Musings from My Sun Porch

                 In two days, we will celebrate Thanksgiving.   For many of us, our first thoughts will be of turkey, dressing, mac ‘n cheese that will melt in your mouth (my favorite, in case you hadn’t guessed), and all the delicious desserts.   We’ll be eager to give thanks for all those mouthwatering goodies, but will we take the time to consider what it means to give thanks?             Giving thanks requires remembering.   It requires reflection as we look back over our lives and pause to acknowledge how blessed we are, despite our current circumstances.   The Hebrew word for “remember” is Zakar, and it appears over 200 times in the Old Testament.   I think that might be because God knows that we have short memories.   From the 4 th Commandment, when He said, “Remember the Sabbath” (Exodus 20: 8) until He spoke through the prophet Isaiah (Isaia...

                 From very early in His ministry, Jesus lived under a cloud of persecution.   When He healed a man on the Sabbath, the Jews challenged the action as a violation of the law.   As He declared His relationship with His Father, the plot to kill Him began to take place (John 5: 9 – 18).   They grumbled about His family tree (John 6: 41 – 42) and waited for an opportunity to take His life (John 7: 1).             My question is why?   What was there about Jesus that caused the Jewish leaders to pursue a murderous plot against Him?             First, the response of the people probably made the leaders pause.   Many of the people became believers—even some Samaritans!   Many saw Him as a good man and marveled at His teaching ability.   Some even thought that the leaders’ silence mig...

                 While reading the 7 th chapter of John’s Gospel, I was suddenly struck with the realization that Jesus’ family rejected Him.   In those first verses, we see His brothers daring Him to show His face, even though there were death threats against Him.   After all, if you are going to be famous, you must put yourself out there.   We all see how celebrities constantly seek the limelight.   Jesus’ brothers challenged Him to do the same.   Then, in verse 5, the Scripture reveals their hearts, “For even his own brothers did not believe in him” (John 7: 5 NIV84). Mark makes their feelings towards their brother even clearer.   He tells us that “they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind’” (Mark 3: 21 NIV84).             I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to be rejected by your family.   Yet, it happens dai...

                   A woman named Dorcas scored a first in New Testament history, but it wasn’t anything that she did that made her historic.   It was the Apostle Peter who grabbed the limelight.             The people of Joppa knew Dorcas as a disciple of Jesus.   She was also well-known for her acts of kindness, especially in helping the poor.   It’s no wonder then that the town’s people, especially the widows, were grief-stricken when she became sick and died.   Fortunately, the Christians in Joppa heard that Peter was in a nearby town, so they immediately sent for him.               When Peter arrived, he found the widows, all friends of Dorcas, surrounding her deathbed, crying over the loss of their friend.   They were eager to show him all the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had ma...

             On Christmas night, 1776, George Washington engineered a surprise attack on Britain’s German allies, capturing 1000 Hessian troops.   The story of him and his troops crossing the icy Delaware that night gave hope to a new nation fighting for its life.   Regrettably, the celebration was short-lived.   Just a week later, the enlistments of most of his troops were ending, and it seemed unlikely that they would stay to continue the fight for freedom.   As he faced that prospect, Washington lined up his troops and offered this plea. “My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than can be reasonably expected; but your country is at stake, your wives, your houses and all that you hold dear. You have worn yourselves out with fatigues and hardships, but we know not how to spare you. If you will consent to stay one month longer, you will render that service to the cause of liberty, and to your cou...

                 Last December, I broke my foot.   While it wasn’t too painful, the boot I had to wear limited my mobility.   As soon as the doctor gave the okay, I began walking.   Since then, I’ve walked 6, sometimes 7 days a week.   Most days I enjoy walking through my neighborhood, even though there are hills that challenge both my stamina and my knees.             On the good days, I long for my younger days when I enjoyed playing softball and basketball, almost more than I enjoyed eating—almost!   My mind tries to tell me I can still do all that today.   Then, I remember following that logic is what gave me a broken foot, so I stick with walking.               When you pause to think about it, there’s nothing wrong with walking.   My neighborhood walks have enabled me to meet neig...

                 Today is election day.   According to some, this is the most consequential election in our nation’s history.   While I would argue that the election of 1860 was the most impactful, there is no doubt that the decision we make today will affect our country for decades.             As a Christian and a United States citizen, I believe that I have two obligations, not necessarily in this order.             First, I must (and have already) vote.   We are privileged to live in a country where we are guaranteed the right to vote.   Many people do not have that right.   Voting is a privilege we cannot take for granted.   If you haven’t already done so, please go to the polls immediately.             Secondly, I must (and do) trust ...

                 I think that the story of Ananias and Sapphira is scary.   Maybe it’s because it reminds us that God knows our very thoughts.   That alone is scary.   After all, we can put on a good front with our friends, but we can’t pull the wool over God’s eyes.   Maybe it’s scary because it’s about giving.   We all dread those sermons about money, probably because they are always so convicting.   We don’t want anyone messing with our money—not even God.             However, I think that the primary reason that this story is so scary is because the verdict and punishment were so swiftly rendered.   We’ve become accustomed to the compassionate, loving Jesus, who told the woman caught in adultery to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11b).   We recall the love and understanding that He showed to those like Mary Magdalene who were possessed with ...