Planning a New Hope

  In the following scripture, Jesus speaks of needing to go away so the Holy Spirit will come. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come . John 16:13 (New American Standard Bible)   Is God Tapping You on the Shoulder?             It’s not unusual for someone of faith to say that it’s a sin to worry, we should just put our faith in God and He will take care of the situation. For sure, our Father does handle those things that are committed to Him., but is there a possibility that sometimes what we call worry could be God tapping us on the shoulder, saying check this out?             There was no doubt that I’d been called to buy my house . Awakened about 2:30 a.m. fearful thoughts raced concerning ...

  My son, let them not depart from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, So they will be life to your soul, And adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely, And your foot will not stumble. Proverbs 3:21-23 (New American Standard Bible)   Therefore be careful how you walk, not As unwise men, but as wise, Ephesians 5:15 (New American Standard Bible)   When Opposition Makes a Change of Plans Difficult              Why is it so difficult to make a change? Contemplating doing something differently can feel threatening and sometimes it’s just not convenient.             Though the relationship was fragile, we’d decided to attend an event the next night. Immersing myself in a movie helped to forget the concerns that something felt amiss about our plans for the following night. About half way into the story, I sensed...

    In I Samuel 17:1-50 we can read the story of the young shepherd boy, David, killing the giant, Goliath. A recap of the story is as follows:             David was at the camp site because his father sent him.             David’s brother gave was scathing in his criticism of David.             David paid no attention to his brother but continued to gather facts about the giant.             David defended his ability to face the giant by his past successes in fighting lions and bears to protect the sheep.             David had a faith that the same God who delivered him from the paw of the lion would save him.             Before going int...

  An Important Tool in Winning a Battle Unmet hopes and dreams are often the sources of frustration and lack of fulfillment for many people. The account of the young shepherd boy David killing the giant Goliath is an incredible story of a seemingly insignificant individual going against a person who was a threat to the lives of the Israelites.             Giants to most of us are not the same as what David was fighting. Rather, these colossal problems are generally in the form of possibly finding a job, keeping a job, living our lives to the fullest, jealousy, illness, relationships, or any enemy that threatens us in some way.             How can we, as David did, slay these giants in our own lives? David showed an understanding of himself and made several wise decisions before going to war with the giant and over the next few weeks I will be covering these choices. T...

  And He (Jesus) said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you If you have faith as a mustard seed, You shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ And it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you. Matthew 17:20 (New American Standard Bible) The Need Is Great To help people in need the grocery store has a policy where the customer can choose to round up to the next dollar and donate their change. After rounding up and donating my twenty-eight cents, a story from the past came to mind.             It was during the time when Houston became home to many of the Vietnamese Boat People, those who fled Vietnam in the late 70’s. I was attending a large church one Sunday morning when the minister announced that even though he didn’t normally take up a second offering, that day he was making an exception. He told how one of the janitorial staff was saving his money to ...

  Dead Ends? I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, To present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12: 1-2 (New American Standard Bible)                           Two of my most frightening experiences had to do with dead ends.   It was late when the meeting in Kingwood, Texas ended, but I assumed finding the freeway would be no problem. Wrong! After some driving, it soon became apparent the road was leading me deeper into an isolated area. Having just seen one or two cars, my suspicion was that this dark wooded section was a place where drug deals went down as well as other undesira...

  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean into your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes, Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Proverbs 3:5-7 (New American Standard Bible)   When Change Disrupts Our Lives I have always been afraid of the dark. Some people talk about the joy of getting out of the city and looking at the stars. When the sun goes down and the sunlit day disappears, I want to see street lights and plenty of them. One way I combatted my fear of something possibly happening during the night was to live in multiple-family dwellings where walls were connected and people would hear me if I screamed.             In 2017 God led me to a different place to live—a freestanding patio home built for privacy. No longer was there the security that should there be a problem, I could trust others to come...