Flaming Arrows

I sat here this morning and watched the moon disappear. Well, actually it just went into the shadow of the Earth in a total eclipse. It was kind of cool. It also got me to thinking. We believe in a really great God. He created such an intricate and spectacular universe that events like an eclipse happen without cataclysmic results. Oh, we blame a lot of stuff on them, and there are some natural things that occur, but the world is still here in all of its majestic glory. God c

I was watching a preacher on TV and he was talking about us getting so caught up in what we know that we do not look for God. We don't look for Him to speak. We don't look for Him to heal. We do not expect Him to comfort. Most of the time we expect God NOT to keep His promises rather than hope and be disappointed. In Zechariah 9:11-12 it says: "As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your

I was in church tonight and was asked to help serve the Lord's Supper elements. Throughout the service there was great worship and fellowship. I was really expecting God to show up and show off. We celebrate the Lord's Supper on the fifth Sunday. That is usually every quarter. This makes it often enough not to forget but not too often that it becomes a routine. It is very often a time of reverence and grace. Tonight something happened that struck a chord with my spirit. We ha

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent His Spirit into our hearts, crying 'Abba.'" (Galatians 4:4-6 ESV) God has a habit of showing up 'at just the right time' even though it is not the time we would like. I mean, it would have been great (from a human perspective) for God to show up prior

In my own life, I have a hard time with the things that go on between my ears. So, in order to avoid crazy thinking, I avoid a lot of things like what I watch or listen to, who I choose to hang out with, and what I read. My cell-mate thinks I have him on a "PG-13" restriction with my television. The truth is I am so weak I do not want the images or conversations running around in my mind for months (or years) and coming out of my mouth at the wrong time. I am also reminded th

I wake up pretty early in the morning. We have a 5 a.m., standing, fully dressed, ID in hand count time. Every morning. At a quarter till I turn the coffee pot on and get my Word out. I have a few devotionals that I read and a pretty good chunk of Scripture. Then I pray. One thing I enjoy is putting the curtain up and watching the sun reflect off the mountains as the day starts. Every work day I get to watch something else. Coming through one of the passes is a switch back ro

I work in the facility barber shop. Almost everyday someone comes in and says they are going home or to community corrections. It is my perfect opportunity to witness. Invariably I ask them "Are you finished?" They sometimes wonder what I am talking about. It soon becomes clear that I am not talking about their sentence. I believe that sooner or later we have to surrender to God and quit playing 'patty cake' with the devil. He loves for us to makes excuses for our little pet

What comes to your mind when someone says that something is authentic? Something 'real?' Something 'genuine?' True? Worthy of trust? What about 'reliable?' Believable? Not counterfeit? In the New Testament times the Romans were in power. There was so much counterfeiting going on that they started the practice of inspecting things. One thing that they checked carefully were bowls, vases, and jars. Very often these items would look really nice on the outside because they were d

This last week I found out from my case manager that I can not put in for community corrections for another two years. It was like I got kicked in the stomach. Then I had to regroup and I realized that God is still God, and I am not. (I think there is a song out there that says that.) I do not know what God has planned for my near future. Eternally I know where I am going. In the here and now I see things very dimly. I think it is because my wants and desires cloud my vision

I was watching National Geographic last night and they were showing a nature show on the Smokey Mountains. I get engrossed in programs that show nature and the wonders of God's creation. Even if the ones who created the show do not attribute it to Him. Towards the end of the program they were talking about fireflies and how, during the fall, they are the star attraction to the park. Come to find out, it is only the males that light up and it is to attract the females. As the