There's this thing called life. It happens.

You know what I'm talking about.

You go along day by day thinking things are going okay.

Oh sure, we all have our ups and downs. But generally speaking it's "okay."

And then when you least expect it.

WHAM!

Why are we so surprised by this?

Each time we are whammed in the head, somehow we think that if we survive that hit it'll be awhile until we are smacked again. A breather. A break. Whew.

Why do we think this?

I got some bad news the other day about someone I care about.

When one is in ministry, this tends to happen. Often.

You might be surprised how often.

But this one I did not see coming.

The Truth?

We make choices in life. And choices have consequences. We are human.

Our God is not bothered by our honest questions. He can take it.

We are not somehow immune to hurt, pain and disappointment.- none of us are.

But this I know:

We can have a hope that surpasses our unanswered questions.

We can have a peace that calms our "why me or why them."

We can choose to believe, despite our hurt.

He has a way of redeeming the pain.

The Importance of Worship Together

Why is weekly worship with a local body of believers important? If we profess to be Christ-followers, we practice the teachings of God’s Word and follow the example brought to us by Jesus himself. This includes worshipping in unity, as one body, on a regular basis. But why corporate worship? Can’t we worship God the way we feel most comfortable by ourselves? And what’s with all the singing? The answer? As others have done, I could fill an entire book and reference all the scriptures (there are many) to prove that God commands us to worship, we were created to worship Him and in the end, all will worship Him (willing or not). For the sake of brevity, I’ll address a portion of the question here – a question I’ve been asked many times throughout my ministry. We endeavor to pare everything down to a few strategic elements in our worship services, encouraging believers to participate fully in this worship process – worship through song, prayer, giving and hearing of the Word of G...

Beauty of Love Divine

Check out this Sonnet by Michelangelo: The course of my life has brought me now Through a stormy sea, in a frail ship, To the common port where, landing We account for every deed, wretched or holy. So that finally I see How wrong the fond illusion was That made art my idol and my King, Leading me to want what harmed me. My amorous fancies, once foolish and happy What sense have they now that I approach two deaths The first of which I know is sure, the second threatening. Let neither painting nor carving any longer calm My soul turned to that divine Love Who to embrace us, opened His arms upon the cross. - On the Brink of Death , To Giorgio Vasari, Sonnet LXV WOW. This reminds me to think of life in reverse. It may seem weird, but looking at the end - or starting with the end in mind - can give us perspective. When we think (like Michelangelo did here) from the perspective of death, suddenly many things we chase after seem insignificant and deceptive. Things...

Peacekeeping Vs Peacemaking- What's the Difference?

Being at peace with everyone seems impossible and at the very least, improbable. It hurts to not feel at peace with everyone, because we want to be liked (and drama free) right? It doesn't feel good when relationships go badly. But this goes deeper than being liked or eliminating drama. It's about growing into mature people of God. That's why Paul, in Romans 12:18 encourages us to ... do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody. This is actually encouraging to me, because I may honestly do everything I feel is humanly possible, but still not achieve resolution- or even reconciliation in some cases. Unfortunately these things aren't always possible, but a transformation of our own hearts and the practice of maturing as a peacemaker is... ...because we can only control ourselves and our behavior, no matter what the other person does. (insert big sigh here. Okay 2 big sighs) There's a big difference ...

Michelle Renee Speaks

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