The Power of Assumption
“Did you see the way she looked at me?” “Did you hear how he said that?” “I can’t believe she had the nerve to talk to me that way!” Sound familiar? Have you ever assumed the worst about someone based on your perceived reaction of their words or tone with you? I know I have. I don’t know if it’s human nature or pride. But it seems easier to assume the worst of someone’s intentions rather than assuming the best. In the book of 2 Samuel 10, we see how quickly assuming the worst led to
God Writes Long Stories
“God rarely writes short stories. So don’t lose heart, even if the plot seems to grow long.”- Bob Sorge It’s a pattern we see throughout scripture, God uses all things (even the unpleasant things which make no sense at the time) for our good and for His glory. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at 2 Kings 9 & 10. A man by the name of Jehu was ‘sitting around’ with his fellow army officers when a prophet, sent by Elisha, arrived to the scene. The prophet pulled Jehu aside, poured oil on his head and declared, “I anoint you as
The Wind Beneath My Wings
When I first met the man I would one day marry, the thing that struck me the most was his smile. Do you know that to be able to genuinely smile is a God given gift? No, I am not talking about the kind that ends in a smirk or one given in a half hearted attempt. I am talking about the one that comes from within your heart and shines through your eyes. The kind that makes the person who is the recipient of your smile feel so warm and accepted. Well, the smile this man sent my way
The cost of compassion
My boss for a few years was a woman I would call a servant leader. She directed our organization with high expectations and was firm, but was very compassionate. I recall a meeting one afternoon in which someone confronted her about major changes that had been recently rolled out. It was a touchy subject that many were in disagreement with, and she was put on the spot. I held my breath for her response. She gracefully answered the difficult question by acknowledging what information she knew, then reassured us that she was doing the best she could to prevent any
Dry Seasons
Do you find yourself in a dry season with God? Do you find it difficult to connect with God? I do. And it’s more often than I want to admit. When things get tough, I question if God really has my back and is going to take care of me. Growing up, I feel like I was implicitly taught that if you do “A” and “B” then you can expect “C” as a result. But what happens when A+ B doesn’t equal C? I go back to the basics. I turn to the scripture
Keeping Track of Dirty Dishes…
“It’s your turn...I washed the last set of dishes!” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard my boys make that statement to one another...I’d be a rich woman. My kids are great but sometimes they forget. Not only is the roof over their head at no cost to them, so are their meals and every other living expense you can think of. Why are they keeping track of a few dirty dishes? But even the best of us have a tendency to keep a record of things we shouldn’t. In Matthew 18: 21-35, Jesus tells a story of
Keeping my Mouth Shut
It was a beautiful Sunday morning. We were on vacation, and the plan was to spend the morning at the beach. We needed to reserve umbrellas and chairs for our morning of lounging, and they were available on a first come, first served basis. The stand opened at 8 am, and I was in charge of procuring them for our group. I woke up with enough time to make myself presentable, grab some coffee and be one of the first in line. By the time I made it down to the umbrella stand, at 7:50, I was the second person
All that really matters…
I’m not one for large crowds or detailed planning, but since Indian weddings are massive by nature, I had to just smile and go with it. So, with a yellow pages phone book in hand, and a guest list of about eight hundred, the planning began (keep in mind, this was before the internet). There were lots of decisions to be made and even more details to be ironed out. Throughout the planning process, it was easy to get distracted and lose sight of what the day was all about. In 1 Kings, we read about the planning of another
Enough About Me
“Enough about me....what do you think about me.” We laugh, but isn’t it true? I may not say it, but there are times, I think it. Sociologist say we are, by far, the most narcissistic culture. Never before have we built pages around ourselves so others can express how much they “like” us. And never before have we had so many depressed people. (Frances Chan) We are not alone….If you know anything about the children of Israel, you know they were also the classic example of me-centric people. Once they were out of Egypt, they celebrated for about a
Jesus take the wheel
I put my 4 year-old behind the wheel. He wasn't tall enough to hit the pedals, but that was okay because I was. Being a car guy at such a young age, this was a dream come true. He revved, revved, revved the engine, and we were off! No, he hasn't gotten his license yet... nor are we doing anything illegal. We were in the safety of bumper car. Soon, my son realized that no matter how hard Mommy pushed the pedal, there was a limit to his speed. He was swerving to the right and to the left, but
