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Born Under the Shadow of a Cross
What will you tell your Children about the Christ of Christmas this year? Perhaps they are old enough to learn that Isaiah calls Him a man of sorrows; and is it any wonder? From the moment of His conception Jesus was feeling loss. With loss comes grief. And yet somehow, in the very midst of grieving, our Lord found joy. “…for the joy that was set before Him…” Hebrews 12:2b Scripture gives us a glimpse of the eternal infinite God. We know that He created time, space, and matter out of nothing, Genesis 1 and John 1:3. Then, Galatians 4:4 tells us that when it was appropriate, God Himself stepped…
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Give Thanks IN Everything
When it comes to reading the Bible, each word matter. Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. At first glance it can seem Paul is calling us to radical, unrealistic happiness. But look at each word—even the tiny ones—and you’ll see he’s calling us to something far more significant. Rejoice always. Paul doesn’t say be happy always. He calls us to be joyful always. That doesn’t mean we’ll always feel good. He isn’t calling us to act okay when life is not. Instead he’s challenging us to shift our focus.…
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Hanging by a Thread
I saw them just in time. On a recent bike ride with my little boys, we turned onto a paved trail covered by big, beautiful shade trees. As we entered nature’s wonderland, something floating caught my eye. In front of us tiny, bright green inch worms dangled from the trees, each by a single silken thread. I abruptly stopped my four-year-old, fairly certain he hit one with his bike helmet before breaking. I tried to hide my panic as we quickly turned around to find another route. As someone who is mildly (okay, very) afraid of creepy crawlies, I can’t seem to get the scene out of my head. Not…
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Silent Nights Suffering Nights
From heaven's height to manger low There is no distance the Prince of Peace won't go
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One of the Impacts of Easter in our Lives
Easter is a particular time we set as a celebration of our God of the gospel—Christ dying on the cross for the payment of our sins, God accepting Jesus’ payment by raising Him from the dead, and the Holy Spirit’s transformative work in our lives for righteousness. One of the beautiful impacts of Easter on my life took form as I reflected on a particular incident. One evening my eye began to hurt. My eye would go from feeling normal, to hurting, to back to feeling normal. After about 18 hours, I had someone look at my eye to see if anything was on it. An eyelash was slowly…
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A Cross at Christmas
Christmas, for many, is a magical time of twinkling lights, singing, brightly colored packages, cookies, candy, parties, and laughter. However, for others, Christmas is shrouded with the stark reality of a cross they have to bear. Some will face things like roaring fires that ravage neighborhoods, hospital rooms, funeral homes, broken relationships, drunken relatives, or deep sorrow as they look in vain for the faces of those who are missing from their lives.
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Meet Me at the Cross: A Poem
Looking to redeem your guilt and your shame? Hoping for a way to relieve the pain. Meet me at the cross. Seeking shelter in the storm, frail and worn. Fighting a battle you can’t seem to win. Longing for love that knows no end. Meet me at the cross. Trapped in a cycle of doubt and fear. Aching to know the comfort of peace. Meet me at the cross. He makes all things new. He is waiting for you. Meet me at the cross. Gather at the cross, it’s a compass for the lost. I’m just like you, so I’ll be there too. Meet me at the cross. Though…
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Surprised by Christmas
Wide-eyed wonder. Snow-covered trees. Bow-draped packages. It’s the quintessential picture of Christmas portrayed in commercials and on cards. But as adults we know the season is seldom so simplistic. The first Christmas certainly wasn’t. It was marked by surprises—but not necessarily the kind most of us would choose on our own. Mary’s life was interrupted by an angelic visitor, proclaiming news that would forever change the course of her life and her position in history. Joseph found out his fiancé was expecting a child that wasn’t his own, only to be visited by an angel in a dream who explained everything and told him to move forward with their marriage.…
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The Shadow Over Christmas is the Cross
Christmas, for many, is colored with twinkling lights, the sound of singing, bright colored packages topped with elegant bows, cookies, candy, parties and laughter. But for others, Christmas is colored with the stark reality of roaring fires that ravage neighborhoods, hospital rooms, funeral homes, broken relationships, drunken relatives, or memories of those whose faces are missing from their lives. As we teach our children about Jesus, God’s greatest gift to the world, we must not forget to teach them that the manger was shadowed by a cross. The Messiah in the manger was destined to be a man of sorrows acquainted with all our grief, bearing all our sin and…
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The Week After Easter
The Easter message––that Jesus came to set us free and give us new life––does not change. Even in the confines of a pandemic. No one could have foreseen the magnitude of coronavirus strife. Except Jesus. Jesus knew that days like these were coming.
