Do you want to see God? A simple question with a seemingly obvious answer. The question is not as straightforward as it may seem yet it's answer lies at the heart of this week’s beatitude. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” 

When our kids were itty-bitty, my husband Brad and I used to hold little hands a lot.

Hunger and thirst are sensations that are unavoidable in our human lives. They are necessary for survival in our mortal frames which depend on food and water to continue living. The only problem is that after eating or drinking, we hunger and thirst again soon after.

I thought to myself, “Better buckle up, buttercup, and listen closely, because I think you’re about to have your definition of meekness redefined.”

On Mother’s Day, 2018, my beloved mom took her last breath and went to be with Jesus.

I remembered the day that I brought my broken and haughty spirit into a service to worship the LORD and the Spirit of God suddenly revealed me to myself and…gloriously…revealed Himself to me. I was shown to be nothing more than a beggar…a beggar for people’s love.

As a parent to four boys spanning the ages of 16 to 22, I have no shortage of cliches, teachable moments and sage wisdom as to the benefits of going against the grain…

What if 2020 was the revelation of what needs to change inside of us?

I’m struck by this thought: As Mary held the Hope of the world, the Hope of the world held her.

Our God is a God of creation and restoration. Pastor Ben’s illustration of God’s resounding question to Adam directly after the fall still rings in my head this week.

“Be Prepared,” I heard our daughter say with a hurried excitement in her voice. “That’s the Scout motto,” she explained as she held up her Scout book for her friend to see through the screen.

Do you have a favorite holiday movie? I’m sure the answer is a resounding “Yes!”

If you’ve ever experienced the inescapable thorniness of an Eastern NC sand burr, you know that there is no ignoring a sand burr once it has attached itself to your party of one. All other activity is suspended as you carefully work to resolve the prickly matter.

Life can be a beatdown. I find that the older I get and the more heartbreak I endure,  the more eagerly I can say “Come, Lord Jesus”.