If working at it is not the way to become the “living expression of God’s kindness,” then what is? Check out this parable of the Vine (by Bill McCracken and Toni Proudfoot), where we are branches grafted into Christ — the Vine: Only one thing is necessary,” said the Vine, “abide in Me. Let Me be your peace and joy.…
Artificial Fruit is NOT "Yummy in the Tummy"
Last year — 2006 — was my self-designated Year of Kindness: the 12 months during which I would make a sho’nuff, all-out effort to be kind. Not just to “be nice” to my family and friends (although God knows that can be hard sometimes), but to everybody I met. So how did I do? Well, I discovered two things. Here’s…
Shouts of Joy
A friend of mine has been helping her six-year-old daughter (let’s call her Alicia) memorize the Ten Commandments. After a few minutes of Thou-shalt-nots, the little girl asked in frustration, “Mommy, is there anything we can do?” Of course, you know that God speaks directly to and through mothers, sometimes when they don’t even know it. “Well, baby,” she said,…
Learning from History
Lately I’ve been reading lots of Old Testament history. If you don’t get bogged down in the genealogies, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell a fascinating story of how God worked through events and people to make things happen. I’m still a little foggy about some stuff. I have questions like: Exactly who did what and where? Which prophets…