The Plumbline

God’s love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks. (Psalm 36:5-6) Meteoric - brilliant, appearing suddenly and without warning, swiftly revealed. That is an amazing way to describe God's love toward his kids. The brilliance of his love enlightens any soul - bringing light into places where light may not have dwelt for quite some time. It appears swiftly - sometimes without our noticing it has come, but somehow enveloping us in the warmth and brilliance of it. God's love doesn't come with a 'warning' that he is about to 'love you'. A man might get down on one knee to propose - a sign that his love for a woman is greater than anything else he has felt before and his heart delights in just her. God's love isn't quite as 'momentary' - it comes when we need it most, sometimes in ways we least expect it, and always with ...

People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.  (Epictetus) I cannot help but find this quote a little 'practical' today. Isn't this what all these debates on each side of an argument do to us? They disturb something within us - not because the ideal is wrong, but the view we take of the ideal might be less than 'right' in somebody's view. It amazes me that a Greek philosopher from the first century actually might remind us of something so profound. We are 'disturbed' more by the 'side' we assume than by the 'thing' we are debating! Are you also aware that Epictetus said, "If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid"? Maybe some of us just need to take our stand, but stop debating the 'views' of all the others who think us foolish and stupid! But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the ...

Get out the message—God Rules! He put the world on a firm foundation;  He treats everyone fair and square. (Psalm 96:10) There are times when we have nothing to say and at others we are unable to keep our mouths shut at all. How is it we can have so much to say on one topic and nothing on another? I purposefully stopped listening to the news channels except for on occasion here and there. In fact, my BFF oftentimes has to tell me something catastrophic has happened because I have not 'heard the news'. Why did I stop listening? It was so much of the same negative stuff and I didn't need fill my mind with a million different 'takes' on why something happened the way it did. Give me the facts - lives were lost, pray for our nation and their families - leave it there! The news stations don't do that, though. They review time and time again the same clips, factoids, and the interviews until you can almost rehearse them ad nauseum. I'd rather get the word out that...