His Ransomed Soul

'God created humankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them.' ~ Genesis 1:27 (NET Bible) Paintings don't paint themselves. Sculptures cannot mold themselves. Neither songs nor poems are able to write themselves.  You & I didn't create ourselves either. We didn't appear on this planet randomly, the circumstantial results of the Big Bang Theory. We simply didn't just materialize on this planet like the various 'away team' crew members did on weekly episodes of Star Trek .   We were intentionally created, carefully woven & spun, lovingly molded & fashioned, with brushstrokes, fingerprints and lyrical storylines unique to us, by the Master Artist, the Creator Extraordinaire: God. Our Father.  In The Living Bible , throughout the Creation story in Genesis 1, the phrase which pops up at the end of each day's descriptions is ' and God was pleased.' Except at the end of Day 6; ins...

‘The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.’ ~Psalm 23:1-3a, (New American Standard Bible) Many years ago, my husband was, one might say, ‘in the business’ of automobile restoration. No, he didn’t do it as a side job for extra income. Nor was it just some nice man-hobby to alleviate boredom. It was actually something my husband took pride in and found great joy in doing.  He would intentionally seek out old, broken down muscle cars. Cars forgotten; unwanted; unusable; cars thought to be beyond repair & abandoned by their owners. These were the vehicles my husband would delight in finding, obtaining and restoring. He put a lot of time, thought, effort, hard work, cost, and yes, even love into returning these machines to their original state of beauty and usefulness.  And more often than not, after his work was completed, family, friends, neighbors and even just c...

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.' Luke 1:38, NAB In my Advent devotional today, the referenced Gospel reading comes from Luke 1:26-38.  We're told the angel Gabriel comes to Mary with a somewhat troubling greeting – “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you” – as well as an overwhelmingly stunning announcement: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” (Luke 1:28; 30-32;35, NAB) Can you even imagine? Being visited by an angel is jaw-dropping enough of an experience. But to be given a message such as the one which Gabriel delivered to this young, already betro...

Go into a random store the day before a major holiday like Christmas or Easter, or days set aside to remember and honor those we love -- Valentine's Day, Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day -- and you’ll no doubt find a shelf filled with dubious looking items for sale (like a scented candle in the shape of a mini cupcake or a necktie sporting a pheasant) underneath a sign touting them as ‘Last Minute Gift Ideas.’ I’ve even seen one that read  ‘Last Minute Gifts for that Special Someone’  Listen – if that someone was THAT special, why would you wait until the dead last minute to buy them a gift (limited incomes and off pay weeks notwithstanding)? Yes, nothing says ‘I Love You’ like a tiny lump of wax resembling pastry, a gaudy tie, or some other lame item from the Clearance section of your local WalMart. Or how about this one? Have you ever been told by someone: “I asked all my other friends if they wanted to come with me to ­­_____  (fill in the blank...

Whether the journey is effortless or challenging, the landscape lush or barren; Whether the path is uncertain or familiar, the terrain rocky or smooth; Whether the seas are stormy or calm, the skies cloudy or clear; Whether the cup is full or near empty, the drink bitter or sweet; Whether the future is bright with promise or hidden in shadows And you’re overwhelmed with joy or dread…. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever ~ Hebrews 13:8 Change – it’s a part of life. Sometimes, change blows in like a much anticipated and welcome breath of fresh air with which we joyfully fill our lungs. Like oxygen, it's life-giving. But other times, change hits us hard and unexpectedly, like a bomb being dropped in the midst of an unsuspecting people. It’s unwelcome, frightening, and often, it can feel chaotic and destructive. And when it happens, we may do one of two things: we run from it or we fight it Every day, each of us comes face-to-face with some kind of change, brought on by our own or someone else’s choices or decisions. We can run towards that change and embrace it, or we can run away and hide from it. We can joyfully accept it, or we can fight against it in anger and resentment. Today, if you find yourself in the midst of change that you’re unable to accept; that you didn’t ask for and didn’t want; that is cause fo...