Morning Musings – Page 40

Morning Musing: Honoring A Great Lady

June 7, 2024June 7, 2024Leave a comment

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 – CSB – Read the chapter)

Followers of Jesus have used all kinds of means to identify themselves over the centuries. Symbols, titles, national identities, and so on and so forth. We do this because we want to know who’s saved and who’s not. Now, too often we’ve gotten off track from Jesus’ teachings and used this knowledge for a variety of nefarious purposes, but we’ve also been more noble in our aims. For all the ways we identify ourselves, though, Jesus gave us a marker, a way to tell who are His followers and who aren’t. It’s very simple, He said, just love like He does. I got to participate in bidding a final-for-now farewell to a great lady yesterday. Let me tell you about Peggy and being someone who loves one another.

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Morning Musing: Exodus 24:9-11

June 5, 2024June 7, 2024225 Comments

“Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of israel’s elders, and they saw the God of Israel. Beneath his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. God did not harm the Israelite nobles; they saw him, and they ate and drank.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Starting out something new with God feels good. It’s exciting. We pour ourselves into it and into Him. Everything is going just as it’s supposed to go. Now, this doesn’t mean everything is going to stay that way. But getting off on the right foot is better than getting off on the wrong one. This next passage is unexpected and, honestly, kind of weird. But it’s pretty important. Let’s talk about why and what’s going on here.

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Morning Musing: Hebrews 11:14-16

May 31, 2024Leave a comment

“Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. But they now desire a better place — a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” (CSB – Read the chapter)‬‬

I’ve spent the last week away from home. Today we’re traveling back. I’m looking forward to that. It’ll be good getting back to my own bed and my own stuff and the people with whom I spend the most time other than my immediate family. Yet in being away from home, I’ve gotten to spend a week in the place and with the people who were my home for what was still most of my life (although I’m close to crossing the line where that won’t be the case any longer). It’s all got me thinking about what home means and where exactly home is. Let’s talk about it for a bit.

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Morning Musing: Hebrews 12:1-2

May 30, 2024Leave a comment

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

So far this week we have talked about freedom, bees, and the good old days. This has given us the chance to reflect on honoring those who have sacrificed to give us what we enjoy, evidence for God’s existence, and gratitude. Today, let’s see if we can put all of those together into a single idea. This all comes compliments of a visit to what I think is the only World War I Memorial and Museum in the world. It’s at the very least the largest and the best. Let’s reflect for just a few minutes today on the gift of those who came before us.

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Morning Musing: Ecclesiastes 7:10

May 29, 20244 Comments

“Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” since it is not wise of you to ask this.” (CSB – Read the chapter)‬‬

I get a variety of daily newsletters in my email inbox. Some are just collections of headlines with links to read the full articles. Others include all the news right there. Because I don’t watch any news on TV or subscribe to any newspapers or get any news through social media, these newsletters along with a handful of podcasts are my way of staying engaged with what’s going on in the world around me. The best newsletters, though, don’t just give the news. They also include a variety of other items the writers think might be of interest to their readers. One of these caught my eye the other day. It was a synopsis of an article about a group who tried to figure out exactly when the “good old days” actually were. If you’ve ever wondered that yourself, read on with me for just a bit.

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