The Plumbline

  The grass withers and the flowers fade,   but the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8) Grass springs up quickly, but if there is no water for it, the grass soon become dry, brittle, and withered. The soil may be good, but the water is necessary for the continued growth to occur. Productivity is not always the result of just being 'connected' by roots - the conditions that foster growth must also be met. Grass has the potential, but without care, even its potential is lost. The potential? It acts as a cover to the soil, making it less likely to erode. It provides nutrients to the soil, and it can become the haven for all manner of 'growth' just beneath its surface. Potential is good but realizing that potential and living up to it may be just a bit harder. Flowers bloom and provide a whole lot of beauty, but they don't last very long, do they? The short-lived beauty is quite nice, but it is much better to enjoy beauty all year round! God wants us to allow ...

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin reminds us, "The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one's self to others." He also reminds us that growing old is like being punished for some kind of crime we definitely did not commit! While he is best known as a philosopher of an era gone by, he obviously had a pretty good sense of humor, as well! I don't know about you, but 'giving myself' to others has become easier as I have grown older. I think we get a little less 'self-important' as we age. We find the value in others and we see how much they are a tremendous blessing in our lives. It isn't that we need to 'put ourselves out there' any longer - we are content to be a blessing in the lives of another. Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill s...

Whether you call it social-distancing, self-quarantine, or deliberate-isolation, it all equates to us spending time away from the ones we may see on a regular basis at work, church, school, or in other social settings. I have observed many getting very creative about how to occupy their time, creating all manner of funny social posts, baking, and even creating fun activities for the kiddos who are bored out of their minds right about now. I also observed some being very creative in sharing their interests, like the online choir that all log in at the same time, practice their song, then create a lovely multi-state, multi-nation choir online! Now that is creative and what an awesome outlet for your talent. Thank you to all who are listening to the advice of our medical leaders across this country and abiding by the social-distancing / self-quarantine practices. You may not ever know how many times your steps were kept from passing through the path of this disease. Our soul may desire to...

Ever watch a dog chase his own tail? The dog goes round and round in circles, chasing that silly tail, all the while never catching what is right there in front of his view. We chase after a lot of things in life - not all of them are really worth chasing. Sometimes we chase stuff that really only serves to bring us grief and disappointment. This chasing is a part of a much deeper issue, though. We lack satisfaction or contentment and therefore, we are chasing after the wind. Contentment is a state of being "at ease" in our mind, soul, and spirit. We don't need activity because we are at rest - we don't 'chase' for the sake of movement, we seek with a purpose. Sometimes ceasing is the best remedy to chasing! Satisfaction really is a sense of being grateful - fulfilled in what we have and who we are. Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. (I Corinthians 14:1 MSG) Pursue the ...