As a Christian, I’ve always kind of avoided (and perhaps, to be honest, been a tad insulted by) Bible verses which refer to me and my spiritual family as “sheep.” The modern-day consensus seems to be that sheep are blind, spineless and ignorant, good for nothing but thoughtlessly grazing the hillside unless they're being sheared … Continue reading Jesus Called Us “Sheep” — Is That an Insult or What?
My Mama — The Angel Who Saved My Life
This is a picture of me from the early 80s, along with my mom and my sister. You can't see the pain behind my eyes, can you? Yet it's there, like so many others; bubbling, boiling just below the surface. Why? I don't know, why do people hate themselves so much? There are so many … Continue reading My Mama — The Angel Who Saved My Life
Finding Trust in the Dark Times
We read the story of David and Goliath, but feel no stress or anxiety because we know how it ends. We know that a very young David killed the giant with five stones and a sling shot, and then presented his enemy's severed head to the armies of Israel. We read about Jonah being swallowed … Continue reading Finding Trust in the Dark Times
Broken Hearts & Wounded Spirits
I don’t know about you, but there are times when God feels a million miles away from me. My prayers seem to ricochet off the walls, mocking me. Pain throbs unceasingly, depression deepens and emotions turn dark. While I know He’s there, somewhere in the recesses of my brain, a little voice says, “Even if … Continue reading Broken Hearts & Wounded Spirits
Hand-picked…Chosen…Adopted
We saw the movie "Instant Family" today at the theater. I laughed and cried, the latter of which is extremely rare for me. I won't give any of the plot away, but basically a happily married couple decided to become foster parents to a group of siblings. One was 15 years old, along with her … Continue reading Hand-picked…Chosen…Adopted
Worn Down by Kindness
I was never a monster, I was just kind of a jerk sometimes. Due to my constant sighing and eye-rolling, people could easily tell I was frustrated when I was young. James 1:19 says, "My dear brothers, always be willing to listen and slow to speak. Do not become angry easily." I was like the … Continue reading Worn Down by Kindness
Haunted by Addiction
Addiction recovery is an ongoing process. I was reminded of that recently, as some of the old voices tried to creep back into my soul. I took hydrocodone for over a dozen years, to help numb my incredible and ongoing back pain. As I've reported in the past, I suffer from four different spinal conditions, … Continue reading Haunted by Addiction
To Those I’ve Hurt…
Just a few thoughts today... I'd like to apologize to anyone I've hurt in the past. No, I never beat my wife or kids and I was no monster, but I know, years ago, my words could be sharp as broken glass. I know I had a stare that bled hate. I wasn't great at … Continue reading To Those I’ve Hurt…
Depression, our Familiar Beast
Honestly, it’s scary how prevalent depression is these days. And don’t kid yourself: like divorce, it’s probably just as commonplace in the church as out. I say “probably” because we don’t have the official numbers, since, to some, confessing depression is like admitting weakness. Based on my personal experience, though, having lived with depression for … Continue reading Depression, our Familiar Beast
Redeem the Time, for the Days are Evil
Ephesians 5:16: "Redeem the time because the days are evil." I’ve had that phrase, "redeem the time," rollin’ round my head all week. Since I’m fighting my way through a fairly heavy depression, I’ve only been playing music from a folder on my computer which I titled “Uplifting Songs.” One of those tunes is Stand … Continue reading Redeem the Time, for the Days are Evil
