My Life in Red and White

Morning does come ... always. As sure as we are of the sun setting, so we are also sure of the sun rising again. Its the natural order of things, a divine order ordained by God. Sometimes when the sun sets and darkness approaches, we feel like its the end. The end of life as we know it, the end of light, the end of beauty, the end of lovely sun rays and sunshine ... the END! But the night has its own beauty, in the stillness and quietness there is rest from toiling in the sun, there's a certain calmness and coolness that helps you renew your strength as you brace yourself and plan for the next day. The night has its unique features, the chirping of the crickets, the buzzing of mosquitoes and the Owl hooting from a distance; the symphony that comes alive, when all is calm and quiet. Sometimes, not always, just sometimes, we fail to appreciate the beauty of the night. We long so much for morning, that we miss the coolness and quiet calm the night offers. We long to return to...

This was part of my devotional this morning and I thought to share it with you. No matter what you are going through, God knows, hears and sees, so take comfort in this. All things will work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose, and if you are part of this group? Then rejoice! Delayed (from Streams in the Desert) "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs; . . . they shall afflict them four hundred years; . . . and afterward they shall come out with great substance" (Gen. 15:12-14 ). An assured part of God's pledged blessing to us is delay and suffering. A delay in Abram's own lifetime that seemed to put God's pledge beyond fulfillment was followed by seemingly unendurable delay of Abram's descendants. But it was only a delay: they "came out with great substance." The pledge was redeemed. God is going to test me with delays; and with the delays will ...

I'm taking down my pictures and posts on the wall because it's time to move on again. My mother's question chases me: 'when will i settle down?' But I'm digressing... At some point in my 9 month experiment, I found that the only place I could really draw strength and encouragement from was the Bible. Of course I had great friends in Geneva who played a special role in shaping God's work in my life, but there were sometimes when I  was so lost or confused and my only anchor was in the word. These passages I share with you today were my companion and guide, they mapped out the course of my life and God used them to build character and strength in me. I hope you benefit from them as much as I did. God bless you. Companion #1 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26: 3 Companion #2 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a fu...

Jeremiah 37:3 , 6 – 10 ; 38: 20 – 26 Why are we so concerned with people’s opinion of us? Why do we tend to value God’s word less and people’s opinion more? In the reference text, God’s word through Jeremiah to the Israelites was clear. "Surrender to Babylon and you will be saved." Babylon was on a mission to destroy the city; a mission allowed by God as repercussion for how far his people had drifted away from him. The people had heard to Jeremiah prophesy; they had seen his prophecies fulfilled, yet they refused to listen to him. Instead, they threatened to kill him. The most interesting character is the King. He refused to listen to the words of Jeremiah; but asked for prayers from him! Sound familiar? We get so caught up in our plans and projects that even when we hear the Lord say “not so child”, “let go”’, we still hold on, and ask Him to bless it! In an interesting conversation with the king, Jeremiah tells him for the last time “Surrender to Babylon and be ...