As an artist, I struggle with a balance between ambition and contentment. Some of us view contentment as giving up, quitting, lying down, or surrendering. But isn’t there a balance somewhere? Is ambition even okay? After all, Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” First let’s notice what the... Read more
This year, my husband and I celebrated 40 years of marriage. Obviously, we’re a little past our prime by now, and sometimes we complain about the hardships of growing old. Aging is not for the faint of heart, it’s true. But sometimes I look at my husband in wonder and gratitude, and I think, “Wasn’t growing old together the goal? We did it! We should celebrate and enjoy this time. When we were young, we pictured growing old together one... Read more
These are such confusing times with conflicting voices coming at us from social media, television, radio, family and friends. Just keeping family and friends close can feel stressful when we are so divided. Where can we find wisdom and what does wisdom even look like? The following scripture might be helpful: But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.—James 3:17 Sharing Wisdom Most... Read more
Recently, I had breakfast with a lovely young woman whose family immigrated to the United States from Iraq. Her family felt the American way of working from early morning until late at night was destructive. Where they came from, people went to their jobs from 6 or 7am until 1pm, for example. Then they went home to be with family, take care of household chores and enjoy hobbies and relaxation with family and friends. She said something like, “Just work... Read more
In 1 Corinthians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul referred to the believers as kings, but later referred to himself as “the scum of the earth” (1 Cor. 4:8-13 NIV). He seemed to prefer the royal position, but saw himself treated as scum. I’m not certain what he meant, but my mind moves to other related scriptures. Let’s compare and see if we can arrive at some answers to the question, “Who are we?” Or at least we might arrive at... Read more
For we are co-workers in God’s service. —1 Cor. 3:9a, NIV God’s Co-workers What does it mean to be God’s co-workers? Paul claims this in I Corinthians 3:9. He goes on to use several metaphors about building on the foundation of Jesus, and about our bodies being the temple of God, and then concludes the chapter with an audacious statement: “So then, no more boasting about men [or presidents]! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas... Read more
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. —I Corinthians 1:10 Is It Possible to Be Perfectly United? Was there ever a more relevant verse for 2021? Or a more impossible appeal? As the Delta variant rages and we prepare to go back... Read more
I’m no theologian, but I know enough of history to know the church has misinterpreted scripture in the past. The Bible was used to justify the bloody crusades, the inquisitions and slavery, just to name a few abuses of scripture. And Christianity is not the only religion to misinterpret their holy books, leading to violence. In view of past mistakes, interpreting the scripture calls for humility. Interpreting the Scripture With Compassion A few years ago I sat in on a... Read more
Sometimes it’s hard to believe. When God seems to ignore our prayers, and the world news is devastating, how do we know God is in control? Can we learn from nature? What does the Bible say about it? A God-bathed World We can begin by venturing outdoors, where nature teaches us about the power and love of God. Dallas Willard in “The Divine Conspiracy” put it this way: “This is a God-bathed and God-permeated world. It is a world filled... Read more
I owe the idea for this post to my granddaughter. She helped me see that when it comes to aging, perspective is everything. The other day we were at the pool, and the conversation went something like this: Judith: “Ony, what happened to your legs?” Me: “Oh, those are just spider veins, broken blood vessels that happen when you get old.” Judith: “Really? Well, I think they’re beautiful because they’re purple!” A Fresh Perspective Isn’t that a wonderful way to... Read more
Learning to Love God by Loving Others
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