"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."James 4:8-10 (New International Version)There are two times that I know of that Scripture commands us to mourn and weep. One of those is … [Read more...] about Mourning
perspective
Hemmed In
"He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection." Psalm 91:4 (NLT)I was at the bottom of a pile of people, struggling to breathe. The pillow fight had gone horribly wrong. Someone was on my back, my head, my feet, and my mouth was down towards the floor. I was trying to scream, "Get off me!" But I couldn't … [Read more...] about Hemmed In
The Way Maker
"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."Isaiah 42:16 (New International Version)The scorching Congo sun was well on its way to sinking behind the Ntsiangobo hill on the west side of our mission station as I … [Read more...] about The Way Maker
Memorialized Forever
"I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." Mark 14:9 (NIV)What does it take to be memorialized forever? I used to think it was accomplishing something no one else had done before. I thought the person had to be unblemished in his or her character. I thought it would be the person who cured cancer, had a … [Read more...] about Memorialized Forever
What Does Obedience Look Like?
"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." John 14:21 (NIV)I hate celery. I have tried over and over again to like it. No matter what I do, I cannot choke the stuff down without a tremendous struggle. I especially don't like it when it is cut up small and is mixed with … [Read more...] about What Does Obedience Look Like?
The Narrow Gate
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."Matthew 7:13-14 (English Standard Version)On March 9, 1904, the ninth child was born to a couple in the small town of Shamokin, Pennsylvania. They named her Marcella. She … [Read more...] about The Narrow Gate
