Category Archives: Living Well

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Adoring Our Lord

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“My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.  Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn!  I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations.  For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the skies.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth.”  Psalm 108:1-5

In the United States, we have officially entered the “Christmas Season”.  My wife prefers a clear delineation between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  From her perspective, one doesn’t play Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving.  As I come from a different perspective, I’ve been known to bend and break that rule much to her consternation.  I have no problem playing “Christmas music” occasionally throughout the year.

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Living With a Thankful Heart

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“Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples.  Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders.  Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.”  Psalm 105:1-3

This week Thanksgiving is being celebrated across the United States.  The day has been set aside to thank God for His provisions and mercies.  However, as we approach the day, we hear more about food, football, sales and traveling rather than we do about giving thanks to God.  When the concept of being thankful is brought up, it’s usually in terms of a general attitude rather than focusing on the one to whom we give thanks. 

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Relax

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“‘Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’  The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.”  Psalm 46:10-11

We have raised two daughters and have the pleasure of spending a fair amount of time with our grandsons.  As a result, we have plenty of experience with children fighting sleep…especially when they are overtired.    They fight and fight until that moment that they are so worn out, that they can no longer stay awake and suddenly their little bodies go limp. 

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Fighting the Chameleon Within

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You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness    2 Peter 3:17

I was blessed with a mother and maternal grandparents who had very strong convictions about not letting people and circumstances move them from what their ethics and beliefs dictated.

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The Blessing of Social Media

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With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.  Ephesians 6:18

When I sang in our church choir, there was an unexpected benefit to facing the congregation.  Sometimes it was while singing and at other times it was while waiting for the announcements to be completed. 

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Honor and Respect

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Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.  Romans 13:7

I had some medical tests done today by men and women I had never met before.  They exhibited concern for me as patient and I trusted them for their knowledge.  These were brief exchanges, but despite the fact that these medical professionals were literally inflicting various levels of stress and pain on my body, they passed pleasantly and with rapport.

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Devoted to Prayer

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 “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit”  Ephesians 6:18

My prayer life is currently under reconstruction.  It’s not that I’m uncomfortable praying or don’t see the need, it’s just that my focus is lacking and too often I’m just not sure what to pray. 

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The Words That We Speak

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Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:14

I just returned home from a week in New England visiting my mother-in-law and doing some work for her.  I took Monday afternoon to visit Rockport…a place that my wife and I have enjoyed for many years.  It was a beautiful day and, because it was mid-week during the off season, it was not overcrowded.

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Comfort In Affliction

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For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.  Romans 8:24-25

I love music.   One of my first memories is being cradled by my father as he sang me to sleep…something I would later do with my own children and occasionally with my grandchildren.  Music energizes me.  It helps me refocus when my thoughts start spiraling out of control.  Aside from God’s handiwork that has brought to my knees in worship, few things stir my soul like great music.  In that light, I’d like focus my discussion around “When My Heart is Torn Asunder” by Phil Wickham.  It is a song that has blessed me on many occasions.

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The Prisons We Build

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“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.”  Luke 4:18

Last week was an interesting week.  First, I met with a new GI doctor who is clearly the first specialist to look at my medical history in total rather than just his area of expertise.  The result is that he feels that the diagnosis that has governed my care for the last 23 years is probably inaccurate.  In short, it is too myopic and does not consider that there is possibly an underlying problem that ties my various health issues together.  While I should be ecstatic that he cares enough to take a fresh look at things, it is unsettling to go back to the world of “undiagnosed” and start the diagnostic process over.

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