Gwynne Johnson's blog

We take for granted the many invisible sources of power surrounding us daily. Wi-Fi signals power our smart phones and tablets. Electricity empowers everything from lights to garage doors. Soon the summer sun will remind us of the enormous energy in solar power.

Two things said to be certain: death and taxes. As April 15th approaches (here in the U.S.) most of us confront the latter reality with a groan. If we are employed, each paycheck reminds us of the certainty of taxes. However, we often successfully ignore the first, more final reality, death. We avoid it, speak with about it with euphemisms or clichés, or worse yet ignore it all together.

Most of us have experienced the wrenching pain of betrayal. Psalm 41:9 echoes this from the life of David, “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared meals with me, has turned against me.” How do we deal with this kind of disappointment, this painful experience, this broken trust in a way that doesn’t damage God’s kingdom nor our relationship with Him.

Assuming motives is a common injustice most of us commit without realizing it. Something happens, someone offends us, decisions are made without us and we find ourselves looking for a narrative that explains this painful experience and answers the question “why” did this happen.

“Beauty creates energy.” A quote received recently from a good friend. Perhaps that explains how energized we often feel during the Christmas season. We enjoy the red and green, lights, sights, smells and sounds of one of our favorite holidays even as we scurry about with our lists and wrapping.

Torn in two. That's the feeling of several friends currently in what has been called the “sandwich” generation. While continuing to parent their own children, at the same time they are more and more needed to care for aging parents. With a great desire to honor their parents they feel torn between competing priorities. Most often this is complicated by distance and travel.

Do you ever awaken with a sense of heaviness as you face the day? Various circumstances coincided for me recently and this became my experience. As I was asking God for wisdom, I viewed an excellent video discussion with Dr. Dallas Willard. Dr. Willard described how before rising from bed he mentally reviews “The Lords Prayer” or the 23rd Psalm, slowly and prayerfully.

This past week we began a study of John’s Gospel. Although I am no Greek scholar, with the helpful study tool now available on bible.org I confirmed that John uses two distinct Greek words for our English word, life.

It’s that time again. Monday, trash day. This week it fell my job to roll our large trash bin to the curb anticipating an early morning visit from the rumbling truck with it’s robotic arms ready to clasp my trash to it’s bosom.

The wildfires sweeping across Colorado Springs reached within a forth of a mile of the beautiful log home of friends. The evacuation order found them in Denver so they became homeless with only the clothes on their backs.

I’m looking forward to a long drive today with three old friends. We ministered and travelled together for several years and haven’t seen each other for quite a while. Our catching up will be full of laughter, emotion, and likely even some tears.

This week we will visit a veteran’s cemetery to lay to rest amidst the flags a dear friend and mentor who served in WWII. This Memorial Day we honor others who have preceded him.

Several summers ago I found myself meditating on the simple verse Micah 6:8, “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? KJV.“ As I sought to understand each admonition I settled on the word humbly, asking the Lord what does it look like to walk in a humble manner.

There’s a lot of confusion about what constitutes work in today's society, especially for women. The most recent political furor centers around a comment implying that a woman who chose to stay home to raise five sons “never worked a day in her life.”

Enjoy guest blogger Sara Alexander. Thanks Sara.

Someone dear to me once said, “I’ve spent a lifetime under the wheels of the people-pleasing bus.” What an apt, poetic image. Attempting to be perpetually approved of usually crushes something intended by God, doesn’t it? When we aim to please others we stumble in our individualized races, reflecting a banged-up image of God to a world in desperate need of a good glimpse of him.

If challenged about your lifestyle, why you choose to go to bible study, how you live your life, spend your time the way that you do, how might you answer? Could you make a connection that might “pave the way” for an honest dialog leading to sharing the gospel of forgiveness and reconciliation?

In our 21st century culture it seems in every situation someone must be blamed. Someone has to “take the fall” so others can feel vindicated. Talking (read shouting) heads on television argue about who is to blame, and no one seems interested in listening to anyone else. This will be especially true in our upcoming election season I fear.

Imagine the scene around the grave of Lazarus? Moans, confusion, and discussion fill the air. Then the sound of the stone moving, someone begins to roll the stone from the mouth of the tomb and a shocked hush settles like fog. What could Martha be thinking, what is she doing? (John 11)

My heart is heavy this morning as I just heard of another marriage falling apart. I don’t know the details but the pain for all involved is evident on the faces of those affected.

A dare, there’s something about a dare that captures our attention. A dare “to live fully right where you are” challenged, convicted and encouraged me this week. Ann Voscamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts, a gift from a friend at Christmas, suggested a dare I’d like to take and challenge you as well.

Communication proves to be one of life’s greatest ongoing challenges, especially to those who desire to teach and lead others. When I try to share my perspective and thoughts with someone else all too frequently it is not clear. My assumptions affect my words and the assumptions of those to whom I am speaking or writing affect how they interpret my words.

Christmas day is past once again. The rhythm of life moves on. All the shopping, wrapping, cooking and celebrating winds down and we reflect on another year passing. Attention turns to finishing up 2011 as we anticipate 2012.

It’s that time again. Monday, trash day. This week it fell my job to roll our large trash bin to the curb anticipating an early morning visit from the rumbling truck with it’s robotic arms ready to clasp my trash to it’s bosom.

Incarnation. A frequent word heard during this holiday season. Although not found in the text of the bible, the concept captures the Christmas story ( John 1:4, Luke 1:26-38, John 1:14) A Latin word derived from in and caro, in the flesh, reveals the amazing truth that the very creator of everything we know chose to become a part of His creation, an amazing mystery. (Philippians 2:7)

Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." Our era of 24/7 media means that words like slander and libel have almost lost their meaning. Unfounded accusations go viral on the internet and truth is frequently the victim.

Loss and heartache come in so many forms. Long before we encounter that final enemy of death, most of us have bumped up against enough of life to understand the reality of living in a world where things aren’t the way they were intended to be.

We’re told one constant in our lives is change: change in knowledge, change in styles, change in circumstances. This week a new and improved iPhone hit the market and we witnessed long lines waiting to capture this latest tech device. At the same time near Wall Street a park bulged with angry protesters demanding change, some change, almost any change.

A recent conference at The Cove in Ashville, North Carolina deeply impacted my husband and me. On the final evening Cliff Barrows, our worship leader for the conference, was joined by his longtime colleagues in ministry, George Beverly Shea and Billy Graham.

This week I received news of a friends “graduation” to heaven after the recurrence of an aggressive cancer. At times like this we often reflect not only on the brevity of this life but on the legacy we leave.

In today’s economic chaos, with the stock market swinging wildly, grocery prices rising and stubborn unemployment over 9%, jobs and future economic well being are threatened. Many 401ks are shrinking and future dependence on the economy looks futile.