My Walk with God 🌱

"Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths."  - Psalm 25:4 🌱 Have you ever challenged yourself to look at a bad experience and undoubtedly think of it as working for your eventual good? There is a story I read, which was of a Chinese farmer who experienced a seemingly distressing series of events, from a horse running away, to his son suffering a broken leg after trying to tame the several wild horses the runaway horse brought back with it when it returned, to the son not being drafted in to the army on a deadly mission due to his broken leg. Those around him were quick to judge each event as good or bad, however, the farmer responded each time as "maybe". Each of these events had a surprisingly positive end result. The farmer wise in his years, realized that things in life have a way of working that may not appear so initially. The Bible strongly echoes these sentiments. Romans 8:28 says that "in all things God works for the good of those who lov

  "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship." -Romans 12:1 🌱 Have you ever been asked to do something, and yet you feel inadequate for the task ahead? I know I have. We have many examples of persons in the Bible who were called to do things that they felt totally unprepared for or even unwilling to do.  Consider Noah, who was called to preach to the people of his time about an unheard of impending flood and also build an ark. Consider a stuttering and once fugitive Moses, who was called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, or a reluctant Jonah being called to preach to persons he felt may never take him seriously, or Joseph who had been through one too many incidents of betrayal and yet called toward an important position of responsibility. Consider even the widow who was down to her last handful of flour and getting ready to die and was

Artist's depiction of our cloud of witnesses  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12:1-2 🌱 Whether it be a story on the news or a theatrical play, the calamities of people's personal lives displayed on stage seem to often provide entertainment for, or condemnation from the public audience. In today's digital landscape, it is easy to participate in hasty commentary, adding pain to the injuries that individuals are already enduring. I reflect on our own heavenly   cloud of witnesses , as described in the Bible  (Hebrews 12:1-2) , watching us fall or be messed up in our own lives. Does heaven take pleas

"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer." - Psalm 61:1 During this week, I came across a written prayer that silenced me into reflection [posted below] . As I read each line, I found myself ticking off items on a mental checklist of things I have either already been wanting for myself or now desiring for myself.  We may have started the year with good intentions and plans, and may have even possibly failed miserably in some ways already, but expressing these plans in prayer to our Father adds another dimension to our personal walk this year. No matter what our resolutions may be, we solidify our well-intentioned path going forward by inviting God into the equation, and partnering with Him as our daily companion who is an ever-present help, listener, and reminder of all that is good, noble and true.  I would like to share this prayer with you, and I trust that as we take our time and read it, that it will be a blessing, inspiration or an encouragement to someone reading thi