It sure does feel like our questions for God are growing beyond measure. I’ve lost count. News headlines leave us wondering if we really are living in such times. And yet we know the answer – we are. It’s all true. New York Governor’s recent law passage is very real. Gripped by it, we watched in disbelief that it came with applause. Decisions like these make us look to God for answers. It can’t be explained. Recently a terrible fire in my neighborhood took the life of a child and grandmother. A small candle sparked this senseless tragedy. Looking into our own lives, perhaps uncertainty is taking space there too. There has to be good news somewhere. Right? Sure there is. But often times it’s really hard to find. That part of us seeking to bring a thankful heart into…
I always begin a new year with a set of heart centered life “aspirations” to accomplish over the next twelve months. These are goals and experiences to challenge and enrich my life. Instead of resolutions, I define a “mindset” theme to remind and push me towards my goals. It is the big idea for the year. This year’s centering mindset theme is freedom. In 2019, I will work on freeing up more ways to bring serenity, growth and new experiences into daily living. With a freedom mindset , I can work harder to open more creative space into my day and set up the necessary conditions to be successful. It also means changing or freeing myself from a few habits that typically hold me back. When setting your goals, be honest about the areas where growth opportunities truly exist. You want to strive to accomplish…
Advent – A Time of Reflection and Anticipation The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” With hearts full of joy and great anticipation, we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now is the time to quiet ourselves and be still so that we can hear the whisper of His voice. In quiet surroundings, we hear what it is God wants us to know. Though we may try to slow our pace, being still away from the noise of the world can be very difficult. For many, life has presented different hardships that call for a different kind of waiting. Waiting for prayers to be answered. For loved ones to get well. Waiting for the will to walk again after losing a loved one in senseless tragedy. Perhaps, it is waiting for a heart of forgiveness to enter. Even at this blessed time of…
Several weeks after the 9/11 attack, my brother John took me down to the family viewing area at Ground Zero. John works with the Local Union and had been searching for our younger brother James nonstop. As we worked our way deeper into the site, I was completely gripped by the incredible mass of destruction all around me. Dust covered recovery workers were fiercely digging and searching for loved ones. We moved slowly and very carefully. Upon entering the safe viewing area built for family members, the ash covered eyes of a recovery worker looked up momentarily and met mine. Not a word was uttered. We spoke through our tears and brokenness. Standing in rows, workers moved whatever debris they could, hoping to find people alive. Among the thousands missing was our own brother James. He was 26 years old and had just started working for the Local Union…
As we live through all the uncertainty in our world, we can be strengthened by our Lord’s prayers. In John 17:9 Christ prayed to his Father saying “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 The Lord prayed for those whom God gave him. His lambs. Those who hear…
