“‘Even now’, declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning.  Rend your hearts and not your clothing.’” [Joel 2:12 -13 (NRSV)]   Buyer’s remorse! That’s what made me go to the mall that day. The deep feelings of regret I’d been experiencing, since I bought a very pretty but pricey outfit from a boutique in the mall, had gotten the better of me! So, instead of carrying the guilt and shame of buying such an expensive garment, without tr

“. . . not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is . . .”   (Hebrews 10:25a) I wasn’t a DIY (do-it-yourself)   kind of girl. I joined the DIY delegation out of pure necessity!  I had to after the cherry wood Chippendale writing desk and chair set, I had ordered from an online catalog, was delivered to my door. The furniture arrived in two 6’ x 4’ boxes filled with furniture parts and screws.  Written on each box were the words, “Some assembly

Today, as we watch the news and read the newspapers, we see that we are living in an intense, politically divisive, and corrupt environment. It appears that the poor are becoming poorer and the rich are getting richer. Racism and bigotry have raised their ugly heads in an overt and profound way, as racial groups oppose one another.   This was also the type of environment that Jesus entered as He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. There were the followers of Jesus who had bee

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ~John 11:25- 26b “Believe that you can go home. Believe you can float on air. Then click your heels three times. If you believe, then you’ll be there; ” These are just some of the words from the song “If You Believe,” that Glinda sings to Dorothy, in order to tell her how to use the silver shoes on her feet

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty”. This statement was made by the late poet, Maya Angelou. Her words describe the human tendency to focus on and celebrate all that is considered beautiful while minimizing the often arduous process of creating that beauty. The butterfly must go through a series of secluded, obs

“. . . My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior . . .” Luke 1:46b-47 What brings you joy? That must have been the unspoken question that the soulful songstress Anita Baker was responding to in her romantic ballad, “You Bring Me Joy.” However, Anita’s lyrical reply to this interrogative sentence doesn’t give us a laundry list of things that cause her to experience joy’s sudden flutter of bliss in her heart. Rather, in this love song Anita makes only o

Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Luke 1:31-33 Today, we celebrate the beginning of the second week in Advent. Advent means “arrival, an appearing or coming into place”. The focus of this seaso

"He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth." ~ Psalm 72:6 (KJV) While some Bible scholars believe that the 72nd Psalm was written by David as a prayer to God for the prosperity of his son, Solomon, who would succeed his father as king of Israel, most strongly believe that this Psalm is, instead, a prophetic view of the co

Facing Victory When It Looks Different Than We Expected Today is Palm Sunday and we join in with thousands of Christians around the world who are celebrating Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem crying out, “Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mark 11:9). However only a few days later this same crowd was crying out “Crucify him, crucify him!” (Luke 23:21) We have all had moments of celebration that have certainly turned into sadness and melancholy.

“Then Mary took a pint of pure nard, and expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus feet and wiped his feet with her hair . . .” ~John 12:3a & 3b "Compliment what she does; Send her roses just because. If it’s violins she loves let them play; . . . Sacrifice if you care; Buy her some moonlight to wear; If there’s one more star she wants, go all the way . . . Love her today; Find one hundred ways.” Such is the relationship advice given by the late R&B singer, James Ingram, i

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10 (NIV) Solitude, the state of being alone, is often considered one of the traditional spiritual disciplines. The idea is to be alone with God, to pray, to meditate on His Word and to simply enjoy His Presence. As we allow God to heal our hidden neediness, anxieties and pain, we experience a more authentic personal connection to God and others. Some people use

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) During this time of the year, some people go through the annual custom of “spring cleaning”. Closets are liberated from their unused and unwanted contents, “dust bunnies” are evicted from their homes under beds and behind refrigerators and walls are adorned in new coats of paint. “Spring cleaning” allows us to de-clutter and start afresh but what an overwhelming project it would b

What exactly is Ash Wednesday? How and why is Ash Wednesday related to and connected to Lent? In the Bible, ashes are always associated with humility, fasting and remorse. Many times, as a sign of one’s sincere remorsefulness, one would sprinkle ashes on his or her head. When God speaks to Job regarding Job’s doubts about God’s presence in the midst of his pain and challenges, Job responds, “My ears had heard about You but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I despise myse

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted as, God with us.” – Matthew 1:23 Christmas is a most special and magical time of the year. Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan in their book titled ­The First Christmas gives us a detailed account of that very first Christmas over 2,000 years ago. The authors share with us that Jesus was born into a very tense and volatile atmosphere. Mary wa

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." ~ John 1:29 During the Christmas Season we are often bombarded with television shows and movies that detail the arrival of Jesus Christ. All of the stories are similar in nature in that they show an angel appearing before the Virgin Mary, Mary and Joseph leaving their home because of a census, the three Wise Men in search of Jesus and finally, the birth

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who live in the land of the shadow of death. Upon them a light has shined.” ~Isaiah 9:2 Jesus’ birth came at a time when spiritual darkness covered the land. The people of Israel had all but forsaken the ways of the Lord. The temple had become a marketplace; sacrifices were offered for the sake of obligation and tradition rather than from an inner hunger to worship God. And hope for the coming Messiah was ofte

“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, . . .” ~Isaiah 64:1a (NIV) On the way to work, I heard the song “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which playfully answers the most popular question asked this time of the year: What do you want for Christmas? As I listened to the lyrics I thought about the simple message of this upbeat Christmas love song. The singer, Mariah Carey, is in a romantic relationship. So, she is not concerned with the trappings of a commerci