You Are A Miracle Blog

 I recently received a Facebook message from a person with whom I last spoke in 1987 - 33 years ago. Our conversation was about the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics basketball teams. As an all-knowing 22 year old recent college graduate, I stated to him that the Lakers would never equal the Celtics number of  NBA championships. He messaged me to revel in the fact that the Lakers just won their 17th championship and were now tied the Celtics. When I began reading his message I was a little confused, then I realized who this was and I remembered the context of the conversation. It kind of took my breath away. This person had been holding on to my statement for 33 years! This sent my spirit reeling. How many other people were holding on to statements I made over the years. How many of my off-handed remarks were still affecting others consciously or subconsciously? As has happened several times before, I was humbled and frightened by the power of words. Jesus said in Matthew ...

Recently I transported a trailer to be handed off to its new owner.  It was a 6'x10' single axle trailer that was really too big for my wife's 2005 Gran Marquis. When the trailer was attached to the car the rear end sunk low to the ground and the hitch was very close to the ground. I'm kind of a nervous driver anyway but with this trailer attached I became aware of every bump and jolt. I entered traffic more slowly, I went over railroad crossings at a crawl and I turned extra wide while going around corners. My brain kept reminding me that I had a trailer behind me. Well, I got to the drop-off point, unhitched the trailer and rejoiced that the rear end of the car recovered its normal position. In just a little while I was able to drive away without the trailer in tow.  Something strange happened as I was driving away from the site where I dropped off the trailer - my mind kept telling me that I was towing a trailer that was not there. The messages that had been ing...

A few years ago I began a stretching and exercise regimen that involves a mixture of Pilates and yoga movements.  One of the movements is called child's pose.  It involves getting on my hands and knees, sitting back on my heels, putting my forehead on the floor and stretching my hands out in front of me. Every time I get in this position I think about being bowed down before my heavenly Father in child's pose. In ancient Near Eastern cultures this type of bow was symbolic of complete submission before a greater and stronger person. A warrior would bow himself before someone who had defeated him in battle. The implied message was that the defeated warrior was helpless before the victorious warrior. As an act of submission, Muslims still bow before Allah in this way during their daily prayers. There are several Bible passages that speak of bowing before God in submission. It is not a Biblical mandate that every Christian has to get in child's pose before God, everyone i...

I am writing this post during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.  There are reports worldwide about the effect that the lack of pollution is having on cities.  In Venice, which recently had murky, dirty, lifeless canals because of the constant boat traffic, water pollution and cruise ships, the canals are now becoming clear and there fish swimming in them - CNN story link .  In India because of the lack of air pollution people in the state of Punjab can now see the Himalayan mountains for the first time in decades - CNN story link . On a daily basis we are reading about the impact of a lack of factory production and travel upon the environment.  This lockdown has only been in place for a few months and nature is just naturally healing itself.  When the lockdown is lifted, it will be interesting to see if Venice values tourism over clean and healthy canals and if Punjab values industrialization over clean air. We face the same question in our lives - what will we va...

Do Not Judge Others Confident, Clear-minded People Do Not Judge Others Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you will be judged. 2 For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Luke 6:37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. John 7:24 ”Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.” Judging others means that I am holding them to my expectations - I judge others based upon my idea of the “IDEAL” person and I do not even live up to those standards all...

The Real Serenity Prayer , by Reinhold Neibuhr God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things  that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next.   Amen.