Welcome, May!

-
Image
The past few weeks have been stressful. Training new employees, dealing with difficult customers, not sleeping well, not exercising (I’ve gained 20 pounds in the last two years), getting through family drama (two life-threatening events in the same day, 2000 miles apart: my dad’s heart attack in NM and a 9 year grandchild starting the rest of his life with Type 1 Diabetes) . . .  My CrossFit lifestyle withered into oblivion when I lost my job at the University in 2020, as Covid got going. Deep depression brought me to a standstill as I took a few months to try to reset. Since then, my physical status has been on steady decline. Now my daily schedule looks something like this: Work 3-11 pm (on a good day), Go to bed at 4 am, get up between 10:30 am and noon, get booted up and go back to work. If I get one day off a week I’m fortunate. At least I don’t have to work all night for now. That was the worst.  So I haven’t had time or energy to do much, even read, much less write. And since my

"I am afraid of another miscarriage."

-
“What should I do? I am upset with God and I am tired of crying. My sister had a miscarriage and I think it is my fault because of sin. I keep asking Jesus/God to give my sister another baby. I am ready for her to have another, but I am afraid of another miscarriage. What can I do to convince God to let my sister have another baby?”

Have you ever read Psalm 139? I encourage you to make verses 1-6 a prayer of admission of who God is. He knows everything about you, your sister, how you feel. The Lord is God and He is at work to display His own glory in His own way. Oftentimes we tend to get upset because we have a limited perspective on what He is doing—but He sees the big picture. These verses help us remember who is in control.

Make verses 7-12 a prayer of surrender. No matter what you experience, trust Him—believe Him. He cannot lie, so if we don’t trust Him, we are saying we know better than Him. God is right there with you, your sister, the baby--even through the darkest hour. Remember: King David had a child and lost him while he was still an infant; nevertheless, he still sought after God’s heart.

Verses 13-16 remind us of what is going on in the womb. As a father and grandfather-to-be, I have been in awe of what God does, watching babies grow and come and go in the world. God knows what He is doing. Note verse 16.

Verses 17-18 remind us that God’s thoughts are precious, and He remains near. Are His thoughts precious to you?

Verses 19-22 remind us that God is good and we need to be willing to separate from sin and wickedness—and that includes selfishness (which is idolatry—loving ourselves more than God)—check your heart and see if it is rising up against God.

Read verses 23-24. Ask God to show you your heart and confess any sin against Him (see verses 7-12). In his loving grace through the shed blood of Jesus, He is ready to forgive. This can be a comforting prayer for you.

Popular posts from this blog

“Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?”

-
July 2004 I went to Kenya, Africa to speak in two Pastor’s Conferences on the subject of Man, Sin and Salvation. At the end of each day I left just over an hour for questions (half the time were questions touching the subject of my lectures, and the other half for “open questions”; that is, people could ask anything). For the next few weeks, I will be sharing the questions that were asked of me, and my answers—and believe me when I say these people really know how to think! Question from Kenya #1: “Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?” [“ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live! ’” (Exodus 33:20) was the basis of the student’s question]. Answer: First, consider those who did see God—how did they respond when they saw Him? They were instantly aware of their sinfulness, and God’s holiness and righteousness (to name a few. And notice also that each responded in an attitude of worship, bowing down): Abraham built altars, wors
Read more

A Sonnet

-
“My God, where is that ancient heat towards thee, Wherewith whole shoals of martyrs once did burn, Besides their other flames? Doth poetry Wear Venus' livery? only serve her turn? Why are not sonnets made of thee? and lays Upon thine altar burnt? Cannot thy love Heighten a spirit to sound out thy praise As well as any she? Cannot thy Dove Outstrip their Cupid easily in flight? Or, since thy ways are deep, and still the fame, Will not a verse run smooth that bears thy name! Why doth that fire, which by thy power and might Each breast does feel, no braver fuel choose Than that, which one day, worms may chance refuse. Sure Lord, there is enough in thee to dry Oceans of ink; for, as the Deluge did Cover the earth, so doth thy Majesty: Each cloud distills thy praise, and doth forbid Poets to turn it to another use. Roses and lilies speak thee; and to make A pair of cheeks of them, is thy abuse Why should I women's eyes for crystal take? Such poor invention burns in their low mind Wh
Read more

Happy Valentines Day!

-
Image
  “We are born with a disposition to love in our hearts, which is developed in proportion as the mind is perfected, and impels us to love what appears to us beautiful without ever having been told what this is. Who can doubt after this whether we are in the world for anything else than to love? In fact, we conceal in vain, we always love. In the very things from which love seems to have been separated, it is found secretly and under seal, and man could not live a moment without this.” (Blaise Pascal)
Read more