I saw a meme yesterday about how easily you can hurt yourself when you’re over 40 – you know, like straining your back getting out of bed or hurting your shoulder while doing dishes. I’m 43, and that meme holds a little too much truth. Two months ago, I started working at a thrift store,…
Tag: bible
Hope Is Kindled
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more,…
You Who Have Made Me See
Ask anyone who has ever studied the Bible with me – I’m big on context. Bible verses, and really any kind of writing, should never be plucked out of their surrounding text and infused with meaning all their own. Yet I’m writing today because I did just that. I was praying in front of my…
A Brand or a Sword?
My Bible study is in our eighth week of studying the first epistle of the Apostle Peter, with only one more week to go. As I tried to settle into this week’s text, chapter four, I kept having trouble focusing on the text as a whole, which is how I usually start each week of…
The Golden Thread
What is your favorite verse in the Bible? Why does that particular one stick in your head? Sometimes we choose a verse because it’s tied to a certain time or part of our life. Others stand out because they describe an important truth about God. My favorite covers both, but more importantly, it sews together…
All Things
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things…
Circuit Breaker
Growing up, my brother used to call me Circuit Breaker. Since childhood, I’ve done everything either all-in or not at all – and this was before the bipolar disorder showed up. While this lack of moderation contributed to academic success and athletic medals, it also led to quite a bit of trouble. Yes, I have…
The Source
Why does man seek God? It’s really too deep of a question for a non-philosopher like me to answer. So, I’ll ask, why do I seek God? In my current life situation, I am blessed with the time to study the Bible in depth. I read, I translate, I watch lectures. But why? I have…
The Mystery of Holiness
I say “holy crap” far too often. I suppose there are worse things to say, but the casual and even crude ways we use the word “holy” these days has contributed to a corrosion of the meaning of the word. As I study the book of Exodus, having recently walked through Hebrews, the import and…
A God of Fire and Grace
The story of God giving Moses the ten commandments is so well known that most people picture similar things when imagining it. For me, I think of shaking ground, deafening thunder, and a mountain shrouded in fire and deep darkness. I think of Moses walking down a mountain with two heavy tablets of engraved stone….
Before the Fire 