(G)Leaning on Grace

Ever wonder about the plan God has for each of us and how it all fits together? Doubting that He has a plan is not an option, but trying to dissect that plan, trying to figure out how each intricate little puzzle piece fits into the next, well, that is something that can drive me crazy! An amazing thing happened this week. As I was perusing my Facebook newsfeed one of those little strips of “People You May Know” popped up. I sometimes scroll through the film strip of individuals that this social networking program has somehow decided that I may know, or be interested in knowing, just to see if I do know any of them. Generally, it recommends people who may have common acquaintances. Sometimes there are many friends in common, but I still don’t know them, and at times there may only be one or two people we share friendships with. This week however, it was a bit different. It recommended a name that I had no “friends” in common with. A person who lives in Indiana and I live in Kentucky....

Not a day passes without a Facebook post, news story, grocery store discussion or workplace debate about the many opposing viewpoints on societal issues. Everyone has an opinion on which they staunchly stand proclaiming to anyone that will listen. Pro-life or pro-abortion, Obamacare or private insurance, gay rights or heterosexual marriages, tax increases or major spending cuts, open immigration or closed borders; all of these are consistently debated in this country by all. Each of these issues have multi-faceted extremely detailed arguments that each side can bring to the table. In my experience, when examining my own viewpoints on many of these issues, I find that my stance has changed with age, life experience and with an ever-growing relationship with God. Differentiations that I once thought trivial are now major players in my decision making process. By taking a hard look at my own choices, I try to understand why someone else feels the way they do on a given subject. While m...

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13 As human beings we all long for companionship, friendship and even truly deep relationship with another person that we can trust and share our most telling secrets with. Our emotional stability sometimes hinges on that very thing. We have an intrinsic need to share. Or at least women do. I understand that men are wired somewhat differently and it takes them a little longer, if ever, to open up to their contemporaries. I believe however, that God made us that way. He knew that we would long for relationship with another. He created us to do life, to serve him, to be living and active in our faith as a group. That's why h...