He Has Plans

Today I memorized Psalm 138:8, which says, "The Lord will work out his plans for my life - for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me."

No matter what you're going through, remember the Lord has plans for you. And he is working them out. Why? Because he loves you and he made you.

When I think of the great things God has planned for me, I feel giddy, like a kid at Christmas. I don't really know what I'm going to get, but I can dream and imagine. Jesus knows me real well, and he knows the things that I want. Maybe, he'll grant me some of those things...

After all, he helped place those desires in me!

Is this the real church?

Every year our students participate in a state Fine Arts Festival. They perform in category divisions like Music, Art, Drama, Communication, and others. This year we had about 13 different entries from my students. One of them was in the category of Large Human Video Group. Although they did not receive an invitation to the National Fine Arts Festival in Charlotte, NC, they certainly gave the judges some comic relief from all the wild party, violence, and crucifixion scenes they endured all day.

"Is this the real church? Is this the ministry?" is how the song begins. For those of you who grew up in the church, maybe you can relate.

Purity Matters

I like this...hope you do to.

Challenged by C.S. Lewis.

I've been reading The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis and he challenged me personally when he said, "I think we all sin by needlessly disobeying the apostolic injunction to 'rejoice' as much as by anything else."

I must admit that I don't always rejoice. Sometimes it takes work to focus on the good that is happening all around us. The question I have to ask myself is..."Why am I more passionate about the things that disturb me than the things that make me glad?"

What a world it would be, if I would only rejoice in all things, instead of complaining and moaning. What if we always looked for the good and brought those things to everyone's attention? I'm not talking about denying the realities of imperfection, I am talking about how I deal with those realities.

What about you?