Between You and God

Every situation that enters our lives does so with the knowledge of the Divine. In each, we are assigned the role of either teacher or student, and at times both. Every encounter with another affords us the opportunity to share our knowledge with them so that what has enriched our life has the potential to do the same for them. In some circumstances...

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Life is filled with clichés that people adopt as truths without giving them careful consideration for their validity. One common belief is that life is short and therefore should be lived to the fullest. Make the most of life while you can because in a blink of an eye it will be gone and all that will remain is death, a nothingness, a void, a non-existence. This belief is responsible for a deep rooted fear many people have in regar...

I stood in line behind four young adults, all of whom had varying degrees of disabilities. With the assistance of their caregivers, each carefully chose items for purchase and were being instructed to place them on the conveyor belt in preparation of payment. The cashier, a tall well groomed young man no more than nineteen years of age, smiled patiently as each customer placed and paid for their items. His eyes revealed that for hi...

How often do you pray to God: every day, once in awhile, when you need a favor or never? It's been my experience that the majority of prayers are those of petition, that is, they seek a favor from God. Many are well intentioned, seeking assistance for a good cause or healing for one in need. Then there are those frivolous prayers such as wanting to win the lottery, often accompanied with a plea deal: "If I win I promise to ...

Our misguided love for another or sense of purpose can easily sent us into a downward spiral of despair when our plans are suddenly interrupted. Redefining who we are ("I'm no longer this person's spouse: I am now their widow or ex.") can be debilitating and terrifying. One runs the risk of losing their identity and their reason to live. While it may sound like a romantic theme from a Hollywood blockbuster, designin...

What kind of God blesses some of His children and not all or some more than others? If you look, it's easy to find those who appear to receive more from God than others. We are well aware of those who work as hard as their neighbor but fall short of reaping similar successes. Could it be that our Heavenly Father has favorites or that His destiny for some is that of pain and hardship rather than abundance? For certainly, there s...

Most of us are familiar with the acronym, TGIF: "Thank God It's Friday". For some it also conjures up images of sumptuous foods served in a family style restaurant. I'm as big a fan as any of the last day of the week but probably not as much for the eating establishment. As of late, TGIF has taken on a new meaning for me: it stands for ...

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Go onto social media and you'll find posts claiming that "God is in control." Very often this sentiment is designed to offer hope to those who feel they have been treated unfairly, fear terrorists groups, or for family members struggling with a life-threatening condition. "God is in control" sends a message of faith and hope: "Don't worry. God will take care of it or those who are causing the problems. G...

When I was growing up we valued the opinions of others. If someone liked you, you felt good about yourself and if they didn't you needed to take a hard look at what was "wrong" with you. The pendulum has since swung to the other extreme: people no longer care what others think of them. "My opinion of myself is all that matters." Yet in reality, it's not their opinion that matters nor my own. The only opinion...

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could change the nature of our relationships that are troublesome: an ex who continually argues with us a sibling in competition to outshine us, ? Lord knows, we've tried! We know that we cannot, nor do we have a right to, change anyone. Change will only occur if and when the individual desires it and is ready to implement it. So what does one do in the meantime short of severing all interacti...

Recently, we suffered a power-outage so I took candles from my kitchen cupboards and placed them in the rooms we intended to use. I lit a match and put it to the wick of the first candle. Immediately, the flame engaged the fiber and light infused the room. The light produced from subsequent flames intensified and permeated each room, illuminating shadowy corners and eliminating obscurity. As I sat in the soft glow of candlelight, I...

I have a love/hate relationship with mirrors. I care what I look like and it's nice when others notice. But it's even more rewarding when others comment on my attributes - qualities I've taken time to develop over the years. As much as we all appreciate compliments, we are too quick to point out the flaws of others. But what if we acted like mirrors and reflected back to them the God-ness within that is who they truly a...

In each of our lives, we have what Oprah refers to as "Ah-ha" moments: those instances where we experience a profound truth that oftentimes transforms our lives. Some people also refer to these enlightening occurrences as "God winks". Regardless of the moniker, it is critical to give careful thought to the messages for they may very well alter our lives in a profound way.

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There are many who argue the validity of the Bible claiming that because it was written decades after the death of Jesus it cannot be fully accurate. Certainly some portions may not be interpreted accurately as 2,000 years ago the language was somewhat different than what is spoken today and some words held different meanings. Do not agonize over the specifics of the Bible. One need not memorize Scripture in order to follow God'...

If you engage on social media you will see a lot of posts for prayers for all sorts but undoubtedly the one most prevalent is that for world peace. Most people are concerned about the safety of our planet and are willing to at least petition God to bring about peace. Praying for peace is admirable but actively living peace is far more praiseworthy. I must make my life a living prayer, actively doing what I am asking God to do for m...

I am a firm believer that God rewards all good deeds. In my own life I have been blessed more times than I can count. Many years ago I began becoming more aware of all of the blessings God was granting me each day. I took notice of even the smallest gifts that for many go unnoticed and unappreciated. Recently I discovered another source of gratitude: indirect blessings.

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Last week I went to the post office to purchase stamps. Ahead of me was a woman mailing a package. As the worker tended to the customer, the woman, engaging in a cell phone conversation, curtly responded as necessary. The mail person was becoming agitated. Rudeness is rarely well received yet she managed to maintain her professionalism. Oblivious to her behavior, the woman concluded their transaction and left. This was a perfect op...