light sources: faith in the yet unseen

The sun is shining but how can I reflect its rays when storm clouds of fear and pain block their passage to my soul. My bed is floating on a flood of nightly tears; my gut writhes and clenches as I cry out to you for mercy and help. How long, Oh Lord, how much… Read More

Who are you waiting for during this advent season? Will you recognize him when he gets here? Or are your circumstances so tough that you’re having second thoughts? “I was just diagnosed with cancer. This is not my idea of a loving God.” “What am I really doing for Christmas? Sitting alone in my empty… Read More

When you pray, say … (5)

His kingdom, his power, his glory. Forever. And He loves us and wants us to be with him forever. Amen to that! The Lord’s prayer Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also… Read More

When you pray, say … (4)

I used to use the word TEMPTATION in context with things I considered bad, such as murder, stealing, pornography, and mayhem. It belongs there, but it can also be as subtle as over-booking myself so I don’t have time for God or my family, wanting to always be the center of attention, and choosing easy… Read More

When you pray, say … (3)

Forgiveness is not optional. It is a command. Jesus taught his followers (and us) how to pray. Part of the prayer is: “forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.” And just in case the disciples didn’t catch the forgiveness part, he reiterated and explained in more fully. “For if you forgive men… Read More

Am I sorry for me or for what I’ve done to another?

Remorse  is when we are only sorry that we failed. Repentance is when we are in pain because we have hurt God or another person—for that person’s sake and for God’s not for ourselves. It focuses attention on the wounded one. If we are hurting for our own sake because we have failed, that is… Read More

Tears falling on the pages of our lives

I read Madeline l’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet.  But it’s only recently that I have read any of her non-fiction works and discovered a wise, loving, open-minded, strong woman of faith. Although she died in 2007, she has recently become a mentor to me. As a child of… Read More