One Nation Under God

American Flag at Half Mast by brianDhawkins

As the news broke on Friday about the school shooting in Connecticut,my first instinct was to pray. I worked for the rest of the day with live news coverage playing in the background on my computer.

Let me apologize at the beginning for what will likely be a rambling, disjointed, opinionated and passionate post.

We have had school shootings in the United States before, but not like this. Not in an elementary school with such young, innocent children.

All Your Need

Carl Walks Closer to the "Falling Down" House by Old Shoe Woman

It seems as though the last several years have been challenging ones for me. But, through every challenge, I have never had to go without.'

I'm Sorry

Free Dirty Forgotten Sad Child by Pink Sherbert Photography

I'm Sorry: The Lost Art of Apology

I was thinking about cousin Danny today. Danny isn't really a cousin, and his parents weren't really our aunt and uncle, but it was what we grew up calling them. Aunt Betty was actually the adopted daughter of my father's brother Bill. (I will confess I'm on shaky territory here, my sister, Pam is the family historian, but I think I have that right.)

It's About the Gift

Christmas Town USA by DigiDreamGrafix.com

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Christmas songs are playing. The stores are filled with Christmas decorations (and yes, I realize that most of them have been since Halloween!). People are baking, shopping, gift-wrapping, going to parties, giving gifts, decorating trees, putting up lights...

Kindness Challenge & #21 Days

The Kindness Challenge

&

#21 Days

I'm participating in two challenges simultaneously. The Kindness Challenge is a 14 day event. 14 acts of kindness in a 14 day period. Actually, if you follow the instructions, it will be MORE than 14 acts of kindness, because some of the acts are multiple in nature. Here's my progress so far:

The Woman at the Well

"Well" (cc) Neil, via Flikr

Don't you just love God's Word? I am so blessed to attend a church where the ministers listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit and teach from scriptures I've read and heard hundreds of times before -- but from a new perspective.

Take the Woman at the Well, for instance. I always connected with this story from a sense of being ashamed of the mistakes I've made in my life. If I had met Jesus at the well, what would he have told me about my life? Maybe I haven't had five husbands, but are my "sins" any smaller or greater than hers?

Sunday night I was given a new way to look at this story. What if... instead of pointing out the woman's sins, Jesus was actually pointing out her need?

By Thy Words

 

Words (c) ninasauresrex via Flickr.com

"For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." 

~Matthew 12:37

A small passage of scripture, but so packed with meaning! What was Jesus saying here? First, we need to look at this in context. Jesus had just performed an exorcism, casting a devil out of a man who was blind and dumb. The man was healed, and instantly, we see the two types of people spring into action:  the believers begin praising God and calling Jesus the son of David; the Pharisees begin talking among themselves saying he cast out the devil because he is, in fact, the devil.