The other day I was telling my daughter that I thought she should have done a better job setting the table.  I found several things to complain about, and I was giving her a detailed list.  My other seven year old was sitting there on the other side of the table.  "Dad," he interjected politely, … Continue reading Extending Grace

God is Holy I was reminded this week that God's Holiness is his primary attribute.  All of his other attributes have to be understood in the context of God's holiness.  When we try to talk about God's love, or his justice, or his mercy, we generally get them wrong if we don't start from an … Continue reading Holiness and our hearts

We are under attack every day.  The attacker wants your fruit to be bitterness, jealousy, anger, failure, lust, and desolation.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  These are outcomes, conditions of our heart when we give ourselves over to God or something else.  For … Continue reading Choose your god, pick your fruit

There's an interesting note in the NET Bible about Matthew 5:13.  The passage is this one: 5:13 “You are the salt 13 of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, 14 how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by … Continue reading You are the salt of the earth

All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers in the field. The grass dries up, the flowers wither, when the wind sent by the Lord blows on them. I am like grass, my faithfulness is like the flowers in a field. The Lord tests me. He sends the wind of … Continue reading Thoughts on Isaiah 40:6-8

One of my daughters can't sweep a floor to save her life. Her personality type causes her to be a random thinker, and she just doesn't have a methodical bone in her body. So no two strokes of the broom go in the same direction. She'll sweep a little here, and then a little over … Continue reading Learning to sweep