A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break

For the next few weeks I want to look at few of the passages that some of you shared two weeks ago to encourage our friend.  The first is from Isaiah 42, especially verse 3:

1“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen one in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him,

and he will bring justice to the nations.

2He will not shout or cry out,

or raise his voice in the streets.

3A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice…

God Has Not Given You Too Much (Trouble)

This is a Mind Change Moment Encore from 2007

She has suffered from so many debilitating and challenging physical problems that you need a scorecard to keep track. Her battle with diabetes caused her to lose her vision. She had kidney failure, regular dialysis and finally a kidney transplant. She has had at least two surgeries for cancer. Her schedule for doctors’ appointments in a month sounds like a fulltime job. Her husband has good health and a career, but is at her side when not working, and he empathizes and suffers vicariously with her.

Asking for Your Help

Today I am writing to ask for your help. We have a friend in Christ who has just been diagnosed with advanced stage cancer. The prognosis is not good. I know she would be encouraged to hear a thought or a Scripture from many of you who have also faced dark or uncertain times.

Finish Strong

by Sheila Presley Jones

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

Gabriela ("Gaby") Andersen-Schiess ran in the women’s marathon in the 1984 Olympics. Twenty minutes after the winner, Joan Benoit, crossed the finish line, Gaby staggered into the stadium. The crowd gasped in horror and disbelief when they saw her. Something was evidently wrong—badly wrong.

Minds and Hearts

We talk often here about making a mind change and how that can make a big difference in our lives. But what is the relationship between a mind change and a heart change?

Certainly, the two are closely related. Sometimes to make one, you also have to make the other. Sometimes making one enables you to make the other. Sometimes they are almost indistinguishable.

Processing a Loss

This will be different. Today I find it hard to write. I want to affirm my faith in God the Father, my appreciation for the love of the Son, and my gratitude for the power of the Spirit,  and yet, I am nearly paralyzed by sadness. I want to say something meaningful. But I feel empty and numb. Perhaps you can allow me to try to figure some things out.

Creating Our Own Celebrity?

“In our world of social media, people create their own celebrity.” (Brandon Stanton, author of Humans of New York, in an interview on public radio).

“It’s not about you.” (the title of the sermon I heard on Sunday).