"Not to us, O LORD"

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth. Ps. 115:1

Do you ever really stop to consider the fact that the stars which shine so brightly against the velvety backdrop of the night sky are still very much present in the light of day? They haven’t left. They do not disappear.

In Christ Alone

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”.  Col. 1:9

Do you remember the feeling you had when you first received Christ as Savior? Perhaps it was a combination of exhilaration, joy, and maybe even a little confusion as you wondered, "What am I supposed to do now?"

Sweet Aroma

"For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing" (2 Cor. 2:15)

Our oldest son was a deep sleeper. Years ago, I thought I would try a different approach in rousing my first-grade sleepyhead for school. Homemade blueberry muffins were practically a staple in our home, and after baking them one morning, I broke a warm one open and placed it under my son’s nose as he slept.

It took several seconds for the aromatic blueberry billows to connect with his slumbering control center, but eventually he awakened to the power of the freshly baked muffin, along with the realization that it was now time for school.

Kingdom Insight

The disciples came up and asked [Jesus], "Why do you tell stories?"

He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again:

   Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing.

      Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing.

   The people are blockheads!

   They stick their fingers in their ears

      so they won't have to listen;

   They screw their eyes shut

      so they won't have to look,

      so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face

      and let me heal them.

  But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Matthew 13:11-17, MESSAGE

Friend for Life

When we were kids, summers were synonymous with swimming lessons, Vacation Bible School, camp-outs, and sleepovers. Some summers, our cousins from a neighboring state came to visit us for a couple of weeks. Likewise, my brothers, sister, and I would take turns spending a couple of weeks with them. They loved the freedom of the country and the adventures of the farm. We loved the pavement of the city and the adventure of the mall. It was a change. 

One summer, my sister and I were up for our trip. I was ten; my sister was eight. Our trip happened to coincide with their church’s Vacation Bible School. I loved VBS and looked forward to attending with my cousin. Upon arriving, the director seated us in the fellowship hall filled with freshly chilled metal folding chairs.