Do you like surprises? I guess it depends on whether they’re good or bad. And, most importantly, whether you trust God or not. Life is full of twists and turns for sure. How we react to them depends on how certain we are about God’s will happening in our lives and how certain we are nothing surprises God. Because nothing surprises God. You can count on that. And he has a plan for our lives. You might wonder why he…
I’d always kind of wondered how to pray without ceasing (1 Thess.5:17, NRSV,*) as the Bible tells us to do. You know, we have normal lives to live, right? We can’t drop everything to just pray. So what is the secret for praying without ceasing? I had already learned to pray while working or driving and I cherished my special times of prayer but then I noticed that my whole internal monologue had become a dialogue with God. I seem…
Modern people would like to think there’s no sacrifice or compromise needed in anything. We would all like to be able to choose what we like and be perpetually happy. No sadness or sacrifices, instead, we want a happy ending in everything. But that’s not how life works. We can’t oust sadness no matter how much we’d like that. There is no such a thing as life on-demand. We all know everyone’s life is touched by sadness. It might be…
This post is for you who have already cried out to God for years for help but the obstacles won’t budge, difficulties keep piling up, you’re feeling worse and thinking you just can’t cope anymore. How to persevere when you’re at the end of your rope, you ask. Let’s try to find some morsels of hope for you to keep on keeping on. First of all, you need to know you’re not alone, God has not abandoned you, he is…
It’s no secret I adore God and his amazing grace. I’m in awe of its power and crazy about the fact it is meant also for God’s children. For you and me. It is wonderful to be saved by grace through faith in Jesus for sure. But is that all grace is? Shouldn’t there be some evidence of the power of grace in our lives too? I think so. That’s why I was so delighted to stumble upon this tweet…
Life is full of ups and downs. We’d prefer not to have many downs but that’s not life. Perpetual sunshine is waiting for us in heaven. Meanwhile, there will be lots of rain and all kinds of life challenges. How to deal with them, that’s the key here. Joy is not the absence of demanding life events, it’s the ability to deal with them. Okay, you say. How can we do that? The main thing whenever you meet any kind…
When we read the Bible prayerfully, the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see things from a fresh perspective. I share you one of my revelations. For long time I kept wondering how on earth the Israelites wandered around the desert for 40 years. Why did they have hard time believing and trusting in God? Why did they not turn back to God? Have you had similart thougths while reading of the adventures of the Israelites in the desert? And…
Do you remember the Bible story of Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers? It used to puzzle me yet amaze me at the same time. Why would Jesus do it? And what would turning tables mean in my life? Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. (Matthew 21:12, NIV) I think Jesus was angry that people were…
One of the secrets of living well is pacing. Life can get very busy as you very well know. If we are not careful, our life easily spins out of control. And that’s not good, right? So, if we want to live well, we need to learn to pace with grace. How can we do that? We need to remember the Christian journey is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Hence we need to pace with grace. Otherwise, we will…
Have you ever been touched by someone’s hospitality? Good for you. Christian hospitality at its best is profoundly touching. I am in the learning process of this scriptural and spiritual way of serving others. I want to practice Christian hospitality myself. How about you? Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood—being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained…
