What a glorious celebration of Easter. The story is new every day when we consider the joy of living on THIS side of the cross. No matter what else happens, no matter where our life-walks take us, no matter in life or death, we are victors because of the victory of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
Today, we rose to the news of Pope Francis’s death. While we, as protestants, do not venerate the Pope, we are thankful for his belief in…..
Last night Covenant Church in Palm Bay celebrated Tenebrae, a service where we visited the Three Sad days. We started with the Garden of Gethsemane. One of my favorite Lenten hymn is “Go to dark Gethsemane.
Go to dark Gethsemane, Ye that feel the tempter’s power Your Redeemer’s conflict see, Watch with Him one bitter hour/
Turn not from His griefs away, Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.
Follow to the judgment hall, View the Lord of life arraigned O…..
Why is this GOOD Friday? This pivotal day for the world defeated Satan, although he no doubt was present, and resulted in the hope of salvation for all who saw God’s triumph through the sacrifice of His beloved Son for us all. Life shows us joy and sorrow. In this three days, sorrow turns to Easter joy. Unimagiinable jot.
Why? He did it for us. From the earliest days of the Old Testament to the last pages of Revelation, He…..
We have just celebrated Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. But there are two other triumphal entries made by our Lord. Thanks to the resurrection which we celebrate in a few days, the cross was not the end of the story. We can rejoice in the then, but look forward to the final hallelujah chorus, when we too will be resurrected for eternity. If you do not believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, I invite you to visit…..
Yesterday, the children sang Hosanna! They waved their palm branches and welcomed the King to Jerusalem all these years later. They will not soon forget their procession down the aisle, their opportunity to sing from the stage, and their message. Who doesn’t love a parade.
For those of us who know the songs ended, perhaps changed to shouts of “Crucify Him,” at the end of the week.
Our service yesterday ended with the passionate scene in Gethsemane, and the remembrance…..
I guess I need today’s Psalm perhaps more than you, Dear Readers. It seems there’s a Dottie crisis just at bedtime which costs me sleep. I’ve never been an anxious person, or at least rarely. But I’ve never been my sister’s “keeper,” either, and I blame myself when she calls with an issue only I can solve. So, while she’s away at dialysis this morning, I need to be sure she has gluten-free bread for lunch when she gets back,…..
I wrote this a few years ago. The timing was interesting. As I mention in the poem, I had befriended a woman, and it turned out she was a “chronic” user of people to advance her agenda. I soon learned she lied to me, and while I was trying to “help” her in her time of difficulty, I suspect she was always “in a time of difficulty,” and I was enabling her negativity to affect mine negatively. She took advantage…..
I hear on the news this morning that 1000 demonstrations, protests, rallies, gatherings–whatever monikers are given–will occur today. These are planned examples of what their leaders call exercises in free speech. I, for one, love the freedoms this country espouses, but am amazed at the organized chaos likely to occur. Television cameras will show enraged ,misguided, (perhaps paid for compensations from those who want to oppose duly elected officials for proposing change, ) people with nothing better to do than…..
I’ve title today’s blog “Recovery in All its Forms : It No Joke! ” because whether we are recovering from overcoming an addiction, by finally feeling better after an illness, surgery, or Covid (yes, once again it has hit us for the fourth year in a row…useless vaccine) , or we have had relational issues to resolve or overcome…we all know it takes…..
Christianity is hopeful. There is a radiance about our belief that is soul-satisfying, and counteracts the negativity of the mortal world that seeks to sow chaos, lack of discipline, self-centeredness, pride, attention-seeking, and sin. God is in the business of showing love, kindness, mercy, and forgiveness.
I heard a new Christian song on the radio yesterday that is quite original in its content. I wish I could tell you who the artist is. I was driving in traffic, up to…..