March 2011 Blog Posts (26)

Last week I helped edit a friend's novel, and the story kept me in suspense all the way through 300+ pages. But the ending wobbled. He avoided the "everyone-lives-happily-ever" ending, which often seems fake. Yet, I wanted more than what he gave me. As we all do, he's struggling with the finale. Closure in relationships, in stories, and in life often generates angst. Because this is a Christian-based novel, my friend's ending must be…

A Season of Sowing

http://deannadavis.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/a-season-of-sowing/

Pt. 1 of the Season series)

Pr. 20:4 A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.

Gal. 6:7b A man reaps what he sows

After reading this Sunday’s blog,…

Ready for the Road Ahead

          March 20, 2011, was the beginning of Purim.  The Book of Esther explains the origins of Purim and why it is celebrated.   Esther's story begins with Queen Vashti's fall from grace.  Persia was known for its opulent and excessive wealth.  The royal city of Susa was often host to endless banquets and celebrations.  Many times the entertainment at these affairs was "R" rated.  Vashti's refusal to take part in this debauchery…

Ready for the Road Ahead

            I was in one of the moods- bored, tired, and not in the mood to do anything.  Exasperated with myself for not wanting to do something healthy or good for my soul, I turned on the television, flip-flopped around a few stations and landed on "The Amazing Race".  I'm not really into "reality" TV, but I was curious to see where they would be going, so I stayed with it.  On this particular episode, the convoluted goal was to…

Ready for the Road Ahead

            Our tour group walked into the ancient city of Philippi on a beautiful day.  The sky was a pleasant blue filled with puffy white clouds.  But we recognized it only as a good back drop for the pictures we were taking.  Underneath our feet was the weathered Roman road, the Via Egnatia (Vee-ah Egg-nay-she-uh), one of the key elements in the spread of the Gospel.  It was especially moving for me.  Not only did Paul, Silas,…

Ready for the Road Ahead

            Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink!  That little ditty ran through my head several times during the first full week of March 2011.   Not only did we see record rainfall here in the Northeast, but an earthquake in Japan set off a tsunami which destroyed property and beaches in the Northwest.  The rainfall coupled with melting snow caused rivers and creeks to overflow their banks and commuters to detour around the…

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

-         Phil 3:13, 14

       While in the womb, a baby strives in an atmosphere of water and is nurtured through the umbilical cord connected to the body of its…

I've known Dr. Rick Morton as a fellow student (we did much of our Ph.D. studies together) and a fellow colleague from my seminary days. Later, I prayed as he and his wife Denise moved through the process of adopting a child from the Ukraine. Rick and Dr. Tony Merida have written a book that explores the theology of adoption and the Christian response to it. I've been thrilled to work on the study curriculum that NavPress will debut on April 4th that goes with their book,…

If there can be strange fire in worship, then what about discipleship?



There is a principle in certain denominations called the "Regulative Principle," and it mostly applies to how we worship God. In a nut shell, the regulative principle states:



"The acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own…

A Lesson about Hunting Dogs and Church

I'm back in Europe this week with a group of senior adults from the church. We're cruising down the Rhine River and enjoying visiting the towns an cities along the way.

Yesterday, we were in Cologne, Germany, the site of the largest cathedral in Germany. The cathedral's main claim to fame, however, is the golden shrine that is placed behind the high altar which is supposed to contain the bones of the three wise men who came to visit Jesus. The idea that someone might know…

Bob and I attended a conference Saturday morning in New Orleans that was designed to raise awareness of the human trafficking problems in the United States. My daughter is involved in this ministry in New Orleans, so I thought I understood the problems of human trafficking through our conversations. Not so! I learned alot in the conference.

1. I learned that women and children (and to a smaller number young boys and men) are being pulled into slavery to drug sellers and sex pushers…

Such are the paths of all who forget GOD;

The hope of a hypocrite will perish –

His confidence is mere gossamer,

His trust a spider’s web.

He can lean on his house, but it won’t stand;

He can hold on to it, but it won’t last…

Yes, this is the “joy” of the godless,

and out of the dust will spring up others like him.…

“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, and tell them that this is how you are to bless the people of Isra’el:  you are to say to them,

              ‘Y’varekh’kha YHWH v’yishmerekha,

              (YHWH bless you and keep you.)

              Ya’er YHWH panav eleikha vichunekka.

              (YHWH make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.)

              Yissa YHWH panav eleikha v’yasem l’kha shalom.

             …

One of the things I spend most of my time on is developing curriculum to go with NavPress' LifeChange Series. As a part of that work, I've spent a lot of time reading Matthew Henry's biblical commentary.

Even though a new edition of his work was published in 1997, his original work is over 300 years old. I fell in love with some of the old classical writings in my doctoral work. I especially enjoyed reading books on teaching that dated in the late 18000s and early 1900s. I…

Making Disciples on facebook was started a little over a year ago, and has been the center of discussion about all things having to do with Making Disciples for quite some time.  There are over 10,000 hits daily on this site and it is genuinely a community of believers who engage in love and deep thoughtfulness.  I urge you to visit us and "like" our…

You who live in the shelter o,f ‘Elyon,

Who spend your nights in the shadow of Shaddai,

Who say to Adonai, “My refuge! May fortress!

My GOD, in whom I trust!” –

He will rescue you from the trap of the hunter

And from the plague of calamities;

He will cover you with His pinions,

And under His wings you…