Category: Uncategorized

In thinking about the growing level of conflicts in relationships, the question is, “What is the source of these conflicts?”

One of the deepest themes running through conflicts seems to be the struggle for significance:

**Lucifer wanted more significance, to be like God.

**Eve was tempted to be more significant in knowing good and evil independently of God.

**Cain wanted his sacrifice to accepted and to be significant on his own terms rather than God’s.

**The builders of the tower of Babel wanted to make a name for themselves by their achievement, rejecting God’s command to spread out and fill the earth.

So it goes through all of scripture and all of life. I see this in myself,

being hurt and angry when someone does something to rob me of my dignity;

striving for accomplishment to feel and look more significant.

The resolution of  this root of conflict is stated in Colossians 3:12-14, “Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved….”

Here in this verse is all the significance that anyone will ever need.

We are created in the image of God.

We are chosen before the foundation of the world to be a child of the Most High.

We are made holy: forgiven, purified and commissioned for significant work.

And we are dearly loved: sought out by the intense and pure desire of God the Ruler of all,

We are unconditionally accepted, whole-heartedly adopted, deeply cared for and delighted in.

As it says in Colossians 2:10 (KJV), “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power….”

If we could just grasp this on a “whole person level,”

(that is, not just intellectually but also volitionally and emotionally),

what a difference that would make in  us and all those around us.

And this is possible.

Tomorrow I will tell you more about bringing that difference to pass in your life.

Picture: I am chosen by the Creator of the universe

Follow up on yesterday’s post on “tent caterpillar sins” of:

This afternoon we went for a walk along the road and I noticed the nests of tent caterpillars in the bushes.

“Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.” Psalm 99:9

As part of your holiness, Lord, you are completely other than your creation:

• We are physical, you are spirit.
• We are limited to one place, you fill the universe.
• We must eat and sleep, you are never hungry or tired.
• We are mortal, you are eternal.
• We are sinful and sinners, you are pure and holy.
• We so easily sin, you are unable to sin.
• We are of the earth, you are of heaven.
• We create from materials, you create from nothing.
• We are human, you are the most High.
• We are creatures, you are the Creator.
• We are your children, you are our Heavenly Father.
• We live in time, you are outside of time.
• We don’t know what will happen in the next second, you know all that will happen in every second for all history.
• We can’t control more than a few details of our lives, you are the sovereign God who has the power to control every event and detail in the lives of billions at the same time.
• We can focus on only a few events around us, you are intimately involved in the lives of every living person.

So, why do we so ofen not trust you?

Forgive us, we surrender to you,

the Great and Mighty One, Ruler of all!

Picture: each point of light is not a star but a galaxy made3of billions of stars.

Here is an entry from my journal, which shows the importance of journaling to help see how much God is doing in our lives.

Praise be to you, Lord God, for your protection, your power, your provision in making it possible to have this anti-stroke devise inserted in my heart.

As I look back I can see your goodness and mercy working through the whole process. Here are 9 God Sightings that I saw.

1. My regular cardiologist was not available, so saw his assistant.
2. She read my history very thoroughly and saw my tendency to have blood clots because of my having A-Fib and urged me to do something about it.
3. First, she prescribed a blood thinner that cost $510 after insurance, but I had some left over from a previous incident, so opted to use that.
4. However, that blood  thinner failed to work properly, so she had me stop it—if I had gotten the new prescription, I would have been out all that money.
5. Then she got me an appointment within just 3 weeks with a heart specialist—unusual, for when I had to see a kidney doctor because of severe kidney failure, it took 3 months to get an appointment.
6. When I saw the heart specialist, he said, “I just happen to have an opening in 5 days and can insert a device in your heart to prevent clots!” In contrast, my neighbor had a serious hernia but had to wait 7 months to get it operated on!
7. The specialist also put me on a new blood thinner that worked.
8. The insertion of the device went quickly and smoothly without complications, and after one night in the hospital I was able to go home, minimal disruption.
9. Our sister-in-law, Cynthia, graciously came and stayed with Barbara while I was gone, The Lord worked everything out.

Thank you, Lord for your loving care and protection. In the light of this, I praise you for what you will do for our other needs before we see your answers to prayer.

God’s way to true success as laid out in 2 Peter 1:3-7

THROUGH His divine power God has given us
everything we need for life and godliness
THROUGH
our knowledge of Him who called us
THROUGH
His glory and goodness and
THROUGH
Them He gave very great and precious promises,
That by them we may
participate in the divine nature, and
escape the corruption in the world.
THEREFORE, ADD TO YOUR FAITH
VIRTUE,
KNOWLEDGE,
SELF-CONTROL,
ENDURANCE,
GODLINESS,
BROTHERLY KINDNESS,
AGAPE LOVE.

The dawn of a new day full of possibilities as we add to our

faith virtue…

Update on May 5, 2026

Today I had the procedure done on my heart–the insertion of a protective device–and it went well. Now there is a filter that keeps any blood clots from going from my heart to my brain. I had no pain and woke up with everything already done.

I had quite an international staff: an Indian cardiologist, a nurse from Dominican Republic, another nurse from Korea, one from India and one from Haiti. They all did a great job.

I am thankful for God’s protection and provision and am predicted to get out tomorrow by 10:00  am to go home where I should be able to operate normally.

Thank you for your prayers. Truly as it says in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want…”  This whole event was one long series of God sightings, from my aged pickup making the one-hour trip safely, to a quick check, speedy prep and speedy procedure.  Now I am looking forward to a night’s sleep.

Praise God for taking me again through the valley of the shadow of death and out the other side into the land of light where I can look back and see His goodness and mercy!

Hello from my “Hotel room!”

Facing uncertainty can make us feel, well, uncertain!

As all of us face an uncertain future, we must admit that very little is in our control, with wars, weather, weaknesses and woes. In thinking on this, two verses in Psalm 131 spoke to me. “My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters….”

So, if I fuss and worry about things out of my control, I am being proud and haughty, acting as if I could influence these factors. Worry is a manifestation of pride!

Verse two led me to the next insight: “But I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” My soul naturally craves the kind of security that being in control gives; but that is beyond any human being.

Instead, I must look away to the God who actually is in control, who brings what is good (which sometimes is what is very difficult) and rest in His lap. It is up to me to quiet and still my soul, looking at truth, refusing to give in to fear and conjecture.

Verse 3 sums it up: “…put your trust in the Lord both now and forever more.” Who do I trust? My level of worry certainly tells me something about that! This exposure of the sin of pride and its manifestations in me has been good.

After taking care of what is my responsibility (proper preparation), then I must quiet and still my soul, not let it thrash about in a fit of worry and self-pity. This rest is part of the lightness of the yoke Jesus offers us. Let us take it with joy.

In your goodness, O Most High, you “guard the lives of your faithful ones and deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Ps. 97:10b).

As we worship you,

obey you,

walk with you,

we can rest in the power of your goodness:

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the All Mighty” (Ps. 91:1).

In your goodness, you pour out your grace upon us:

it flows out of your being

like water from a deep, pure spring,

like love from a new mother,

like light from the sun.

As we look upon you in worship,

“Light is shed upon the righteous

and joy on the upright in heart” (Ps. 97:11).

Lord Jesus, help me to walk in the light of your presence today,

thinking your Word,

living worthy of you,

pleasing you in all I do. Amen.

Picture: following Jesus in the Light