Skip to main content

Sunday Night Reflections

I appreciate new beginnings. That's why I'm excited about the beginning of this year. I'm determined to make the most of it, with God's help.

Really enjoyed the beginning of our Sunday evening series. We'll be going through a six-week video series by Jim Cymbala called When God's People Pray. I think it really will be life-transforming.

This is the Week of Prayer in the Assemblies of God. Set the tone for 2009 by beginning each day this week in prayer. You'll be amazed at what ten or fifteen minutes of prayer each morning will do.

I want to repeat my challenge to read through the Bible in 2009. (See previous post) You might have to excise something of less importance from your schedule--TV, casual reading, internet--do what is necessary to meet this goal. It'll pay great spiritual dividends!

Have a great week, and a great start to 2009!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Day Our World Changed

November 13, 1989. 11:30 AM I had just finished my lunch in the teacher's workroom and was walking back to my classroom. I was teaching at San Jacinto Elementary in San Angelo, Texas at the time. Up until then, it had been a typical November day. As I walked past the school office, the door swung open, and a fellow teacher stepped out with a look of concern on her face. She spoke directly to me and said, “Your wife’s on the phone, and it sounds serious.” I ran into the office, took the phone, and heard my wife say, “I don’t know what happened, but your brother is on life support in a hospital in Austin.”  Twelve hours later, my father and I were sharing a room in a hotel on I-35 in Austin. My sister-in-law, Sandy, and her six-year-old daughter, Araceli, were in a room across the hall. I hardly slept that night. I would doze off and suddenly wake up to my father crying and calling out my brother’s name.  My brother was dead. Osiel had collapsed that morning while his high s

Classical Music

Took a trip to Midland with Lillian, Bethany, and Ryan for Ryan's basketball game tonight. We went in Bethany's car, which has satellite radio. On the way up, we were listening to a Classical station that was playing Christmas music, specifically choral music. It was just beautiful! We got to hear music from Handel's Messiah (For Unto Us a Child is Born), as well as performances by Luciano Pavarrotti, the King's Singers, and many others. It made for great traveling. Oh, Ryan's team won the game. Ryan had a double double. For the uninitiated, that means he scored double digits in points and rebounds. It was a good evening.

Unveiling the Unexpected Gift of Suffering: A Christian Perspective

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I'd like to explore an unusual subject: finding thankfulness in the midst of suffering. This might seem odd, but Christianity has a different perspective on suffering that can astonish many. Embracing Thankfulness  Traditionally, as we navigate through the month of November, we often use each day to express thankfulness for various aspects of our lives, ranging from family to health and careers. But, as Christians, we go beyond the norm and find ourselves thankful for rather unusual things—grace, for instance. We are grateful for God's grace and how it instills in us a sense of liberation from our sins. But there's another element, quite peculiar, that we appreciate—suffering. A Christian Perspective on Suffering The notion of being thankful for suffering may sound worrisome. Yet, as followers of Christ, we trust that our trials and tribulations serve a purpose. Every pain, every emotional turmoil, offers an opportunity for spiritual