Posts about Christian Living (5)

Stories of both God's sovereignty and the suffering of God's people are riddled throughout the Bible. In our human understanding, God's sovereignty and suffering seem to be at odds, but throughout the Bible God uses the suffering of his people to work good (Romans 8:28). Recount the stories of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Ruth, the Apostle Paul, to name a few, and we see much suffering allowed in their lives. How does God use suffering?

In the busyness of life, it is easy to be so focused on what we and others are doing (or should be doing) that we miss out on choosing “the good portion” — taking time to be with and listen to the Lord along the way. Martha knew this well.

[As previously seen in the Christian Post] God’s glory seems to be somewhat mysterious. We talk of glorifying the Lord through praise. We hear Sunday School lessons on the glory of God in a pillar of fire. But when it comes to understanding what the glory of the Lord really is, we seem to all fall a bit short. And for good reason.

[As originally seen on Crosswalk] As the countdown to the end of this last school year came to an end, it occurred to me that half of my summers with my oldest daughter were gone. I blinked and – poof – nothing but memories remained.

Have you every felt like you have been dealing with something in your life that you just couldn’t get away from?

Parents, it’s that time again – time for school supply shopping. Colorful store displays and flashy sales try to trick us into thinking this is the most wonderful time of the year. And it works through elementary school, maybe. But eventually the thrill of new folders and a fresh box of crayons wears off, and we groan along with our kids at the supply list that signals the ending of summer.

Parenthood is a wild and wonderful adventure. It’s challenging, charming, stretching, and shocking. It’s a catalyst for physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation unlike any other. Parenthood requires a level of self-sacrifice that is productive but many times uncomfortable.

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)