Musings from My Sun Porch

                 Have you ever had a moment when you felt the call of the Spirit, prompting you to do something that was totally out of your comfort zone?   Have you ever had a moment in your life when the decision that you made (or didn’t make) changed everything forever?               We’ve all had those moments whether we recognized them or not.   Perhaps one of the most far-reaching moments like that happened to Abraham (or Abram as he was called then) in Genesis 12.   God told Abraham to “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land that I will show you” (Gen. 12: 1 NIV84 – emphasis added).   Abraham was called to leave his home, his family, and everything familiar to him and go where?   To a land that God would show him !               Abraham was no...

                 Sin!   Whether we care to admit it, sin is something none of us can escape.   From the moment that Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, we have been plagued by our sinful nature.             Unfortunately, we often try to minimize our sin by telling ourselves that we are not as bad as the murderer, the rapist, or the “fill in the blank”.   Our society adds to that deception by categorizing crimes.   Felonies are worse than misdemeanors and Class A felonies are worse than Class B felonies, and on it goes.             The problem is that all God sees is sin!   He doesn’t classify them from 1 to 10, with 1 being the little white lies and 10 being Hitler-like actions.   Sin is Sin!   Here’s the good news!   If we repent, God forgives sin – all of them, an...

                 In a recent Bible Study, the question was asked: “Have you discovered that pleasing one individual or group displeases another?”   I have and the result wasn’t pretty.   On a trip many years ago, I invited several friends to join me.   Then, seeing another friend, who was widowed, and needed a break with her kids, I invited her and her family as well.   Since we were in 3 separate condos and cars, I didn’t see the problem but apparently, my friends did.   The result was that I didn’t please anyone, least of all myself.             In Galatians 1, Paul asks the question: “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men?   If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1: 10 NIV84)             All of us wan...

                 Integrity is a quality that is sorely lacking in today’s world.   For the Christian, it involves much more than doing what the world says is right because worldly “right” is often very different from God’s truth.   God’s Word is truth, and it is the standard that we must follow.   It does not change with the times.   It is a moral absolute.               As an attorney, I am required to do continuing legal education every year, part of which includes training in ethics.   Ethics are defined as moral principles that govern a person’s behavior.   My problem has always been that what is defined as legal ethics is often contrary to God’s ethics, so when I sit in those classes, my time is spent praying that I never have to deal with those situations.               Avoidance ...

                 This coming Sunday is Father’s Day.   Even though my Dad has been gone for 12 years, this and other special days always make me think of him.               Like me, Dad was an introvert.   Some of my parents’ biggest disagreements were over whether they would go to some family get-together or visit some friends or family.   The fact that Dad usually let Mom win shows how much he loved her.             During Covid, with time on my hands, I had an opportunity to write some of our more recent family history so that it would not be forgotten.   As part of that project, I went into my Mother’s cedar chest, and for the first time, I read her diary and my Dad’s letters to her while he served in Germany at the close of World War II.           ...

                 Last week, while on vacation, we had a glimpse into the world of the rich and famous.   We saw the lavish vacation homes of people like the Rockefellers, Goodyears, and Pulitzers.   Vacation homes so large that we could probably fit two or three of our houses into one, and they only used them for about three months out of the year.               As we toured Jekyll Island, we heard about their lavish lifestyle, with servants to meet every need, a Clubhouse accommodating every game you could dream of, and large rooms and great lawns to accommodate their never-ending parties.   Most of the mansions didn’t even have kitchens as they could go to the Club Dining Room to be served.             Yet, we also heard that the pains of this life did not overlook them because of their wealth.   So...

                 “Be Prepared” has long been the Boy Scouts’ motto, but today, at the first mention of impending disaster, preparation is the first thing on everyone’s mind.   If you doubt it, just stop at a grocery store immediately after they forecast a major snowfall.   If you are looking for milk and bread, you are probably out of luck!             As world events grow gloomier by the day, more and more people are becoming “preppers”. Some like my friend just make sure they have extra supplies of the necessities on hand.   Things like canned goods, batteries and of course, toilet paper.   Others are much more extreme, building shelters with food, water, and other supplies sufficient to sustain them for months if not years.             There’s nothing wrong with being prepared.   If a tornado is pr...

                 One of the most difficult parts of life is saying goodbye to someone we love, and when death makes that separation final – at least for this life – it is even more difficult.   There’s an empty place at the table and in our hearts.             Sometimes, it’s the little things that make it the most real.   I still remember the first time that I went to the grocery after my father died.   One of the things that I was purchasing was hot dogs.   My dad ate very little meat but when he did, it had to be beef.   So, I remember very clearly standing at the display of hot dogs, wondering “Do I still need to buy all beef wieners?”   Seems like a silly thing now but that day a flood of emotions washed over me because I knew that question meant he was really gone.             All of us dea...

                 Recently, in my devotion time, I read a devotion that said that we should never question God.   The author went on to say that we should never blame God or “shake our fist in His face” or run away from Him.   I agree completely with those last thoughts, but I must disagree with her statement about questioning God.             Don’t misunderstand.   I think that when you “question God” you are walking on shaky ground, so you need to come into His presence with humility and reverence, and with a desire for an intimate conversation with the Sovereign God.   It’s not something to take lightly.             I consider the Psalms of David, where he both questions and praises the Almighty.   Contrast Psalm 10: 1 “ Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?   Why do you hide yourself in times of ...