joy

by

Why Becoming a Christian is Worth Everything

Two weeks ago I asked, “With all the promises of suffering God gives us, why would anyone in their right mind become a Christian?” We don’t follow Jesus to receive lots of money, or lots of “stuff”—houses, cars, clothes, etc. We don’t follow Jesus to make life go smoothly. So why do we make Him our Lord? Today I hope to answer that question, at least in part.

In truth, the benefits are tremendous—they’re just not always tangible. Instead of receiving material goods, we receive a Person. And not any person, but the God of the universe, the God who created us, the God who is perfect in every way.

Continue reading →

by

For a Good Time…

Think of the words we use to describe God—holy, omnipotent, faithful, loving, and so forth. We’ve all seen the lists and heard the sermons. The whole business of describing God seems so serious. We should show our respect, after all. But how often do we think of God as having a sense of humor? Does God ever laugh? Is God… fun?

If we’re truly made in the image of God—and the Bible tells us that we are—then our ability to laugh implies that He laughs too. So why don’t we ever talk about this aspect of His personality?

Continue reading →

by

Don’t Waste a Moment

This will be my last Tuesday post for a while.

I have lots of reasons:

  • My new job is taking more time than I expected, especially during the growing season.
  • We’re expecting lots of houseguests this summer and I want to focus on them while they’re here.
  • I have less time to simply think about things, and I don’t want to write meaningless posts just to meet a schedule.

Perhaps when the weather turns cold, and all the hikers and gardeners go inside, when our guests go home again, when I have some down time to mull over what God’s teaching me—then I’ll go back to posting twice a week. For now, I need a break! And remember to check for something new every Friday. See you then!

Meanwhile…

Continue reading →

by

Getting Gifts

The gifts were wrapped and stacked under the tree, but my friend seemed strangely uninterested in the ones with her name on it.

“Oh, I don’t pay attention to which gifts are for me. I think of it as a family thing… we exchange gifts. I don’t get excited about getting presents.”

My first thought was, “I sure do!” I love to receive gifts.

Continue reading →