Ponderings

Six years ago my family and I began a two-day journey to the place we now call home.  We left behind a church family, many friends, close relatives, and the city where I had lived a lifetime.  Apprehensions were few because we knew this was what God had ordained.  As we celebrate our new life here and the many blessings we been gifted since our move we cannot help but give thanks to the One who orchestrated it all. Three months after we changed our address I stepped into a job that became a ministry and a great source of joy.  I found a new family and friends who have loved and supported our family in so many ways, and I am blessed beyond measure.  We all are.  But just as God saw fit to move our family away from everything that was familiar, He has been stirring something inside me and calling me to leave home once more in search of His next assignment. Today I officially step down from a dream job to move on to whatever God has in store next.  The move has been prayed over for ma

Lately many of us have struggled with emotions.  The coronavirus  pandemic has created stress we did not anticipate, yet has provided a golden opportunity to look at present circumstances and determine if we are living our best life, or if there are some changes we need to make. Much of what we have experienced is heartbreak, plain and simple.  There is a grieving process we go through -- or grow through -- when things change.  Whether it is the loss of a job due to unforeseen circumstances or a shift in our ideology brought on by outside forces, it is natural to mourn the loss and be anxious about whatever changes we may need to make.  For the introspective among us, deliberating and thinking about these things can bring on a brokenness and guilt that is oppressive. As I was praying about my emotions, I felt led to write the words of Psalm 51 in my journal.  It is a familiar psalm to many of us.  Of particular comfort to me were the words in verse 17:  "The sacrifices of God

The coronavirus pandemic has given many of us the opportunity to reassess our lives and make changes, whether we want to or not.  Some of us have viewed this uncertain time as a curse while others have taken advantage of this season to sit back, take stock, and reassess our lives in hopes of finding a better way to live going forward. For many families the pandemic has resulted in financial difficulties they never saw coming.  With little warning, jobs have been lost, businesses have closed, and income has stopped. Bills have continued to arrive and savings accounts have been quickly depleted.  Difficult decisions are being made.  Do I pay the utility bill or feed my family?  If I don't pay the car note and my car is repossessed how will I look for a job or get to work after all this is over?  If this ever happens again, how can I do things differently so that the consequences won't be so devastating?  Our family went through a financial reversal during the last recession a

"Shelter in place" is a commonly-used term these days because of the coronavirus pandemic. It is also used when we are threatened by events such as mass shootings, natural disasters, and other emergencies.  Often we associate the word  disaster  with something we can see -- something which we are warned about ahead of time and can prepare for.  However,  nothing  could have prepared us for the disaster we are now experiencing -- this deadly virus that is as invisible as the air which has carried it all over the world.  Despite every effort to contain it, we have realized that we are no match for this silent enemy and that our best defense against it is hygiene, social distancing, and sheltering at home whenever possible. As I was having my quiet time this morning I came across the following familiar verse:  "Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed" (Psalm 5