paravanes:meditations

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own..." -- 1 Corinthians 6:19 This guiding wisdom is powerful and life-changing. I am a temple of the Holy Spirit; I am a temple of God. How does a temple of God think? How does a temple of God speak? How does a temple of God pray? How does a temple of God share? If you are a Christian, you are a temple of God. If you are not a Christian, you can become a temple of God. How does the temple of God encounter difficulty? With grace and a patient heart willing to learn. How does the temple of God encounter blessing and prosperity? With grace, gratitude, and sharing. How does the temple of God encounter daily life? With optimism, based on God's power and not on human willpower or luck. I am a temple of God. Because of this, I am able to progress fully toward my intended purpose. If  I fail, it is my choice to fail. If I begi...

Christmas is a reminder we are completely worthy of God's love, regardless of what we have done and may do in the future. This is difficult to accept at times, because we have been conditioned to believe only those who are "good" are worthy of love. Perhaps it would be more correct to say only those who are "good" are usually loved by other humans. Everyone is loved by God. This defies reason. Why would God love someone who commits horrible crimes, or someone who denies the existence of God? God loves because that is God's nature. God can do nothing but love. We know that no human person falls into this category.  In our fallen state, we are capable of love, and we are also capable of great hatred and emnity.  We are dual-natured, not single natured. We can't understand the holy-ness (whole-ness) of God, who has only one nature. That nature is to love. One Bible teacher describes the incarnation this way: "God contracted to a span....

Let's be honest here. There are too many ways for someone who does not need to have a gun to have a gun in America. Many people, who call themselves Christians ---and probably are -- continue to insist on the rights of anyone not a known felon to purchase and own a variety of firearms, including assault weapons and similar items designed for warfare and for killing large numbers of people in a short period of time. I live in the state of Michigan. The Michigan legislature, in a "lame duck' session, has just voted to expand the number of public places where someone can legally possess a firearm. This list includes churches and schools. Why does this happen in America? We have a lot of history here. We are a nation that expanded geographically by committing genocide against the native inhabitants of the continent. We are a nation that expanded financially by buying and selling people from another continent and keeping them in lifetime, perpetual slavery for hun...

This line from the classic Christmas hymn, "O Holy Night", tells us Jesus breaks chains and fixes broken and distorted relationships. How does He do this? The breaking of chains involves stress. I remember this from my elementary grade level science classes. In these classes, we studied the basic machines and principles related to machines. We learned how stress creates change when worked upon certain materials. Faced with enough stress,  the chain will break. Am I seeking the breaking of chains in my life without accepting the stress that may accompany that freedom? Have I declared myself "blessed and highly favored" without understanding how this designation may mean that I will endure pains beyond normal, so  I can faithfully and reliably and honestly testify to others how God can heal and overcome and restore anything that's broken in life? Am I willing to live these experiences so that I can lead and guide others who seek to know this truth? ...

--spreadshirt.com I used to speak regularly with someone who often declared herself to be "blessed and highly favored." When I telephoned her and would ask "how are you doing"? or "how is it going with you"?, the instant answer was always "I am blessed and highly favored!" Her answer came too quickly, almost as if no thought went into the response. I understand what many people teach about speaking only those words that reflect the reality you wish to experience. I think I have a least a little bit of understanding regarding why this type of thinking is so popular. I am not sure it's a good idea, or even biblical, but it is popular. I suppose we all like to think we are blessed of the Lord, but what does it mean to be highly favored? I reflect upon two persons from Scripture (Mary, Jesus' mother and the Apostle Paul)  I would consider to be "blessed and highly favored" of the Lord, but their lives were challenging,...

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."  Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus understands our loneliness.   The holidays are slowly approaching and news pieces and other information sources are beginning to tell readers and listeners how to prepare for the holidays. Typical advice says if you are spending the holidays alone, prepare ahead of time. Find something to do with other people; plan a trip with a group; donate time at a soup kitchen on Christmas or Thanksgiving. Don't allow yourself to feel the loneliness of being alone.   Being alone doesn't always equal loneliness. Still, it is good to know Jesus understands our loneliness. He was a unique person; though He loved those around Him, no one was just like Him. He was alone when He was tempted by Satan after forty days of fasting and prayer in the desert before He began His public min...

I have recently completed my three times per year ritual of going to the cemetery where my parents are buried (together, in what is called a "companion" grave site), clearing weeds away from the monument that bears their names and dates, and placing a seasonal floral arrangement. A good friend asked by why I do this. She said, "After all, they're not really there." I agreed with her and explained I do this because I recognize this space as the place where I bid them an earthly farewell, and that's very special to me.  Also, I recognize this space as the place from which they will be resurrected when Jesus calls them from the grave. The call may come next year, one hundred years from now, or a thousand years from now. It doesn't matter. Because I believe in the resurrection, a burial spot is sacred ground. That sacred ground deserves care and maintenance, if at all possible. (Image from Elmwood Cemetery , Detroit, Michigan) "O death, wh...