Love

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

—Jesus (John 13:34,35)

Live Thoughtfully

What we weave in time we wear in eternity.

—J.C. Ryle

Don't be misled–you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

—Galatians 6:7

Live intentionally and carefully. You can’t go wrong following Jesus. Even death ends in resurrection.

Childlike Faith

How kind the Lord is! How good he is!

So merciful, this God of ours!

The Lord protects those of childlike faith;

I was facing death, and he saved me.

Let my soul be at rest again,

for the Lord has been good to me.

He has saved me from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling.

And so I walk in the Lord’s presence

as I live here on earth!

—Psalm 116

Rest Awaits

You don’t have to live with anxiety. There is a path of peace and security no matter what happens.

“You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.”

—Augustine in Confessions

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” 

—Jesus in Matthew 11:28

Words

Words of truth:

There is perhaps nothing that so marks us as human as the gift of speech. Who knows to what degree and in what ways animals have the power to communicate with each other, but to all appearances it is only a shadow of ours. By speaking, we can reveal the hiddenness of thought, we can express the subtlest as well as the most devastating of emotions, we can heal, we can make poems, we can pray.

All of which is to say we can speak truth- the truth of what it is to be ourselves, to be with each other, to be in the work!- and such speaking as that is close to what being human is all about. What makes lying an evil is not only that the world is deceived by it, but that we are dehumanized by it.

—Fred Buechner in Wishful Thinking 

Transformation

Transformation, metamorphosis, comes as we view and embrace the work of God through Jesus. It sets off a victorious cycle of change.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

—Romans 12:1,2

God Said NO

I asked God to take away my pride. And God said “No.”
He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. And God said “No.”
He said her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience. And God said “No.”
He said patience is a by-product of tribulations. It isn’t granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness. And God said “No.”
He said He gives me blessings, happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare me pain. And God said “No.”
He said suffering draws me apart from worldly cares and brings me closer to Him.

I asked God to make my spirit grow. And God said “No.”
He said I must grow on my own. But He will prune me to make me fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. And God said “No.”
He said He will give me life, that I may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me love others, as much as he loves me.
And God said “Ah, finally you have the idea!”

— Claudia Minden Weisz

Faith and Hope

Hope and faith are inseparable, and they include doubt, confusion, and a lot of trust. I love these two quotes:

Hope is willing to leave unanswered questions unanswered and unknown futures unknown. Hope makes you see God's guiding hand not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of disappointment and darkness.

— Henri Nouwen

Living by faith isn't living with certainty. It's trusting God in spite of unanswered questions and unresolved doubts.

— Rick Warren

Time Management

Sometimes it really upsets me—

the way the clock's hands keep moving,

even when I'm just sitting here

not doing anything at all,

not even thinking about anything

except, right now, about that clock

and how it can't keep its hands still.

Even in the dark I picture it, and all

its brother and sister clocks and watches,

even sundials, all those compulsive timepieces

whose only purpose seems to be

to hurry me out of this world.

— "Clock" by Linda Pastan from Traveling Light

We live with this directive from Ephesians 5:6: “Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” But it must be informed by this from  Psalm 46:10a: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Is this the formula for peaceful and meaningful productivity?

Psalm 86

Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;

answer me, for I need your help.

Protect me, for I am devoted to you.

Save me, for I serve you and trust you.

You are my God.

Be merciful to me, O Lord,

for I am calling on you constantly.

Give me happiness, O Lord,

for I give myself to you.

O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,

so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.

Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;

hear my urgent cry.

I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,

and you will answer me.

No pagan god is like you, O Lord.

None can do what you do!

All the nations you made

will come and bow before you, Lord;

they will praise your holy name.

For you are great and perform wonderful deeds.

You alone are God.

Teach me your ways, O Lord,

that I may live according to your truth!

Grant me purity of heart,

so that I may honor you.

With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.

I will give glory to your name forever,

for your love for me is very great.

You have rescued me from the depths of death.

O God, insolent people rise up against me;

a violent gang is trying to kill me.

You mean nothing to them.

But you, O Lord,

are a God of compassion and mercy,

slow to get angry

and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

Look down and have mercy on me.

Give your strength to your servant;

save me, the son of your servant.

Send me a sign of your favor.

Then those who hate me will be put to shame,

for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.

Grace

The grace of God is amazing! Amongst many things, it teaches us to say “no,” as it forms us into people who do good, people who follow Jesus–the one who reveals the face of grace.

The grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,  while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

—Titus 2:11-14

As recipients of grace, we must be purveyors of grace. This means loving all people all the time.

Lord, help me.

Light

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

—Jesus (Matthew 5:14-16)

Joy

Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God. 

—  Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Joy is interesting. You cannot make it or pursue it. It is something that comes as a result of being other-directed because you are Other-focused.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:4-7

Which Way?

Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a creature that is in harmony with God, with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself.

– C.S. Lewis

Last Day?

What if you knew today is your last day? What would you do?

Powerful Prayer

. . . I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

—Ephesians 3:14b-21

Actions > Words

So why do you keep calling me “Lord, Lord!” when you don’t do what I say? 

I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 

But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.

—Jesus (Luke 6:46-49)

Nothing to Fear

Even though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death. . .

If/when we follow Jesus, there is nothing to fear, really. Abundant life simply moves toward life eternal. Peace that transcends understanding comes from trusting the promises of God and submitting to his will.

Think through these wonderful words of Henri Nouwen:

When Jesus came close to his death, he no longer could experience God's presence. He cried out: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:47). Still in love he held on to the truth that God was with him and said: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46).

The loneliness of the cross led Jesus to the resurrection. As we grow older we are often invited by Jesus to follow him into this loneliness, the loneliness in which God is too close to be experienced by our limited hearts and minds. When this happens, let us pray for the grace to surrender our spirits to God as Jesus did.

Out of the Pit

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,

    and he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the pit of despair,

    out of the mud and the mire.

He set my feet on solid ground

    and steadied me as I walked along.

He has given me a new song to sing,

    a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what he has done and be amazed.

    They will put their trust in the Lord.

Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,

    who have no confidence in the proud

    or in those who worship idols.

O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.

    Your plans for us are too numerous to list.

    You have no equal.

If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,

    I would never come to the end of them.

You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.

    Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand—you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.

Then I said, “Look, I have come.

    As is written about me in the Scriptures:

I take joy in doing your will, my God,

    for your instructions are written on my heart.”

I have told all your people about your justice.

    I have not been afraid to speak out,

    as you, O Lord, well know.

I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;

    I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.

I have told everyone in the great assembly

    of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

–Psalm 40:1-10