If it’s good, it’s from God. When was the last time you enjoyed a good cup of coffee or your favorite cold drink? Do you have warm, pleasant memories of good times with your family or friends over the holidays? Is your life good? Do you enjoy relatively good health? Do you have enough good food to eat? Do you sometimes stop to ponder how good you really have it? What about all that’s not good, the evil in the world? I’m very aware of the fact that there is […]
I answered the phone and the friendly, familiar voice on the other end said, “Cos, happy New Year.” I responded in kind and a few minutes later returned to what I was doing. I began the first day of 2022 as I have begun almost every day for many years; writing in my journal, scripture, and prayer. As I meditated on the significance of the New Year, I became aware of a deep, comforting reality about my life. To me, there’s no such thing as New Year Magic. But I […]
God is with us! Personalize that idea a bit and say it out loud, “God is with me!” I don’t know about you, but I assume you are about as human as I am. Any stress in your life? These last several months, and particularly the days leading up to Christmas, have been some of the most stressful I’ve experienced in a long time. Besides the self-imposed pressure of getting my book launched in early spring, I have recently undergone oral surgery to remove a broken tooth, my computer is […]
Love gives. Christmas is about giving. The Christmas message is about the generous love of God. In a conversation with his nighttime visitor, Jesus speaks of his own birth in a lowly, smelly Bethlehem manger, “For God loved the world so much he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).” In this Advent season, I want to remind each of us to think deeply about how love gives. As we consider the kind of love God gives, it is […]
What is the test of love? Love is a much overused word. I hear people use “love” to talk about food, cars, a TV show, the weather, a singer or actor, “making love,” or a special vacation spot. I think we have diluted the word love to the point that we don’t give much thought to its true meaning. We often use the word to express a good feeling about and our like for or admiration for something or someone. Many confuse infatuation with the idea of love. So, what […]
Learning to listen is important in building important relationships. Now, let’s continue with our life lesson on a skill that is so important to our relationships, LISTENING. Surely you have experienced the difference between being listened to and being heard. It is highly probable that you have been on both sides of such situations. Recall a time when you believed the other person attempted to listen to you. How did you feel? How did you think this experience helped you? Now, can you recall a situation when you were trying […]
