God Ponderings
Thoughts about God, religion, the Bible, etc.
-
Don’t Judge Me…A Matter of Perspective
It really was innocent, but it looked scandalous. Let me take you back to my last winter youth retreat in my “cult”. I was super close to being out. In fact, I was already a closet rebel as this story will confirm. 😉 Click here to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Our church had rented this small Christian camp for years, both for family camps and youth retreats. I loved the rustic chapel with its fireplace and knotty pine beams. I thought I knew every crook and cranny until my friend’s younger brother asked me if I’d ever seen the attic. Apparently there was a secret staircase in a closet…
-
Feeling the Stretch
The shriveled clumps of grass clung weakly to the dirt. Brown and brittle, they crunched under my feet. It hadn’t rained in weeks. Everything was dry and dusty. Just walking around kicked up so much dirt that a light tan film constantly covered my feet and legs. My favorite summer camp was quickly turning into a desert. Click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter. We were desperate for some rain! “I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.” Psalm 143:6. I knew firsthand what it meant to be in a parched land and desire water. But what did it mean…
-
A High Ropes Course Called Life…
I strongly dislike high ropes courses. But, I adore zip lines. This has been my dilemma as a youth pastor’s wife for the past five years. High ropes courses seem to go along with youth retreats and camp experiences. I hate them. They terrify me. But, I want to participate, to be a positive example to teens who are also terrified. Plus, there’s almost always a zip line at the end! Did I mention that I love zip lines? Don’t miss another thing! Click here to subscribe to my newsletter. For those of you who have never experienced a high ropes course, let me explain the horrors. High ropes courses…
-
There is No Magic Formula, But We Still Have Hope…
In my last post, I wrote about ways we try to manipulate God, twist His arm, and push the right buttons on His “heavenly vending machine” to get what we want. While most of us would never come out and say it this bluntly, the formulaic way we treat God speaks for itself. We believe the lie that there are specific spiritual steps we can follow to achieve a desired outcome. We try to claim Bible verses (out of context) and say they promise things like physical healing. And when none of these things work, we blame ourselves or others for a “lack of faith” (as though there is a certain…
-
But God is Not a Vending Machine…
Reblogged with a few tweeks from last year because I needed to hear this again! It’s easy to say that we believe God is all-powerful and that He has the ability to intervene on our behalf. But what about when He doesn’t? When a young couple, serving on the mission field, looses their healthy, newborn son to unforeseen complications, after two previous miscarriages… When a wonderful, loving pastor’s wife suddenly dies… When a family battling cancer with their teenage son finds out their second son also has cancer… Really, God? If you are really in control and absolutely powerful, why would these things happen? If we are honest, we will admit…
