Small Faith
Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20-21 (NIV) What’s the difference between “little faith” and “small faith”?? One is a problem; one is powerful?? I’ve been pondering this the last week as first I celebrated the Lunar New Year, and then discussed this verse in my Bible study. With the new year comes plans—both big and small. I’ve found myself struggling with making goals and have been...
Read MoreA New Dawn
But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Malachi 4:2 (NIV) Healing…2021 was meant to be a year of collective healing. Or so I thought. After 2020 being a year of pruning, I thought 2021 would be a year of healing (see: A Year of Pruning|Creekside Covenant Church (ecreekside.com). For me, the light at the end of the tunnel during the pandemic felt like it would be the availability of the vaccine allowing for open travel, meals with various other people, and in-person church and...
Read MoreOn That We Can Rest
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Matthew 8:26 (NIV) Writing in front of a large window, watching stormy skies and swaying trees, I cannot help but think of this passage. Both my Bible study and Creekside are studying the Sermon on the Mount this fall. Matthew 8 happens after and details the signs and wonders that Jesus performs. In this passage, Jesus was getting away from the crowds on a boat caught in a storm. In His humanity, He is tired and asleep. I do not know about you, but I...
Read MoreRecognized by “Perfect” Love
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18 NIV Encounter. Become. Impact. Creekside’s three action words reminded me so much of this verse during our Celebration Sunday. How did I connect perfect love to them? The idea that “perfect love drives out fear” has been quoted to me numerous times in the context of stress and anxiety. I have often seen it in those lists of “Bible Verses About Fear and Anxiety”. While it did provide some comfort, it always made me feel like I was...
Read MoreHeart Attitude for Wisdom
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7 NIV This summer I was challenged, along with my Bible study group, to delve into Proverbs. I say challenged because time and time again, I feel very, very unwise. Proverbs is all about seeking wisdom, and at any cost (Proverbs 4). I would argue that mankind is not naturally wise. I am not sure how true is the phrase “with age comes wisdom”, but I doubt if that’s true in my case. Throughout the study, I kept going back to the verse above, that wisdom is based on the “fear” or...
Read MoreLiving Like a Martha
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 ESV) Last...
Read MoreA Year of Pruning
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be ever more fruitful. (John 15:2 NIV) As a person with a selective green thumb—I cannot seem to kill succulents but can kill everything else—pruning is not high on my priority list. My overgrown succulents could use some help. For us non-plant people, the Wikipedia definition of and reasons for pruning are as follows: “…selective removal of certain parts of a plant; practice entails targeted removal of diseased, damaged, dead, non-productive, structurally unsound, or...
Read MoreTo Hear His Voice… Again
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 NIV Three years ago, I wrote an article titled “To Hear His Voice”. I remembered I had written it, but had forgotten it was in January. How times have changed! What apparently has not is that, come January, my mind and I guess my heart turn to the discipline of recognizing or discerning God’s voice. After all, it is the season of creating goals and seeking direction for the year. Have I “heard” His voice since I last wrote? I would like to think so. Have I gotten any better? I am not so sure. For a while, like Philip...
Read MoreJoyful Lights
“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that your care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4 NIV) In the third week of Advent, we focus on joy. To be honest, I am having a hard time with that right now. I am struggling with the social distancing rules, with how it has made my job harder (try doing Zoom school/therapies with special needs kids on top of doing nursing care in some form of Personal Protective Equipment), and I am still mourning the death of the plans I had for 2020,...
Read MoreProblems with Authority
A note from Miel: “I couldn’t get the election out of my head, and then I realized I’d already written about what was on my mind!” So here is a post from four years ago that remains relevant today. “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.” (1 Peter 2:13-15 NIV) The older I become, the more opportunities I have to choose to...
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