33Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”34Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”35“No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” Matthew 26:33-35 A dark line …
Out of the Chaos
Inspiration for living outside of the chaos.
Sunday, May 30, I was privileged to speak in both of our morning services. If you missed it, you can access the sermon on the Maple City Chapel website under the media tab or by clicking the link. I spoke from 2 Chronicles 14-16 which features Asa, the third king of Judah after the split …
If you are like me, you long to be forgiven quickly and completely, with relationships back to “normal” immediately. I don’t like the “I’m bruised and I need a little time to heal” phase. Perhaps forgiveness is difficult for you. I know it is for me. It’s hard to know what exactly it means to …
I have never been to any of my high school class reunions. I moved away right after graduation and never lived in that area again. Relationships weren’t maintained, new interests formed, distance developed. Honestly, it feels like a huge hurdle. I remember my high school years through a certain lens, as do we all. Since …
21Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: Lamentations 3:21 Jeremiah, a prophet to the southern kingdom of Israel before they were taken captive by Babylon, warned the people of Israel what would happen if they didn’t surrender to Babylon. The king, Zedekiah, didn’t listen and the people of Jerusalem suffered needlessly. Lamentations …
32Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. Luke 17:32-33 Remember what happened to Lot’s wife. What happened? Lot was Abraham’s nephew who traveled with him to the land of Canaan. (See Genesis 13) At one point, …
Today is a day set aside to remember and honor those who have served our country in the armed forces. Throughout my lifetime, it served as a day to remember loved ones who died. Taking flowers to the cemetery often happens on this day. It is good to remember. As I thought of that, I …
Pause. Sometimes life pauses. The work on the cabin is paused. Paused for a wedding, for the weekend, for the holiday, for personal interests. It sits and waits — patiently. Sometimes pauses are welcomed with grateful hearts. Other times pauses are forced and unwelcome intruders. There is one perspective I always gain in a pause. …
Dismantle. In any restoration project that is the first step. It is unsettling. The first thing done on the cabin was to take it apart. Not completely, of course, but half the roof came off. New dormer walls went up. The floor of the loft came out and everything in the cabin removed. For a …
We started talking about renovating the cabin a long time ago. We threw ideas around, wondered what we should do, were we just happy with it the way it was. A journey to emotional and spiritual healing is much the same. There might be cracks or hang ups noticeable, but often I am used to …
Out of the Chaos 