They will know us by our love. By our fruit. If nothing else, the current climate in our country of division and bitterness reveals what’s in my heart. I must admit it isn’t all love. Or peace. Or even kindness. Gentleness is out too. If I list out all of the fruits of the spirit, … Continue reading
advent reflections
Love Wins
Love wins. Always. We cannot always see how, so it requires trust. Trust in love. These days, love is not always evident in our world, but it is always behind the scenes. Doing its work. Like the sovereignty of God. Always active. Always operational. Always eternally focused. Our vision is so limited. Our eyes can … Continue reading Love Wins
All for Love
I open my eyes to smiling faces so close I can see the happy tears in their eyes. They laugh when they see me. Joy spilling out. I look beyond them to the starlight streaming into the stable. The light to which I am accustomed is dulled in this realm. My eyes adjust to the … Continue reading All for Love
Love has Come
Love has come! Never-ending. Overwhelming. Overflowing. Abundant. Love like we have never known. Love that is more than we can imagine. Love we have looked for. Love we have longed for. Irresistible love. Arrived. In the flesh. As a baby, not a king. As a human, not an idol. In a manger, not a temple. … Continue reading Love has Come
The Covenant of Joy
A personal contract. A commitment. An agreement. That’s what a covenant is. It usually is accompanied by signs and oaths and ceremonies. While Abraham was childless, God made a covenant that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Before Abraham, there was a covenant with Adam. Baby Jesus was the beginning of a … Continue reading The Covenant of Joy
Laughter
There is something infectious about joy when it bubbles over. Have you ever been in a situation where you couldn’t stop laughing? Literally, could not stop? My mind goes back to childhood in church giggling to the point my friends and I were called out from the pulpit. (You know who you are!) I was … Continue reading Laughter
Run to Joy
I couldn’t get there fast enough. None of us could. We were running and laughing. People we passed thought we had had too much to drink. Even we wondered if we had been seeing things. I mean how many people see angels, much less talk to them? Our terror turned to joy once the CHOIR … Continue reading Run to Joy
Joy Comes
Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:4) One of my favorite scriptures because it promises joy. After weeping comes joy. There is so much weeping these days, but finally the joy candle is glowing! Joy is different from peace. It is even different than the hope of joy. … Continue reading Joy Comes
Wait for the Rescue
Waiting is never easy. Especially when you are waiting for a rescue. Yet, a great deal of the inner life requires waiting on God. His timing. His plan. His action. When I am working out my own rescue, it usually involves striving. Rushing. Trying to ‘fix’ whatever it is. God will sit and wait for … Continue reading Wait for the Rescue
Joseph’s Peace
I can’t believe it. Mary, with child! How could she? And such a story she made up to cover her choices! My heart pounds and my mind races with the consequences. My betrothed. My beloved. People will assume I am the father, but I am not. How to handle such a situation? To call her … Continue reading Joseph’s Peace