Musings from My Sun Porch

                 “Prayer changes things!” “You can never be too busy to pray.” “I fight my battles on my knees.” We’ve all heard some or all those statements about prayer.   Maybe we’ve even told them to other people.   I’m sure that we have offered to pray for people in need, and we’ve probably asked people to pray for us.             Then, what?   After we acknowledge the importance of prayer and begin to pray, then what?   Do we relax, knowing that God has the situation under control?   Do we wait with eager anticipation to see how God will respond?   Do we even pause to look for God’s answer?   In the Bible study, Experiencing God , the authors said,             After you pray, the greatest single thing you need to do is turn on your spiritual concentration.   When you pray in a dir...

                 Courage is displayed time and again in the Bible.   The very mention of the word brings to mind David and Goliath and Daniel and the Lion’s Den, but others also showed courage in the face of difficult situations.   One that will probably never come to mind is Pilate’s wife.             The Scripture doesn’t tell us her name, and her story is found in only one verse in Matthew (27:19).   She lived in a culture where women were little more than slaves.   They were dependent on their fathers or husbands.   They had little or no rights and seldom had a say concerning their own household, much less current events.               It was that kind of world that Mrs. Pilate found herself in that Friday morning 2000 years ago.   Her husband was a public official with the power of life...

                 In Ephesians 1: 8, the Apostle, Paul, reminds us of God’s grace “that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” (NIV84).   Don’t you just love that word, “lavished”?   According to Dictionary.com, it is synonymous with “unrestrained, extravagant, unsparing, liberal, bountiful, and generous,” among others.               Think about that!   The Creator of the Universe loves us so much that He has given us His “unrestrained, extravagant, unsparing, liberal, bountiful, and generous” grace.   When you combine that with our generally accepted meaning of grace, “unmerited favor,” you get a glimpse of the Father’s love.   It is a love that is almost beyond our human comprehension.             I say “almost” because I believe that the Woman we meet in Luke 7 came closer than mo...

                 One of the greatest desires of most parents is to see their children succeed.   As a result, they sometimes push a little harder than they should.   On occasion, they even interfere in situations that are best left for their children to manage.             My Mom was like that.   She and my Dad were so proud when I graduated from Law School.   They couldn’t wait for the day that I would be sworn in as an attorney.   Unfortunately, it was almost three months after I took the bar exam until I finally became official.   That was three months of agony, waiting to see if I passed the exam.   It wasn’t until the swearing-in ceremony that I found out how impatient my Mother had been.             After the ceremony, we each stood in line at the Kentucky Supreme Court Clerk’s office ...

                 When you talk to an investment counselor, one of the questions they ask is, “What is your risk tolerance?”   In other words, how willing are you to put your resources into something that could be lost or greatly diminished?   How much risk is too much?   If you want zero risk, you might try burying your money.   Of course, there’s always the chance that someone will steal it.   So, what might appear to be risk-free might be the biggest risk of all.   If you pick something relatively safe, like certificates of deposit or Treasury Bonds, your money may be safe, but your return probably won’t keep up with inflation, which means you are losing money.   Again, what appears to be low risk still has potential problems.             No matter how hard we try, we can’t avoid risk.   People in Florida who tried to escape a hurricane fou...

                      I’m a “type A” personality.   I like things planned and organized.   My friends laugh at me because, even though I’m retired, I still have a “to-do” list each week.   Generally, I have my day planned and know exactly what I want to accomplish during those 24 hours.   Not surprisingly, I dislike interruptions or changes that upset my plans.   I have a schedule, and I expect to follow it.   Interruptions are distractions that I can do without.                 Fortunately, Jesus does not have my attitude towards interruptions.   As you read the Gospel accounts of His life here on earth, it was one interruption after another.   Yet, He never ignored the interruption.   He didn’t chastise the interrupter.   He didn’t even get upset.   Yes, He led a busy life and I’m sure that ...

                 A few months before Jesus’ crucifixion, He suffered an event that all of us have experienced on some level.   His dear friend, Lazarus died.   When we first read of Lazarus’ illness, we can’t understand why Jesus didn’t immediately run to be at His friend’s side.   After all, He had the healing power, and who better to heal than someone He loved?   There are many events in Scripture, like this one, that we don’t understand.   However, God always has a purpose, and this situation was no different.             When Jesus drew near to the family’s home, Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days.   There was a crowd at the house, mourning and comforting the family, but it was Martha who ran out to meet Jesus.   Always one to say what was on her mind, she blurted out these words, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not h...

                 Mary and Martha are two names that are well-known in Scripture.   These sisters, along with their brother, Lazarus, became great friends of Jesus.   He often spent the night in their home, which was only a few miles from Jerusalem.               On one occasion, during Jesus’ Judean ministry, he came to their home for a visit.   Martha immediately became the perfect hostess, taking care of all the preparations for His visit.   On the other hand, Mary sat at His feet, hanging on every word.   That did not sit well with Martha. While this may first appear to be a case of sibling rivalry or neglect of duties, Mary’s actions were unacceptable in the culture of the times.   They even bordered on being scandalous.             In Jesus’ day, the Rabbi or teacher would sit on a chai...

                 Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus.   He won her devotion when He cast out seven demons who controlled her life.   I can’t imagine the turmoil she must have endured until she met Jesus.   We know from other Scriptures that those possessed by evil spirits were often unruly, unmanageable, and outcasts of society.   Mary likely suffered those same indignities. Meeting Jesus changed her life—perhaps, more accurately, He saved her life.   It is no wonder then that she became His devoted follower.               Other than her struggle with demon possession and the fact that she came from the city of Magdala, we know little about her life before Christ.   Her life after her encounter with Christ was one of devotion, love, and loyalty.   She was one of the women who traveled with Jesus and His disciples to help and support them (...