Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Love God and do what you want. You might be familiar with this quote from St. Augustine. At first glance, it may appear Continue Reading…
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. [NIV] It’s been a riveting (yet somewhat grueling) election cycle, hasn’t it? A steady barrage of campaign ads deluge the airwaves Continue Reading…
Deuteronomy 15:1-2 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts Continue Reading…
Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” The first thing I learned when I went to graduate school at the University of Colorado could be summed up in four words: Learn. Continue Reading…
Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” When my daughter Bethany was around 8 years-old, she wanted to go along with my mother-in-law and me to a women’s Continue Reading…
2 Corinthians 5:19 “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” “How do I know God isn’t punishing my friend now for sin he committed 20 years ago?” she asked me. “Did Continue Reading…
2 Corinthians 1:9 “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” What does hopelessness feel like to you? I’m sure you’ve been there. Every source of security—gone. All the legs supporting Continue Reading…
Matthew 27:50-51 “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split” I’ve been thinking about torn curtains. The setting takes place Continue Reading…
Matthew 10:39 “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” [ESV] “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them” J.R.R. Tolkien presents possibly the strongest Continue Reading…
Hebrews 11:16 “Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Do you think of yourself as a risk-taker? Some risks are relatively harmless. One time my husband pursued aerial photography. He would Continue Reading…