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Forgiveness and Restoration
A visit to Israel several years ago beautifully illustrated to me the truths of forgiveness and restoration. We spent time at a church called St. Peter Gallicantu (Latin for ‘cock’s crow’). The church stands over the site traditionally thought to be the home of Caiaphas, the high priest. When soldiers brought Jesus here the night of His arrest to be questioned by Caiaphas, the disciple Peter waited in the courtyard to see what would happen. Matthew 26:69-74 tells us servant girls and bystanders asked Peter three times if he was with Christ, and each time Peter denied knowing Him. Immediately a rooster crowed. Verse 75 states: “And Peter remembered the…
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God is our Refuge
Where is your favorite spot to rest, reflect, and recharge? I asked this question a few months ago in a completely unscientific-but-fun-anyway survey. The majority of the responses included the outdoors. The beach received a little over one-third of the votes (to which I echo a hearty “Amen!”). A compilation of votes for ponds, creeks, and streams ran a close second to the beach. Mountain vistas tied with forest paths, while back porches and backyards also rated as popular choices. Some responses included quiet places indoors—libraries, coffee shops, and even waiting rooms. Others were creative spots, like a sewing room and a woodshop. The most practical was a minivan. Implied…
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It Snowed Today!
Snow might not be big news where you live, but here in eastern North Carolina, anything more than a dusting is a rare occurrence. The last big snow I remember was seven years ago. But guess what? It snowed today! We received four inches, five inches, or eight inches, depending on who you ask. Some of my friends don’t care for snow. They’ve moved here from the mountains or Chicago or Alaska and they’ve seen enough. I get that. But most of us locals love a good southern snow. Our friends from the north make fun of us for closing everything down at the first snowflake. But hey, we’ve got…
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For You…
Our church held its Walk-Through Nativity last week, and I was privileged to serve as a guide. One of the scenes along the route depicted an angel appearing to the shepherds outside Bethlehem. As I narrated the scene, I quoted Luke 2:10: “The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (NASB) Those beloved words filled me with awe as I repeated them during the course of the week. The good news the…
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What Do You Magnify?
What do you magnify? I don’t know about you, but in order to see the fine print of life, I squint. Two small but permanent lines crease my forehead as proof. Even though several pairs of reading glasses are scattered throughout the house, I inevitably can’t find a pair when I need one. My trusty magnifying glass, however, is always in the kitchen drawer. The magnifying glass works well to bring into focus dosages on medicines and laundry instructions on new clothes. Once I examined a brown speck I pulled off our dog to determine if I was holding mud or a tick. Fortunately, it was mud. How about you?…
Faith for the Adventure
