craving cashmere
While I was helping to organize donations of clothing for a church event, I paused to touch a cashmere sweater’s soft grey cloth. When I realized it would fit me, I considered the possibility of owning it—for free! Volunteers were allowed first dibs on the donations. Cashmere is an expensive fabric, and although I have enough sweaters, this one was calling my name. After some inner turmoil, I finally offered the item to a fellow worker, who joyfully accepted it.
hearing God’s Word
As a Christian radio broadcaster, I get to encourage listeners by presenting truths from God’s Word, and—in the process—I’m also encouraged and built up in my faith. Berni Dymet, a broadcaster, author, and speaker, recently tweeted that he’d recorded a number of radio messages and that he’d been ministered to as he read the Word of God out loud. Hearing God’s Word is a powerful antidote to the very real struggles of everyday life.
clean start
For many years my wife and I put off doing some major remodeling to our home. Finally, the carpeting that was more that 35 years old and the kitchen cabinet doors that were falling apart caught up with us. So this year we employed operation clean start! It was out with the old and in with the new as the main floor of our home received an extreme makeover. Now that the process of restoration is nearly finished, it’s amazing to see and experience the difference!
the best deal
When I was a kid, my mom and I would often go to the grocery store together. As she taught me how to compare prices to find the best deal, she would stroll up each aisle with a list of items in one hand and a calculator in the other. She knew how to make each coin count and how to find the best deal. Now, as my husband and I step out into the unknown as church planters, I face a palpable fear of the uncertainties—some of which are financial. No matter how tightly I hold the calculator, however, I can’t control the future.
on solid ground
In the film High Fidelity, a character named Rob Gordon lamented his history of passivity. “I guess it made more sense to commit to nothing, keep my options open” he said. “And that’s suicide by tiny, tiny increments.”
God in a box
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could fit God into a box? When we want to do or say something that’s not Christlike, we could simply place Him in it and shut the lid. Perhaps we’d like to do so just before cursing during a bad traffic jam or when we’re checking something out on Youtube, Facebook, or Twitter that isn’t appropriate. After our dalliance with sin, we could simply bring God back out.
wonders and whispers
Scene 1: Elijah is on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:16-39). The prophet has declared a test. He and the prophets of Baal will each erect an altar and call to their respective gods. The one who sets the altar on fire will be revealed as the one true God (1 Kings 18:24).
when gods die
France Nouvelle, the newspaper of the French Communist party, stated this after Stalin died: “The heart of Stalin . . . has ceased beating. But Stalinism lives on, and is immortal. . . . To Stalin we shall remain faithful for evermore. Communists everywhere will endeavor to deserve, by their untiring devotion to the sacred cause of the working class . . . the honorary title of Stalinists. Eternal glory to the great Stalin.”
no other gods
Jason is dead serious about his studies. He’s striving to gain an overseas scholarship that will allow him to pursue a doctorate degree in mathematics. So he makes sure that he does well in all his required classes. He’s also gone beyond the basics to take higher-level classes. He eats, drinks, and sleeps math!
Jesus changes everything
If Jesus hadn’t entered our world, two things would be true. First, those with the most _________ win. (Fill in the blank with whatever you or your culture happen to value most.) In ancient times, it was those with the most camels, wives, or gold. Today it includes those with the most cash, toys, or Facebook friends. Either way the goal is the same: Get all you can while you can.
Bible cyst
An acquaintance of mine recently went to have his doctor examine a cyst on the top of his wrist. The doctor told the man that it was a “Bible cyst.”
feast or famine
You can walk into a Christian bookstore today and find rows and rows of books on the shelves. And without stepping into a church, you can listen to thousands of podcasts and sermons online. The massive amount of biblical resources available at our fingertips is astounding. So, is it possible during this age to experience a famine of God’s Word? Do we need to heed the warning for the prophet Amos (Amos 8:11) or was that relevant only for ancient Israel?
idols of affection
In the final scene of the movie, the leading man—eyes brimming with tears—summarized his life to his girlfriend: no friends, no job, and a shady past. He had no family ties, no apparent faith in God. He really had only one thing—the love of his favorite girl, and he vowed lifelong devotion to her. To make her happy, he had refrained from violence, remained monogamous, and had stopped using certain unsavory words. Everything he did and planned to do revolved around the beautiful starlet he’d fallen for.
steps to nowhere
Serving with a group of students, I was picking up trash from the grounds of a home when I found a set of three sturdy brick steps. An ordinary set of stairs in every way, but they led nowhere. Climbing to the top simply led to the plank siding of the old, worn house.
drift
Adrian Vasquez frantically waved from his tiny fishing boat. A cruise ship was within eyesight! After their boat’s engine had failed, Adrian and two friends had been adrift for days on the ocean, far from their Panamanian town. Some passengers aboard the cruise ship spotted the three and told crewmembers. But, inexplicably, the ship didn’t stop to help the three fishermen. When Adrian was finally rescued by a different ship 2 weeks later, tragically both of his friends had perished.
