The Great Adventure

Many of the people I admire most are very concrete and literal in their thinking. They aren’t easily swayed by emotional arguments. They believe what they see with their own eyes rather than what others say. That is such a gift. They are rock solid, not blown about by public opinion, and they think for themselves in a society that constantly tells us what to think and who to trust.

As I get older—or maybe I should say, more experienced—I’ve realized that much of life isn’t concrete at all. In fact, the most important things in life cannot be seen; they can only be felt. Because there is far more than what we can perceive with our five senses, God gave us imagination.

Even the most literal thinkers must acknowledge that there is a vast universe of things we do not yet understand. We imagine a soul, heaven, and the entire spiritual realm. Because so much of life cannot be fully explained right now, we are asked to trust that there are evil forces at work—and also a powerful, loving, and good God who reigns over all.

Psalm 33:4 (NLT)

For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does.

We must be careful not to dismiss what cannot be proven by our senses alone. In the following passage, John recorded the words of Jesus inviting us to trust His promises, even when we cannot see the outcome yet.

John 14:1–2 (AMP)

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

Anticipating Heaven

We plan vacations, weddings, retirements, Christmas celebrations, and parties. When we imagine them, we begin to live for them. Vacation planning pushes everything else to the background—we become focused and single-minded.

What if we anticipated heaven the same way?

What if we lived with our eyes fixed on our true home with God? Even the heinous evil of this world would begin to lose its grip. Molehills would remain molehills instead of becoming mountains of worry and dread. We would live with the end in mind.

And who would we tell about this great vacation—the vacation to end all vacations—so they could share in the joy of anticipating it too?

After all, we are told our time on earth, with all its brokenness, is only a short trial before we go home to live with our Heavenly Father. Imagine a home designed by the One who created the night sky, mountain showers, and fluffy snowflakes. How breathtaking will that be?

We are told there will be no more pain or suffering—or even the fear of pain. Imagine a world where cancer and mental illness have no power. No hunger. No homelessness. No borders. No speed limits. No addictions, no abuse, and no one looking down on you for any reason.

You will sing. You will dance. You will fly.

And you will never again be separated from those you love.

All the things that delight you on earth come from God, so I believe they will be there too. Mountain climbers will climb. Archaeologists will dig. Naturalists will wander through unspoiled beauty. Readers will read. Shoppers will shop. Pet lovers will delight in their pets. And we will finally know the goodness of God beyond anything we have ever experienced.

So this is me—inviting you to imagine. And to rest assured that heaven is real and will be the adventure of a lifetime.

As Steven Curtis Chapman sings, “Let’s saddle up our horses and follow our Leader into the glorious unknown.”

This is The Great Adventure.

Santa? Now I Know Him!!!

 

I drove my mom crazy.

She was a bubbly extrovert, and I was a cynical introvert. So getting a picture of me on Santa’s lap was definitely a no-go. To me, it was beyond creepy to sit on the lap of a strange man wearing a fake beard. My spidey sense was screaming stranger danger! Coincidentally, I still avoid anyone wearing a Santa suit to this day.

Imagine my surprise, at the age of (mumbled number), to discover that the man behind this whole Santa thing was actually a real person—one who was generous and deeply devoted to the Lord. Saint Nicholas wasn’t just folklore. He was a faithful Christian who likely faced persecution for his beliefs.

One thing we do know about him is that he participated with the group of church leaders who affirmed what became the Nicene Creed. This creed clearly expresses how we, as Christian believers, worship one true God who exists as three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

But unlike many other saints, Saint Nicholas wasn’t primarily known for his theological writings or scholarly achievements. In an article for Campbell University, religion professor Adam English writes:

“There are many saints who were intellectuals and scholars who influenced Christian thought, but here is a saint who influenced faith by his actions, by his life. His influence is his testimony of charity.”

According to the article, after researching Saint Nicholas, English began to see Christmas differently. He no longer viewed it mainly as a family-centered holiday, but as a time when a community comes together to practice charity, justice, and hospitality.

So will I ever learn to like strange men in fake beards and red velvet suits? Highly unlikely.

But I can remember the very real Saint Nicholas—and his message to live out our faith through generosity, kindness, and hospitality. And that’s a Christmas tradition worth keeping.

* Source: “Who Was St. Nicholas?” Campbell University 

 https://news.campbell.edu/articles/who-was-st-nicholas/

Building Walls

 

Every night before I fall asleep, I listen to an app that reads a few comforting Scripture passages and then invites me to reflect on my day. It asks where I saw God, and it nudges me to acknowledge where I sinned—in my thoughts, my words, or my deeds. And then, beautifully, it points me back to the forgiveness God freely gives, washing me clean for a fresh start tomorrow.

It’s amazing how quickly peace follows, and how easily I drift off afterward.

But tonight’s reflection revealed something uncomfortable: today I built walls. Not with wood or stone—

with words.

The First Bricks

It started with simple phrases:

• “He always—”
• “She always—”
• “They always—”

Those words became the foundation of a separating wall. Then came the bricks of “evidence” I stacked on top—stories, patterns, memories that “proved” I was right. And if I don’t stop, if I don’t confess and turn from it, that wall grows until it becomes nearly impossible to cross.

Words can do that. They can divide faster than we ever intended.

How Walls Become Dangerous

I’ve often wondered how ordinary people in Germany came to believe it was acceptable to treat Jewish people so horrifically in WWII. Recently I read an article saying it began with dehumanizing language. Slowly, people became desensitized. They began referring to whole groups of people with degrading names—infestations, pigs, and worse. Words paved the way for cruelty.

But I believe the process starts even earlier.

Not with dehumanizing.

Not with overt hatred.

But with something much quieter:

“She always—”

“They always—”

It begins with categorizing, grouping, simplifying people so we don’t have to deal with them as individuals. How many times have I lumped together people who irritated me, just so I could dismiss them more easily?

The Endless List of Categories

We do this all the time:

Boomers, millennials, left-wingers, right-wingers, white men, Asians, Arabs, Black women, cat lovers, dog lovers, pizza lovers.

And if there’s a category I haven’t thought of, I can find it online within seconds.

Recently I even discovered that I apparently fall into the category of “neurodivergent” instead of “neurotypical.” Go figure—I didn’t know, but now I’m pretty sure someone wants to sell me the T-shirt.

Categories can make us feel better, or special, or different. But they also highlight how unlike others we are. They unintentionally (or intentionally) erode unity and understanding. They give us more bricks for our walls.

And ultimately, they make us forget this one truth:

We are all uniquely designed.

We all belong to the same category: “created by God.”

Breaking Down the Walls

So what do we do once we notice the walls rising in our own hearts?

We confess.

We come before God—honestly, humbly—and ask Him to forgive the dividing lines we’ve drawn.

And we do it early, before the walls harden. That’s the only way to take the next step toward building real relationships with the people we once criticized.

In Acts 8:26–39, Philip stopped to listen to the questions of a curious Ethiopian eunuch. That encounter changed a life—and spread the gospel to a new continent. But it would never have happened if Philip had dismissed the eunuch as “one of those people.” Philip didn’t build walls. He built bridges.

A Prayer for a Softer Heart

Father, forgive me for the many times I round up those who have stepped on my toes and toss them into a labeled bag, only to discard them. They are Your children. Show me when that wall-building begins—when I start with “they always—.” And Lord, I know this is a big ask, but please give me a holy nudge, a virtual knot on the head, whenever those thoughts or words rise up. Amen.

🕊️ Rescue Story

 (Acts 12:5–11)
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
— Acts 12:5–11 (NIV)

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The Rescue You Don’t See

Peter had no idea that his rescue was happening while the angels were breaking him out of prison. Much like Peter, we often have no idea when God is rescuing us. We are oblivious to the higher realm—yet He rescues us time and time again. The church that was praying for Peter had no idea that their prayers had been answered until Peter was standing right at their door.

This makes me ask,
“How much can I trust what I see and hear when I am blind to an entire realm I can’t perceive?”

Because I can’t see the process of God working, I often wrongly assume He isn’t. I miss it. My eyes are drawn to what the world shows me instead—the noise, fear, and hopelessness that fill my screen. It’s exactly where the enemy wants my focus.

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Looking for God in the Wrong Places

So, how can I see evidence of God’s movement?
Well, it’s not on TV or social media.
If social media is my only indicator of the movement of God, I’m in trouble.
My best source for seeing His hand at work is to pay attention to the prayers I pray.

I must remember what I’ve asked for and follow through. Sometimes it may take years, even decades, to see an answer. Yet other times, God responds in an instant. I’ve seen both.

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A Moment on the Road

As I was traveling home from work on a wooded, winding, dangerous road, a motorcycle—one of those fast “crotch rockets”—flew past me on a blind curve. I imagined his demise and prayed for his safety. About a mile down the road, I saw that same motorcyclist stopped on the shoulder, frustratingly trying to start his stalled bike.

That moment stopped me.

Few prayers are answered in a minute. But that one was.

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Write It Down

Since most answers take time, how can I remember what I’ve prayed for with my poor memory?  

        Write it down. Check that list daily. Then record the answers. 

                                                          You will be amazed!

Because we cannot see the actions God takes, never assume He isn’t responding. His timing is not our timing.

And just a word of advice: remember, these prayers are not wishes sent to a genie. They are conversations with the Creator. Prayer must always come from a humble, honest relationship with Him.

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Be Persistent

Scripture tells us to pray about everything.
So pray about small daily irritations as well as the big, life-changing events—and keep track of them. Day by day and year by year, you’ll begin to see results from many of those prayers.

Be persistent. Changing hearts—especially hearts with the freedom to reject truth—is a slow process. But God begins His work when we ask. He is always moving on our behalf.

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Watch and See

When Peter was set free, he didn’t realize it until he was already outside the gate.
You may not recognize your rescue until much later either.
But trust this—God is already working it out.

Watch and see.