God proved more loving and persistent than my negativity. I finally settled down enough to listen to His simple question.

“What about Me?”

The party faded. Truth swept the mess away. How had I allowed my negative thoughts to take me to this self-centered place where I hadn’t even thought of God and all He could do. I may have a diagnosis of glaucoma. There may be no cure known to science. But God! God is in charge of my life. He orders my footsteps and cares for me more than I can ever realize. 

I don’t know why it’s so much easier in times of stress or trauma to think negatively instead of seeing the positive side. No matter how I try to consider God first, there are still times when I end up in one of those pity parties when I should be having a praise party. I also know I’m not alone.

In I Kings 18 and 19, Elijah comes up against the 400 prophets of Baal and sees the Lord do a great work. Amazing things happen. But in Chapter 19 when Elijah’s life is threatened, he immediately slips into negative thinking and asks the Lord to just let him die.

In Esther 4, we see that Esther learns of the edict signed by her husband, the king, that all the Jews will be put to death. Instead of acting in faith, her first reaction is fear that she will die if she approaches the king. 

In John 11, Jesus friend Lazarus dies. When Jesus comes to the house with his disciples, Martha, the sister of Lazarus, rushes out and instead of asking in faith what Jesus can do, she accuses him of not being there for Lazarus and of being the reason Lazarus is dead.

These are only a few examples from scripture. Every one of them are there to show how God ends up working in the lives of these negative thinking people. We’ve all been there, having a moment when circumstances are overwhelming and we forget what our God can do.

I find it very discouraging when I have a time of negativity, yet each time when I am reminded of Who God is and His provision for me, I am strengthened in my faith. With His help I can overcome that negative thinking and become positive about God’s sovereignty. 

Jesus, talking to his disciples says, “…In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

I know that no matter where I am at, or what I am going through, God is there with me. There is nowhere I go that He can’t find me and whisper in my ear, “What about Me?”

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;

Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. Psalm 139:7-12 (NKJV)

Fast forward to 2023. I moved to Arizona with a new ophthalmologist. He’s run tests on my eyes every few months. He’s studied my eyes for a few years now. Then he gives me the news that shocks me—I don’t have glaucoma any more.

The disease that is not curable, that there is no way to reverse the damage, is gone. Just gone.

I asked him, “So what happened to my glaucoma?” He just shrugged and said, “I don’t know.” 

There is no medical explanation for what happened to me, but there is God. He knew the plan He had for my life, which is why He told me not to worry. I have no idea why He chose to heal me, but I’m eternally grateful. 

God doesn’t always heal us, but He gives us what we need to persevere and manage with the trials at hand. I am forever grateful that He gave me peace about what would happen—that he pulled me out of my pity party and gave me hope and a purpose.

Thank you, Jesus.

Posted in Nancy J. Farrier | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

LENT IS BEYOND SPECIAL by Vicki Hinze

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Vicki Hinze

 

Lent 2025 started March 5th and continued for the next six weeks, ending April 17th  (Holy Thursday for Catholics) and April 19th (the day before Easter) for other Christians.

Lent is a special time for all Christians.  It’s a time of repentance, of denying oneself something significant to honor Jesus’s spending forty days in the desert, facing temptation and preparing for what was to come. Before it was over, among other things, He would be ridiculed, falsely accused, betrayed, beaten, abused, arrested and convicted and crucified.

The entire season is significant, but Holy Week is the most reverent, the most widely known and celebrated. Each day marks its remembrance of Jesus Christ as He related to a specific event that occurred.

  • Palm Sunday: The day Jesus Christ knowingly entered Jerusalem on a donkey to fulfill His destiny and seal His fate.

  • Monday: The day Jesus Christ, armed with a whip, cleared the temple of those disrespecting God.

  • Tuesday: The day Jesus Christ, anointed with oil, preached a sermon on the Mount of Olives.  It was here that He was recognized and glorified as the long-awaited Messiah. (Luke 19:29-38)

  • Wednesday: The difficult day for Jesus Christ as He suffered betrayal at the hands of Judas.  Jesus offered eternal life and was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver—an event so horrific that Judas, facing what he had done to Jesus, hanged himself.

  • Thursday: The day Jesus Christ celebrated the Last Supper with the Apostles, spoke to them of the coming betrayals, and of His coming departure.  Afterward, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed.  It was there that He was arrested.

  • Good Friday: The day Jesus Christ was sentenced to die, was crucified (hung on the cross) and died. He was the light of the world, and before He died, he asked God, the Father, to forgive the people who had wronged Him.  “They know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34).  On His passing, the earth went dark “from the sixth hour unto the ninth hour.” (Matthew 27:45)  That has been validated by the historian Thallus.  Indeed, the light had departed the world.

  • Holy Saturday: The day Jesus Christ was buried in a tomb and descended into hell.

  • Easter Sunday: the glorious day that Jesus Christ arose from the dead.  He first appeared to women, who were instructed to inform the Apostles, and they did.  This is the most holy day for Christians.  The gracious and magnificent light of the world returned!

Jesus suffered and endured for us.  He was the perfect lamb, the healer, the wonderful counselor, the prince of peace.  He took on the sins of the world that we might be saved.  For us, He conquered hell and arose—that we might be spared and know the truth.  Our battle is won.  He fought it for us.  And gifted it to us.

Every day is a gift from God, and we are grateful for it.  But Lent… Oh, Lent is beyond special.  The magnanimity of His sacrifice is so powerful, so awe-inspiring and humbling, that we think of it, and often are so moved and overwhelmed, we end up speechless and in tears.

In sorrow, for what He endured.  At what we human beings did to Him.  In joy, hearts overflowing at the treasure He imparted to us all, and in gratitude that He so blessed us with His enduring love.

I’m a simple, average woman.  When it comes to faith, I think in simple terms.  Real ones, I can relate to and not only reason through, but emotionally respond to heart-to-heart.

Imagine with me for just a moment.  God sending His son to us, knowing all that would occur. Every wrong.  Every wound.  Every scar.  Every choice people made.  Every-single-thing.  God knowing it, and yet loving all of us so much that He refused to abandon us.  God, holy and pure, cannot abide with sin.  But He was so devoted to us that He built us a bridge back to Him.  That bridge is His son, Jesus Christ.

And imagine Jesus Christ, coming to us, knowing what would occur, and how it would end, the personal price He would pay to be our bridge, to wash us clean as snow so we could return to God through Him.  Just imagine…

Fortunately (for us), Jesus also knew that the end was the beginning.  He, and by grace, we could walk the bridge to move from life to eternal life.

Ours is an awesome God.  King of Kings, Lord of Lords.  Hallelujah!

Blessings to you and yours this Lent and always,

Vicki

Posted in Vicki Hinze | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment