The Hey You Lady

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39, NLT Imagine that you love someone so much that you would do anything to be with that person for all eternity. But you watch that person make decision after decision that draws him away from you. What can you do to show how deep your love is?  You give things - events - of extraordinary beauty. You show him ways of how life should be - better than the way his life is now. You even give step-by-step, how-to instruction on what it takes to be with you. But he still doesn't see that you love him so greatly. And he is not making any changes in his life t...

macromondays "up" -... from  [malcolm]  via Flikr.com Not long ago I heard a young man give a talk to a group of eager listeners about how to enjoy peace in our lives.  One particular statement he made stood out, something that I cannot let go without comment: "We cannot let God become the one thing in our lives.  When we are focused on spreading the word of God, unfortunately we sometimes become blind to what is happening around us." I disagree.  I have found that the times I am focused on spreading the word of God, my eyes have been actually opened to the world around me.  I find I am more sensitive to issues of social injustice, both globally and locally.  Globally, when I hear of children dying before the age of five because they live in a region where there is a lack of clean water for them to drink, or women who see no choice but to sell their bodies as prostitutes and lose their self-worth in the process.  Closer to home, I see chi...

In May 2008, a massive earthquake struck the Sichuan province of China , leaving 90,000 people either dead or missing.  Less than a year later in February 2009, the earth shook again in Southern China .  This time it was from the Chinese military conducting live-fire exercises in the region.  The pressure waves from exploding bombs rocked homes and rattled windows for miles around.  Rumors of another massive quake rapidly spread by phone and internet.  These rumors, along with the extra vigilance after the recent quake the year before, caused widespread panic.  Despite the efforts of the government and local officials to convince the villagers that no quake had occurred, the people still felt unsafe, and tens of thousands spent the nights on the streets, afraid to return to their homes. I recently had the privilege of filling in as "guest preacher" at my church while Pastor Chris was on vacation.  The sermon message I gave was part of a sermon s...