Creating Thought

This was surprising.  I never ever participate in chain letters - and that goes back to the days when sending letter through the USPS was the only way.  Invitation to participate in a chain letter went directly where it belonged in the round file and I never saw it again.  Same practice when they started happening on email and same thing when the new version of share games on Facebook cropped up.  Nope, I do not send the stories about sick children, miracles, or the appeals to "help me get _____ shares." The good luck/bad luck threats go past me too. Some of my best friends and even close family members show in my FB feed with the appeal they have passed on.  I ignore and with the very smallest amount of guilt which is adjusted by how close the friend or relationship is. It's a policy and I stick to it. But when I received one in my email from a casual friend, who I really like, I stopped and considered it.  It sounded so good, what can be wrong about this?  Well, no

Today the news in the world is once again full of what the wicked are doing in this world. And it seems like so many who say that they believe in God, in Christ Jesus, and call themselves Christian are being swallowed up by the world's reasoning.  It also reminds us that to truly believe and to stand up for what the pure Word of God says is going to be too difficult to do without God's understanding and His grace. A difficult time is coming for all who profess to believe the Word of God and commit to live according to its truth.   "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised if faithful;" Hebrews 10:23 (NASB) Now, there is a promise that all the other promised of God can be trusted. The promise that God is faithful is enough because with God there will be no exception. "God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he n

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ and if you live in America, you probably have never experienced what these words truly promised.  Yes, we have trials and tribulations which disrupt our lives and rob us of our peace and we turn to this verse and verses like it that promise God's  supremacy and sovereignty over the world and whatever is the source of our trouble. These trials are nothing to be trivial about, they are real.  Sometime what seems like a small matter to others is a major matter to us.  So I understand that Christians have had tribulations - but most of the tribulation we have are things that any person experiences whether they are believer or not. All who live may experience what we call tribulation such as:     death of a spouse, child, parent or even dear friend;     a terminal illness or a dis

I am in a d esperate place right now. In fact if I knew that this blog had a large following I would probably not be writing this particular post. But there are times, and this is one of them, that I become burdened to at least write a post and d ecide when it is d one if I will publish it or not. You can imagine that I have a good collection of d raft posts. That is the way it is. So what is the source of my d esperation? It is another D word. D epression. Yes that word and not the kind of d epression that is a normal part of our lives from time to time. This is Massive D epressive D isorder and it's cousin General Anxiety D isorder.  This is the kind that is very d ifficult to d eal with and to get away from. I am rarely able to d uck and d efend myself when it come d own on me.  But I am d etermined that by the grace of God and with His might it will not d efeat me. I may feel d efeated right now but I am not. My true condition is that I stand victorious in Christ and I wil

"Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." Proverbs 30:5 (ESV) Imagine, something is coming at you, something you know you are not going to like. You know you will be disturbed, upset, or even angered after you are forced to encounter it. How do you prepare for it? What is it that drives your reaction?   Fear?  Worry? Faith? Trust? This is tough. We all want to avoid the battle and the pain that comes with it but we all know that we cannot escape from all of it. Sometimes in our lives we simply have to endure unpleasant encounters and the resulting consequences. Those are the times in our words and professions prove themselves; it is when the "rubber truly hits the road" and our faith is tested. You have to believe that this is really difficult for me to even write about because I wrestle with it a great deal. It is what I am coming to call my own personal thorn in the flesh. I fear and I worry far too much about things

"For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." Hebrews 2:18 "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin."  Hebrews 4:15 How many times has you wanted a "do-over"?  How many times have you wished for a mulligan in your life - and I do not mean on the golf course where mulligans are actually possible.  The idea might be attractive but really?  Do you really want to do it again - especially in view of the state we are in in this world?   I find it interesting when I hear people say "the times are changing and we just have to get used to it."  Well it isn't really the times that are changing but the people who are changing as time goes by. Of course this has always been the normal course of history for humans. There has been no time in history that society has not ex