Joy & Suffering — Good & Evil

Red Light, Green Light: Minimizing Harm

I just re-read my post from April 15 entitled, “A Case for Suffering.” Hmm. An interesting date on which to publish that post! We are now concluding July, and the summer is nearly over. When I was a child, we would not have viewed summer as nearly over at the end of July! School didn’t start until after Labor Day, but now schools begin earlier, and they take a few more breaks during the year.

Our theme today (which certainly applies to following tax laws and to getting an education) is that their is wisdom in paying attention to red lights and green lights so as to minimize harm both personally and collectively. (Is this too obvious of a wisdom, or does difficulty stalk application?) Continue reading

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Savoring Loveliness, Confounding our Sadness

I wrote a post last week but it remains lonely in my drafts. The last few months have been experientially and emotionally packed. So many things to write about. I’m overwhelmed. This past week was the second year anniversary of the deaths of our nineteen Granite Mountain firefighters here in Prescott, Arizona. They died, defending people and homes in Yarnell, Arizona from the raging flames. The day following this anniversary is my birthday. What a juxoposition. . . . Continue reading

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Live and Learn — Traveling and Grandsons

Cliches become cliches because there is some clear core of truth within them. “Live and learn” is one of those. It is a premise found in Scripture and within our personal experiences.

Paul and I returned recently from a lightning round, eight day trip to the midwest. We flew to Chicago, spent the night at our older daughter’s home, picked up a rental car the next day and drove

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A Case for Suffering

Can you make a case for suffering? Most of you are probably familiar with Lee Strobel’s  A Case for Christ and A Case for Faith series. An atheistic journalist turned Christian apologist, pastor, and seminary professor, Strobel seeks to display the integrity of the historic claims of Christianity and to convince others to place their faith in Christ.  Holding many back is the dilemma of evil and suffering, both worldwide and personal. Suffering troubles everyone. Continue reading

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Seeing God’s Invisible Work; Tasting His Goodness

I had a taste, a sweet and nutritious taste yesterday of God at work in my life. His invisible hand became visible, and I tasted what His hand served. My first glimpse of His sleeve occurred the night before. Continue reading

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The Ten Year Marker

This morning I wrote a letter to my family and relatives about my father, Marion Ray Thomas. Today is the ten year anniversary of his home-going, so I wanted to honor him by calling attention to his life.  The following is the letter except for the opening. I also want to honor him among my friends, which you are!  I asked my family members if they can remember what they were doing at the time they heard the news. You can follow it from here:

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Categories: Being Like Jesus, Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , | 6 Comments

The Leading of Longings

Who might you be and what would you have become if you were born in another country and in a different culture and time? Reading biographies can give us glimpses into the many possibilities. I’d like to quote today from the life story of one of the last century’s most breath-taking individuals.

Born in 1909 into poverty in eastern Europe and soon orphaned, he was nurtured on the food of atheism — be it food or poison.  He did not believe in God. He did not believe in Christ. He did not believe in religion. To this young man, all such beliefs were “harmful for the human mind.” Continue reading

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The Rest of Dad’s Poem

I’ve been sitting on my recliner, reading my father’s poetry and his grandfather’s poetry. My dad — Marion R. Thomas. My great-grandfather — Daniel Driver Thomas. I never met Daniel Driver, but I heard about him from my father. Dad loved and respected his family members. Dad loved and enjoyed God’s world. I even found a poem he wrote entitled, ” Come, Celebrate Grass” ( 40 lines about his lawn, written around 1987).  Two posts ago, I gave you the beginning of Dad’s poem entitled, “Suppose.” Here is the entire poem, written in the 1940’s: Continue reading

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This Incredibly Extravagant Generosity of God

Here is a beautiful description of God’s grace and the gospel of Christ:  “This incredibly extravagant generosity of God.”  From Acts 20:24, this is the way an older pastor and Bible scholar interprets-translates the ending of Acts 20:24, describing the Apostle Paul’s gospel-sharing calling. 1

The Via Dolorosa – The Way of Christ’s Suffering                                                                                                              Via Dolorosa: The Way of Christ’s Suffering

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Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Spiritual Growth | Tags: | 4 Comments

Do You Have a Christian Mind?

Today, I want to share with you a YouTube video and a book. Both address the meaning of life, though in different ways. You may want to listen to the YouTube presentation first and then consider the book, or at least the theme of the book.  Continue reading

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , | 2 Comments

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