Sharks Ahoy!
We prayed and taught this boy to follow a man who gave up his life that we might live. How could I do anything less than applaud wholeheartedly when he takes us up on it?
We prayed and taught this boy to follow a man who gave up his life that we might live. How could I do anything less than applaud wholeheartedly when he takes us up on it?
There are some things about God I take for granted. They are truths so deeply embedded they have become assumptions. But what I see as assumptions were once stunning revelations.
As followers of Christ our history becomes His story. God has created and shaped each of us on purpose, with a purpose, and for a purpose. For the Christian our life-message is rooted in declaring the glory and grace of God.
I grumble. I gripe. I have grievances. In the midst of my whining, something happened. Our family took a trip to a third-world country with Compassion. While we were there, God hit me with the shallowness of my outlook on life.
The dictionary says keeping a journal means recording daily events. I find this basic definition comforting because it means anyone can do it. In fact, you’re probably already journaling without realizing it.
I began journaling during my 16 months overseas. I saw my “thoughts disentangle themselves over the lips and through the fingertips,” a little saying I learned from a mentor who gave me my first journal.
There’s a saying, “No one likes change except a baby with a dirty diaper, and even then the baby will cry about it!” Embracing change involves three attitudes: acknowledgement, adjustment, and acceptance.
The daily nourishment of grace to our souls overshadows loss. Glory illuminates darkness. All of this is good theology but it tends to stay in our heads. What practical difference does it make when I confront living changes?
For most of my life God has been teaching me to release my grip on everything I hold tightly. It’s a process that began when I was 13.
Do whatever you can to be at peace with all those around you. Practice forgiveness. Be helpful. Do little things, such as write letters of encouragement, or make a phone call or two.