Soul Sister Time

            John Piper helped me understand the meaning of the glory of God in a deeper way when he wrote: The most passionate heart for the glorification of God is God’s heart.   God’s ultimate goal is to uphold and display the glory of his name (John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010) p. 41.)   I know that Jesus was passionate to bring glory to God and be glorified by Him…yet the glorification process remained a fuzzy, vague notion, almost holy gobbledygook if I’m completely honest.   Somehow this chapter helped me understand what I can do about a subject that I have read over and over in the Bible.               This book has opened a new doorway to understanding the connection between the glory of God and the character of God.   The glory of God is a spiritual reality that anchors the purpose of my life.   It forces me to get in touch with God’s original plan for all of us in this beautiful, abundant universe He put together. When I am speak

            I love the lyrics of a Phil Phillips song that tells a story that starts with time.   It goes: Scared of what's behind you; And scared of what's in front; Live with what you have now; And make the best of what's to come. It’s a beautiful song that considers life and death and the need to see what is right in front of you and live fully into the moment.             In order to do this best, you have to be open to what God has to show you.   The best place to find Him is in the now.   We humans, however, prefer to live in the past or the future.   The whole idea of retirement, that has baby boomers pacing the floors, is not even in the Bible.   I’m not saying that it’s not good or wise to invest for retirement, but we can get so focused on future goals or past glories or mistakes that we don’t live into the day and moments we have right now.             Real living means taking note of the now. God tells us: But encourage one another daily, as long as i

            Referencing her challenges to lead a world-wide ministry, Mother Teresa once commented :   I wish God didn’t trust me so much. .   Paul, on the other hand, almost seemed to brag about his challenges.   I encourage people to read 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 when they feel they are having a bad string of challenging events in their lives.   Most of us haven’t survived shipwrecks, been left for dead, or secretly escaped over a wall in a basket.               Though I do not like to face challenges myself, I can see the benefit from the challenges of life.   I am stretched further than I ever imagined.   These days my faith is growing to see that God can strengthen me to do far beyond what I thought I was capable of.   Through my challenges I stop focusing on what I can do and open my heart and soul to what God can do through me.   It is true that, like Paul, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13) .               From Abraham to Joseph to Mo

            June brings warmer, longer days, summer vacation and Father’s Day.    It’s a day to celebrate the role that God chose to identify with Himself, although no one really understood that God wanted us to see Him as our father until Jesus insisted that we follow Him in praying to Him in this way.               Moses was the first to describe God to us as our Father in Deuteronomy 1:31:   And in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place .   Although God always saw Himself as our Father, we could not see it until Christ showed this reality to us by coming to us as the Son of man and the Son of God.   David wrote of God as Father in Psalm 103:13: As a father has compassion on his children ,  so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.             The religious were rightly reverent in acknowledging the holiness of God.   To this day most Jewish people dare not even

            Easter Sunday is the most exciting day of Christendom.        Every Easter since, Christians the world over have been celebrating the too-good-to-be-true Good News that Christ has risen from the dead.   During the forty days following the first Easter Sunday, Jesus slowly increased the faith of His followers by appearing to them at random appointments transforming them from timid followers to world changers.   On the fortieth day, Jesus ascended into heaven, leaving the promise of the Holy Spirit.   Ten days later, Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit came to the hearts of all believers!             Pentecost Sunday is this upcoming week.   Compared to Easter and Christmas; yet this day gets little attention from most Christians, yet it is the center of what Christianity is all about.   I think this Sunday memorializes the most extraordinary reality of being a Christian.   Not every Christian was able to be with Jesus and witness His miracles and teaching, but every Chr