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Stop the “It’s MY Ministry” Mentality
Do you have women who have started ministries in the church and insist they keep going regardless of effectiveness? Has your ministry team been event-driven with one person overseeing Bible studies, another the retreat, & another the Christmas brunch with complete authority in each? If you are a church leader and suggest that some things need to be changed, do they balk at that? We can get so attached to what we want to see happen that we dig in our feet and take on the “it is MY ministry” mentality. Even something good can take our focus off of what is best. Every local church belongs to Jesus Christ…
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Daniel, and the king, and his minions. Oh my!
A 5th grade Sunday School class talks about Daniel in the lion's den.
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Do you really want to be a swallow?
Psalm 84 A Bird’s Eye View God created the birds to fly above the earth and across the expanse of the sky. The timid swallow feeds upon the wing across the expanse of the sky to catch insects. It prefers the habitats of men, where insects are plentiful, and often chooses the most extraordinary places for its nests. The psalmist reflects that in the Temple, this wee bird found a protected refuge high above in the sheltered eaves, where it had the privilege of a ‘bird’s eye view.’ He can see the comings and goings and hear the words spoken at the altar and the songs of the choirs as…
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Taking Responsibility for Our Choices
“God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 God made humans different from the rest of His creation. In His loving kindness He made man in His own image. What a gift that is. Yet in that very gift he gave us another gift, the gift of choice. Every day we all make hundreds or maybe thousands of choices. Many of them are done without a thought. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always think about what I am doing when I do it; especially if it is something that I do all…
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Do I Serve to Please Others, Myself, or God?
I shut the cover on my laptop after facilitating a zoom webinar. Was I good enough? Did I say the right thing? They must really think I’m stupid. That was surely a waste of their time. I hope they still like me. The Holy Spirit quickly asked me the same question posed by the apostle Paul: Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ! Galatians 1:10 I know that God has called me to sincerely and deeply love others and help them…
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Why This Workplace
Work can feel like a grind rather than something we would choose. If we had a choice. Full-time workers spend more waking hours each week working than any other activity. But, we can experience peace and purpose in the here and now.
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A Wedding Prayer
Someone once told me that a big draw for people coming to the bible.org web site, which hosts this blog, is wedding resources. They come looking for wording. Whether seeking entire ceremonies or simply prayers and vows, they look to a site with the word “Bible” in it for help. So, today I’m sharing a prayer I crafted for one of my favorite couples, Lacie and Eric, at their beautiful wedding in the Air Force Academy Chapel near Colorado Springs. Some of the words I wrote myself, but I also borrowed phrases from songs like “Wonderful, Merciful Savior” and The Book of Common Prayer. Do you have a favorite wedding…
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One White Woman’s Thoughts on Being Multi-Cultural
“Before you go and live in Guatemala to study Spanish, you need to read this book,” my friend advised. Easily detecting my time-is-of-the-essence-say-it-like-it-is-I-can-do-this-on-my-own base culture, she knew I needed a multi-cultural “crash course” before my extended stay in Guatemala. As she is a second-generation missionary having served more than fifty years in Latin America, I heeded her advice, and I’m glad I did. Unknown cultural blinders fell from my eyes when I read her recommendation, From Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot- and Cold-Climate Cultures. The multi-cultural information gleaned from this book not only made me aware of what I had been doing wrong while serving in U.S.…
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People pleasing; an invitation to faith over fear
For a while, I had a “people pleasing” dog. She really was quite the gem because she was terrified that we would be upset with her. For the first few years of her life, when she learned that her behavior caused a negative reaction, she simply would not repeat it. Seemingly we had trained her well, and we had definitely tried. Over time however, she grew comfortable with us and now in year 8 of her life, I’m quite certain she has completely recovered from her people pleasing ways. I am not too different from her, in my complacency and trust of others, I can grow so comfortable and sure…
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Cultivating a Culture of Life
Abortion is widely available in many countries around the globe. When I lived in Turkey in the 80’s and 90’s, it was readily available there. Many of you may live in countries where women have access to abortions; others live where laws protect unborn children. In the U.S., if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the highest court in the land this month, abortion will be immediately illegal in some states in the United States and remain unrestricted in others. Many Christians in the United States see this as the fulfillment of a long-held desire to protect the unborn. While that is far from true, the care and safety of…
