Star-fish

This story from the internet is a great reminder of the choices we make each day regarding the problems that occur in our lives. How will we choose to respond? The other thing about the coffee, referred to in this story, is that it started out rock hard and had to be ground down with a sharp blade before it could release its flavor and aroma.  Are you a carrot, egg, or coffee?             A young woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her grandmother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She l...

       In a class I'm taking the discussion was on education and leaders and the professor asked us what we thought of the statement below. Here's my response:        My immediate response to this statement, “people don't go to school to obtain degrees to operate in the same capacity as those that did not” is a lack of purpose on the part of the speaker. I say that to say this, our goals should have nothing to do with how we can out perform anyone else, but rather how we can improve our own skills and abilities to improve the lives of others.            Many people have opportunities that others will never get, to those much is given; much is expected (Luke 12:48 ESV). Philippians 2:4 (ESV) instructs us, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” I just viewed a video of a young homeless boy freezing on the streets of New York. Even with his app...

           I was asked to write something about grace for our church women's blog and thought my testimony is the essence of grace by a loving God. If you are feeling hopeless and helpless today, have faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, He really is the ONLY way to peace, joy, and love…there is no other way. Grace, grace, God’s grace By Kate              “Grace, grace, God’s grace…grace that is greater than all our sin!” is part of the refrain from the song, Grace Greater Than Our Sin , by Don Moen. That lyric is a byline for my life. Even when I was still in my sin (Rom. 5:8), He chose me and saved me (Eph. 1:4-5). My testimony is too long to cover in this blog post, but I will share some excerpts as an example of the grace and mercy of almighty God.             I was fearless as a child, so my first brush with death came ...

            This quote from John Wooden, former UCLA basketball coach sums up the Christian leader’s life, “Discipline yourself and others won’t need to.” As a Christian leader, you are in the spotlight; your life not only reflects on you, it reflects on God. To be one that glorifies God with your life, you must lead as Jesus Christ led.             In Matthew 5:16 (NIV) Jesus tells us, “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1 NIV). Yet, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Theses two scriptures seem contradictory, but the first speaks of our character and who we are as people. We need to shine the love of God into an ever increasingly dark world. We must love and be kind, show grace and mercy, when we would rather be a...