‘”You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.”‘ 1 Thess 2:5 Masks then! I’m not really a fan of the mask. Other than when they come in a lovely packet with ‘soothing’, ‘restorative’ or ‘moisturising’ emblazoned on them. We remember with sorrow the state … Continue reading Mask, by Catherine Hutton
“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace…” 1 Corinthians 14:33a My life has been full of disorder—chaos—for quite a while now. Especially the last nine months. In fact, I can now say that the last nine months have been the hardest of my life. (Before this, we’ve dealt with some pretty … Continue reading Disorder, by Kimberley Woodhouse
The Ammonite commanders said, “Hanun, do you really believe David sent this delegation to express sympathy for the loss of your father? Don’t you think his intent is to explore the city, find its weak points, and overthrow it?” 1 Samuel 10:3 (Becky’s No-nonsense Paraphrase) Intent Matters As a child, I loved the movie Pollyanna. A … Continue reading Intent, by Becky Antkowiak
‘”The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”‘ 2 Corinthians 13:14 Earlier this month I sat in a Baroque church in Central Europe. I was overwhelmed by the splendor displayed everywhere my eye alit. A sister in Christ leaned over, “If … Continue reading Communion, by Melissa Carey
“I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses,” Isaiah 63:7 KJV. “Everything is … Continue reading Bestowed, by Beth Duewel