Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. – Luke 6:36
An old friend and I stood side by side in her kitchen preparing lunch for our mixed brood. We laughed as we shared stories about ways our children tried to garner our sympathy.
“My children should know better. Mercy is just not my gift,” my friend laughed.
And? So? I wanted to (more…)
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28
Three years ago our younger dog, Pepper, was rescued off the street, where, it soon became clear, she had developed a fondness for paper. Once rescued, she would eat dirty tissues out of the garbage can (more…)
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. – Romans 12:15
A middle schooler so defeated by bullying that he shoots himself to death in his school. A grandfather who kills his daughter and his six grandchildren, then calls 911 to tell the dispatcher what he has done and promises her police will find him dead as well.
This is (more…)
Wars and rumors of wars. Persecutions. Plagues. Disasters. I have to admit I’ve been having a bit of a tough time knowing how to pray for as I watch the world churn. And I can’t be the only one. And when I read that “all these are but the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:8), I find little consolation. If all (more…)
I can sit here today and issue a generic statement about how all of us occasionally feel betrayed by people to whom we have shown kindness. Yes, we all eventually are slapped in the face by people we’ve trusted. But today it’s personal, and the past few days have been a struggle for me.
I have felt violated and confused, and my (more…)