Star-fish

I love that Jesus knew we would be weary and burdened. He tells us in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I don't know about you, but I have been weary lately, and it feels good to know that Jesus saw this coming and provided provision. In Psalm 23, David told of the ways that the LORD provided rest for him. Jesus provides the same rest for us today, even in the chaos and turmoil of this present world. He shepherds us; guides us in the way we should go through His Holy Spirit. He prays for us; intercedes on our behalf at the right hand of the Father. He shelters us; he's building a room onto His Father's house for us, right now.  First, Jesus did not leave us alone. He gave us a heavenly counselor to help us according to John 14:26, "But the He...

Has anyone ever lied to you? You may be thinking, "Really? Of course, all the time!" If you catch them in a lie and call them on it, what do they tell you? Here's some things I've been told, "It's no big deal. Why are you making such a big deal about it?" Or, "I just didn't want you to worry. It's easier if you don't know." Or finally, "I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd find out." For me, these answers weren't any better than the lies they told me originally.  Unfortunately, lying is a way of escape, a way out for many. As a school teacher and later principal, people lied to me all the time...teachers, students, parents, administrators, and even custodians. Why? They wanted to do things their way and they either didn't want to have to explain themselves or they were actually trying to get away with something they knew they shouldn't be doing! But, in reality, don't we do the same thing with God? D...

  I have a relative who collects hearts in nature like rocks, leaves, and other things that make a heart shape. Since Valentine's Day is over, I noticed many heart-shaped items were on clearance for 50% off. That's what it feels like to me, on those days when my heart is troubled, I'm 50% off, not 100% whole.  The Bible reminds us in John 14:1-4 that we will be 100% one day because God will call those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ, as God's Son and their Savior and Lord, home. Here's what John, one of the Apostles tells us that Jesus said to him and the other disciples at the Last Supper, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am g...

I had lunch with a woman yesterday who lost her 13 year old child six years ago. She is a shell of a woman, no friends, no close relatives, doing only what she needs to pay the bills. I asked her how she was doing and her response was that she missed her child. She is making monuments to her child in her home. And she noted when I asked her about friends, that she was too sad. Apparently meaning, that it's difficult to make friends when you just are too full of grief to give anything away to others.  Like any good thing, friendships require tending and time. Not unlike a garden, you can't just toss seeds out on top of the soil and hope that your crops will sow themselves, grow deep roots, and produce a harvest. But what if you don't have the energy to till the ground and break up the clods of dirt that threaten to block your seedlings journey into the light? What if you don't have a watering system that automatically provides the essence of life to your plants, but inst...