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A Girl, Her Mom, and a Map; What to do When You’re Headed Someplace You’ve Never Been
Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. Joshua 3:4 May I have a map, please? A paper one. The kind that unfolds wide, and then never quite folds back to its original tidy state. It is not uncommon for me to purchase a map, or two, before traveling to a new place. I want to know where I am going in the context of where I am. I want to trace the driving route before my plane touches the ground. I want my biggest navigation hurdle to be finding my way out of the rental car parking lot (which is, by…
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Be Still; The Ever Powerful Presence of God
See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and His arm rules for Him. See, His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him. Isaiah 40:10 The earth is abuzz with spring, birdsong has been calling forth the morning since before dawn. There are whitecaps on the lake across the road, small waves awakened by the wind. Chainsaws are humming in the distance, clearing what winter has left behind. Children are playing, shouting, pups are claiming their boundary lines. The world is loud on this typically quiet goes nowhere street. I sit as the morning sun hits my face, bombarded with the noise, trying to discern what is what, wondering…
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Sustainable Shoes; Longing for a New Pair
The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him. Deuteronomy 13:4-5 Time stretches and flies simultaneously. Hazy, it seems I have lived this day before, this pattern. Seems like these feet have been walking this same dusty path for days that have run into years, counting steps and turning over miles. Circling. They wore the same shoes for forty years. A commentary on the quality of God’s provision? Or…
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Hide and Seek; Stepping into the Storm
I said, “You are my servant”, I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:9-10 Like a spring storm that quietly begins to rumble in the distance, doubt rolls in ever so subtly winding itself around this thing called faith. Uneasiness sets in, joy and peace crumble, questions that have long been answered emerge like unwanted shoots firing through my mind. Faith is a shield (Ephesians 6:16) and my shield is down, flaming arrows…
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God’s Good and Very Good
Long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 2 Peter 3:5-6 We scramble on all fours, claiming the granite rock first with a hand and then a foot, breathing hard but steady. The sun is warm, the air is cool. We turn to see what has been left behind, to measure how far we have come. It is a majestic sight, set against blue sky mottled with small clouds. We watch for rocks worn smooth by hands and feet that have already ascended the path. Anna has…
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Mary’s Lamb; Behold the One Who Takes Away the Sin of the World
“Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 Our last glimpse of Mary interacting with her son is recorded in John 19:26-27. She is near the cross, where he hangs cruciform, held in place by metal stakes, his breathing raspy, heavy with effort. She is being held up herself, by the other Marys, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Three women clinging to one another as they witness the unfathomable, their Jesus, fulfilling a purpose Mary would not have chosen for her beloved son. Jesus calls to his mother and to John, “Dear woman, here is your son, ” and to…
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Kingdoms Falling; A Look at Peter
Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever. 2 Samuel 7:17 The Twelve are the closest followers of Jesus Christ while His human feet stir dust on this planet. Men whom Jesus calls, grants authority over demons (Matthew 10:2), appoints (Mark 3:16), designates as apostles (Luke 6:14) and chooses (John 6:70). They walk in step with Him, watch Him, listen to Him, eat with Him, learn from Him. They do life together as Jesus carries out His earthly ministry. The Twelve are a band of hooligans consisting of fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, brothers, tradesmen, tough guys from tough places, led…
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It’s Just a Dream; When God Plants a Seed
“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.” Genesis 45:8 I feel spring in my bones, not just warmer air and longer days, the birds noisy in the morning. I feel restlessness stirring in my heart, I want it to hurry up already. I run it out, begging the terrain to pound against the soles of my shoes. I am not running because it feels good. It does not. I feel the impact against my joints as I run, I will feel it later. It is the rhythm I am after, the rhythm of breathing and of the pavement hitting my feet. I engage in the…
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So You Want to Follow Jesus? Grab Your Muck Boots
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:18-19 A welcomed change to the weather creeps into West Michigan. Hopes of an early spring dance in with sunshine and balmy (35 degrees plus, balmy is relative) temperatures. Hats are left indoors and snow boots are exchanged for muck boots. If you reside in a warmer, dryer climate perhaps this does not resonate, the need for muck boots. But if you live in West Michigan in March, it will click. The promise of spring does not initially reveal itself with peeking purple…
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Trading Jesus; Missing Out When We Get What We Want
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 I am stuck, early in this walk, bartering with Jesus. I cannot seem to move past what I want and the lengths I will go with Him to get it. I take a queue from the persistent widow in Luke 18, and I ask repeatedly. I mean, I ask repeatedly. I quote to Him in my prayers, “ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it”…
