The Reality of Our Present World

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of touring the Lancaster County Prison as part of an orientation preceding my application as a volunteer under the Chaplaincy program there. After meeting the Deputy Warden in the lobby, receiving instructions, a walk through the metal detector, and a few more passes with the wand we entered the facility. Not my first rodeo in this environment. More on that later. LCP was built in 1851. Parts of the original structure are still around…

"He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side…" Mark 6:45 I subscribe to a daily email from Oswald Chambers ministry. It's based on one of my all-time favorite writings by Chambers - My Utmost for His Highest. What floored me was the alignment in His message below with the blog I posted just a day prior. Then again, God works that way with me. He reminds me of HIS nature and the direction He has for me at the moment.…

For as long as I’ve been on this journey I still doubt. I let fear reign - even though my experience tells me that God always comes through. I suppose I don’t trust myself to make the right decisions. When “things” get a little tough I blame me, someone else, or Him if I feel like being the victim. It’s a lie straight from hell. When I conjure up the notion that life must be orchestrated by me, not God, I negate the ultimate sacrifice Jesus…

What was unplanned was me writing about Unplanned. Unplanned is a movie based on a true story of Abby Johnson who became the youngest clinic director in the history of Planned Parenthood, then a life-changing experience turned her into an anti-abortion activist. Joyce Slayton from Common Sense Media describes the opening scene in this way. “Viewers see two "procedures": a surgical abortion and a chemical abortion (via RU486). In the first scene, a woman,…

It’s an epidemic of epic proportions.  Sexual sin and its impact on the church family is undeniable and must be addressed. The reality of the widespread nature of this epidemic may surprise you. Christians have gotten good at wearing the fig-leaf of purity. Covering up the struggle with pornography, sex outside of marriage, marital unfaithfulness and a host of other sexual sin is commonplace. It’s not a topic that gets discussed in our churches. The answer…

Listen in as Steve digs a little deeper. When the poser shows up we get in all kinds of trouble. But do we even know what we’re doing when we acquiesce to the false -self? As believers in Christ, we have a new name – Child of God. Steve reflects on a few times in his life before he knew that name. https://anchor.fm/embracing-brokenness/episodes/My-False-Self--Stayin-Alive-e3ae5l/a-aaullg

It's easy to underestimate the wiles of the enemy. He would love to derail us. One thing always leads to another. Guard your heart and your mind. A trip to the shore proved it. Temptation abounds, but God wins. Watch as Steve describes just how slick the devil can be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TQ4Rl8EeE4

If you’ve been following us at all you’ll know how much we love the beach. There’s just something about the ocean surf and breezes that’s so calming. It’s like God is sending us a message of His love in every wave. The Jersey shore is a little more than 2 hours away, depending on traffic. That means any chance we get to head east, we do. I received an invitation in an e-mail from one of the more prominent, upscale casino/hotels in Atlantic City…

Don’t hold on to something God is calling you out of, whose fruit may have been ripe for a season. Whatever that "thing" is may have been filling for a time, but it needs to be left behind for something fresh and meaningful today. During 40 years of wandering in the desert, God provided for Israel. The manna was waiting every morning for their daily consumption. But God commanded Israel not to store it up for the future. It was just for the day. Is it…