In Step

By Michelle (Graceful, Faith in the Everyday)

I remember the first time I saw Riverdance on television. Flipping through channels as I lounged on my parents’ nubby couch late one night, my jaw dropped when I caught sight of those lithe bodies and kicky heels reel across the stage, every one of the dancers’ limbs moving precisely in unison. Toes and heels tapping, arms taut, torsos erect, the entire troupe of thirty dancers moved perfectly in step. I couldn’t take my eyes of them.

I hadn’t thought about Riverdance for a long time, until recently, when I read this verse:

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25).

I suspect I don’t keep in step with the Holy Spirit with Riverdance precision. In fact, I suspect I frequently dance to my own tune or veer off altogether, much like I did when I played clarinet in my high school marching band. Back then, I’d fall in line next to the flutes and oboes and begin the trek across the football field, only to find that halfway through When the Saints Come Marching In, I’d have wandered out of the winds and straight into the brass, out of step and off-key.

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Wall of Shame

By Pat

I like to think of myself as a forgiving person. I don't harbor grudges, I don't refuse to give second chances. I accept apologies, and I truly attempt to move on, seeing people as they are and not as they were. I encourage others to accept themselves as the failed human being they (we all) are. I know that this is right. I know this is what Jesus commands us to do. Why, then, is it so hard for me to forgive myself?

For many years, I have carried a heavy burden of sin. I have been unable to move past something I deem so awful I find it hard to even think about. I have told only a handful of people for fear of judgment. Like David, I lament, "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, only you, have I sinned and done what is wrong in your sight." (Psalm 51:3-4). Yes, David knew how hard it is to carry the weight of sin. I have confessed my sin before God, repented, and asked for His forgiveness. But yet, I have allowed the guilt that I feel to imprison me, and for some reason I just can't let it go. It's like trying to run with boulders strapped to my ankles. I just can't move forward as I should.

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God Is... Good

By Jay Cookingham (Soulfari)

“We must never tolerate an instant’s unbelief as to the goodness of the Lord; whatever else may be questioned, this is absolutely certain, that Jehovah is good; His dispensations may vary, but His nature is always the same.”  - C. H. Spurgeon

God is good and everything He does is good.  Have you heard that phrase before? Those words flow so easy off the lips when all is well don’t they? When life throws up on you…what then? Two years ago my world came to a sudden and crashing halt. My wife Christine had a heart attack and though it was a minor one…it shook my faith in His goodness.

It was late when it happened, everyone was asleep except my oldest daughter, and she waited anxiously at home as I rushed her mom to the hospital. When my wife was stable and resting, I returned home around 3:30 in the morning. Exhausted and wondering how I would tell my kids that their mom had a heart attack and now was in ICU awaiting further tests. It was difficult, my kids range from age 8 to 21 and their response was as varied as their age. Some were crying, others stunned, and all were concerned of course. However, every one of them expressed (in their own way) something wonderful…their trust in God’s goodness towards their mom. They were positive (even more than I was) that their mom was in the best hands possible...the God who loved her.

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One Word At A Time: Broken

By Ginny (MAD21)

One of the many things children have to learn while growing up is how to express the way they feel appropriately. Imagine what the world would be like if adults handled themselves the same way that a child does when they feel frustrated, angry or upset. Scary. Aside from one experience I had with a project manager throwing a temper tantrum in my office several years ago (I actually wondered if he was going to throw himself to the floor!), most adults I know handle themselves and their emotions a little more judiciously.

As a child, the first experience I can remember when I learned a hard lesson about self-control was after a particularly bad day. I don't remember the specifics, except it was a fight with my mother, but I remember the anger I felt, and the frustration in not knowing how to express it. The first thing I did was go to my room and start crying (of course). But then I noticed my box full of crayons.

I loved to color. I had tons of half colored coloring books and papers everywhere. Like most kids, I had a lot of crayons I had collected over the few years of my young life, and I had been keeping them neatly in one of my old metal lunch boxes (remember those?). For the most part I always took very good care of my belongings, including my crayons. What kid doesn't like to color with nice whole, unbroken, crayons? But in one fleeting, angry moment, I made a terrible decision, one that I could not undo.

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Faithful Friends

By Pat

I talked to a good friend of mine this morning. It was really nice to laugh and chat, but especially to share our feelings, opinions and insights on the most important issue of our lives-our faith. He is struggling with many personal problems, carrying loads he never dreamed he would have to carry. I also struggle with issues and situations I didn't foresee, as most of us do.

My friend and I have very different feelings and theories about many aspects of God and faith; why we are allowed to struggle, God's sovereignty, just to name a couple. I don't always agree with him, as I am sure he does not always agree with me, and yet as I walked away from the phone this morning, I felt enlightened and uplifted. I will certainly think about some of the things we discussed as I always do when I have talked to a friend. I value his insights.

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