The Plumbline

If you have ever tried to judge the contents of a book simply by looking at the cover, you may have been somewhere into the first couple of chapters only to find what you thought the book may have been about turned out to be something totally not like expected!  You may have been very disappointed in your initial "assessment" of the book, even leaving it unread any further just because you weren't interested in it, or it was way too poor of a read. Once I get into the "heart" of the book, and I find what I hoped was contained there is missing, or falls short of what I expected, I usually abandon it, never to pick it up again. What I hoped was a "good read" leaves me a little disillusioned. Sometimes there are things in life that look like they will be a 'good thing', but once we find ourselves in the midst of them, they aren't exactly turning out the way we imagined! Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart.  (...

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:13-14 NLT) If you have ever watched people, you know we humans come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and dare I say, complexities! The wide range of dissimilarities is evident, while the even wider range of similarities is glaringly obvious, as well! We all have skin - although it may be dark, light, paper-thin, or leather-like from too much time in the sun. We all have eyes - some with two rather well-working ones, others with neither working well. We all have a heart beating within and lungs expanding to take in air and let it out when it is no longer useful to our bodies. As I watch people around me, I observe one thing with almost all of them - their eyes. Why? As it has been said, the eye reveals much more about a person than almost any other feature of their make-up, for it is the w...

I enjoy a good meal, a little time with a close friend, and hugs from my grandsons.  I also enjoy rainy days, a good book, and a sappy movie.  You could probably make a list of things you enjoy, as well.  Some might list things like a sporty car able to zip on down the road with wind blowing wistfully through their hair, or perhaps a long walk on the beach at sunset. Some of what we enjoy is because of where we are or what we possess - the car or beach make the occasion.  For others, it is about who we are with that the "cements" the enjoyment factor.  I would go with the latter - for the company I keep makes all the difference in how much I enjoy the moment! As some of you know who have been following me for some time, I am "single again" - meaning I was married, but have been without a spouse in my life for over 26 years now.  You could say my life's journey has not been the same since the divorce, and you would not be far from the truth - because the pa...

Be generous with me and I'll live a full life;  not for a minute will I take my eyes off your road.   Open my eyes so I can see  what you show me of your miracle-wonders.   I'm a stranger in these parts;  give me clear directions.  (Psalm 119:17-19 The Message) When we travel through unfamiliar areas, it is not uncommon to be a little uneasy on the roadways, uncertain about where we turn off, merge, etc.  In fact, we might even be a little unfamiliar with the "customs" of the area.  I first encountered "sweet tea" when I ordered my first glass of iced tea in the South.  I had no idea there were two kinds of tea!  In the South, sweet tea is the "norm".  In Arizona, tea with lemon is!  In the South, most things are fried.  In the Arizona desert, most things are baked, broiled, or served with salad!   God knew that traveling daily with him would bring us into some "unfamiliar" territory.  His precepts a...