Musings from My Sun Porch

                 Many of us probably made daily Bible Reading one of our New Year’s resolutions.   You are not alone.   For many years, now I have read a portion of Scripture every morning.   Sometimes I have used a devotional book that includes Scripture.   Other times, I’ve read the chronological Bible, and on other occasions, I’ve used a daily Bible.   The daily Bibles usually include a reading from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs, and by the end of the year, you’ve read the entire Bible. This year I’m using a new format of the daily Bible which includes information and a prayer for the persecuted church.             Over the last two weeks, God has convicted me that “reading” is not enough.   Too often, we get in the habit of daily Bible reading, just so we can check off our “to-do” list or say that we kept at least one of ou...

                 Have you ever read a book and wanted to know more about the life of some of the lesser characters? My curiosity is often awakened when I read the Scriptures.   There are so many people who played key parts in God’s story, but we know so little about them.               One such lady was Priscilla.   We know that she was married to a man named Aquila and that they were tentmakers by trade.   We also know that she welcomed people, including Paul, into her home and that a church in Ephesus met in their home.   She and Aquila were active in Paul’s ministry, and he considered them to be faithful co-workers.               When we first encounter this couple, the Roman emperor had expelled them and all the other Jews from Rome.   They fled to the city of Corinth, where they first m...

                 In my daily Bible reading last week, I came across a verse that intrigued me.   Genesis 35: 8 mentions the death of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse.   I find that surprising because the death of Rebekah is never mentioned in Scripture, and her nurse is only mentioned in one other verse, and not by name (Genesis 24: 59).   Why then, did the Holy Spirit instruct Moses, the author of Genesis, to include this brief reference to the death and burial of one who was seemingly so insignificant?             Many years earlier, when Rebekah agreed to return with Abraham’s servant to marry Abraham’s son, Isaac, the Scripture tells us that her nurse traveled with her.   From there, we can only surmise as to the role of Deborah in the lives of Rebekah and her family.             When Rebekah gave birth to twi...

                 Early on Paul’s second missionary journey, he had a vision of a man begging him to come to the Roman province of Macedonia.   Paul and his traveling companions didn’t hesitate.   They left immediately to preach the Gospel in this new territory in what is now known as Europe.             Philippi was one of the first cities that they entered.   It was a prominent Roman colony, and many former Roman officers had settled there.   Paul was accustomed to seeking out the local Synagogue when he entered a city, but Philippi had so few Jews that there was no Synagogue.   The next best place to worship was outdoors near running water, so when the Sabbath came, Paul and his companions went down by the river to find a place to pray.               When they arrived, they found a group of wom...

                 Over the last ten days here in Louisville, we’ve had snow, sleet, freezing rain, frigid cold temperatures, and more snow.   With a slight warm-up yesterday, some of the snow and ice are beginning to melt, but my street still looks like an ice-skating rink.   Spring is 65 days away—and yes, I am counting.   It can’t come soon enough for me!             I’ve been walking my neighborhood for the past ten months or so.   For my New Year’s resolution, I planned to walk at least a mile every day.   I made it through day 4 when the snow hit. Exercise for the sake of exercise is not my idea of fun, but when you get to a certain age, sports are not exactly the way to go if you want to stay in shape.   I speak from experience and had a broken foot last year to prove it. So, with the coming of the snow and ice, it would have been easy to just f...

                 Yesterday was declared a national day of mourning in remembrance of the 39 th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter.   No matter your political affiliation, most of us would have to admit that Mr. Carter’s presidency was a disaster—with one major exception, the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.   However, his presidential abilities, or lack thereof, do not define him as a man.               The world we live in can be extremely cruel in defining success or failure.   Often it is only those who are successful in their careers who receive the accolades as well as the monetary success.   Fortunately for us, God doesn’t define us by our careers.   He is only interested in our character.               Carter was a patriot, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy wi...

                 At the rear of my backyard, there are woods, with tall trees and various vines and shrubs.   At times, you will see deer, rabbits, or squirrels come out of those woods.   However, at this time of the year, those woods are a picture of gloom.   The branches are bare, and the trees stand against a dark, cloudy sky.   It’s not a very inviting picture.             This morning was different.   Today, I looked out over those trees and saw their branches covered with snow.   The ice that clings to them sparkles even on a cloudy day.   The snow on the ground in front of them is pure and white, untouched by human feet. As the snow continues to fall, I have a “postcard” picture of a winter wonderland, all created by the Master Designer.             God makes it clear in Genesis 8, th...

                 2025 is now three days old.   So, how many New Year’s Resolutions have you broken?   If you say none, give it time.   I’m sure you will catch up with the rest of us pretty quickly.   Most of us start the new year with high expectations, thinking that the strike of midnight on December 31 st will miraculously change our lives.   Unfortunately, reality soon sets in, and we fall back into our old ways.             Despite the ineffectiveness of most New Year’s Resolutions, I’m going to challenge us to one that I hope we will make every effort to keep.   On New Year's Eve, I wrote about remembering the events of the past year.   As we begin this New Year, I challenge us to prepare for “remembering” next New Year’s Eve by writing down the ways that God moves in our lives daily.           ...