The Plumbline

There are times when we feel like no one is "in charge" - not even us - when the moments just seem to tick on and all the chaos of the moment have us bumping into all kinds of obstacles. We all face these times - the times when life deals us a hand we just would rather not play, not even a little bit! When "dealt our hand", we can either throw it in, ante up and play, or bluff our way through. Which way are you facing what life deals you today? If you are bluffing your way through, you are likely frustrated, seeing things as very difficult to deal with, but imagining you will get through somehow. If today's plans don't work, you will try something different tomorrow. The problem with living 'out of control' is that we soon get weary trying to maintain balance with the skill and power we possess. Our attitude begins to falter and we all know the attitude soon begins to impact the altitude to which we will ever be able to climb! The day my enemies...

As pressures mount in life, we have two choices - either we embrace them head-on, or we run in fear as far away from them as possible. I suppose there may be a third choice - we could just be paralyzed in our fear, neither moving nor being moved. Many will venture into the "thick" of the unknown - facing the mounting pressures without timidity - sometimes merely looking for an adrenal rush of sorts. Others will venture in, but with a much more timid, almost respectful apprehension of the unknown - movements calculated and determined, but based in fear nonetheless. The others who remain will just stay where they are and hope for the best - cringing in fear and unwanted anxiety. What the last group needs is to be grabbed by God - not to drag them in, but to encourage them he has them in his arms the whole while! God spoke strongly to me, grabbed me with both hands and warned me not to go along with this people. He said: "Don't be like this people, always afraid s...

I know I begin a lot of things thinking the project won't be all that hard, then smack-dab in the middle I discover just how hard it is! The things I thought I'd just sail on through are usually the ones I find a few hiccups along the way that delay my completing them! Sometimes we have a tendency to want to just give up. We start out well, but then we "peter out" somewhere down the road. There are times in life when we need a "pace setter" to keep us on track - someone to help us regroup when the hiccups come and we find things harder than we imagined. In moments of frustration, disillusionment, or anxiety, we need the steadiness and vision of one who sees more of the picture than we do. It is refreshing to know we have such a "pace setter" in our lives - God himself! It also amazes me just how many times we allow other people or other things to set the pace in our lives! Just think—you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God...