Planning a New Hope

  But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you, When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. (Isiah 43:1-2, New American Standard Bible)   Moving Forward with Thanksgiving                         I saw a card with two dinosaurs sitting aside watching the ark that had obviously pulled away earlier. One dinosaur turned to the other and said, “Was this the day?”             Sometimes life’s problems are often magnified when we believe our ship has sailed; we’ve been left behind; and there’s no hope.      My fury...

              For those of us during this pandemic who are quarantining, there is a reality of isolation, for some more than others, as never before.   In my life instead of going to the community center twice a week for exercise classes, I exercise alone using a program on my computer. That afternoon that was spent volunteering is now extra time to fill. My Sundays changed from going to church, Sunday School, and then having lunch with my friends, to streaming the services. What I am describing is similar to probably 90% of Americans—our lives have changed!             With time, I have developed a routine that works. But several weeks ago, a sense of desolation invaded my peace, and there seemed to be no cure to these intense feelings of disconnection. Phone calls or visits with friends and family yielded little satisfaction. During lunch one day, I listened to...

  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 (New American Standard Bible)   Winners and Losers               This week, probably as never before, we have been glued to the T.V. awaiting the returns to see who won and who lost. In a contest that demands voting, there is an obvious winner and loser, but in the process of living how do we determine who was successful and who missed the mark.             Tracker, my golden retriever from years before, loved an audience. He was also a confident natural athletic who loved to play ball and could put on quiet a show by jumping up into the air while grabbing a successful catch. As he grew, he learned to ...