Blessings in the Cereal Aisle

You wouldn't expect to be in awe of the cereal aisle, would you? I guess that depends on your perspective.

My first few years at NASA, I occasionally worked with Russian cosmonauts who came to train in Houston. Many of them brought their spouses with them.  

I'll never forget the day I went to a grocery store with one of the cosmonaut's wives. She was wide-eyed as we walked around the store.  

Accustomed to an open market where she bargained for meat hanging in open stalls, she marveled at the already cut-and-packaged chicken, beef, and pork. She couldn't believe the selection.

The canned vegetables, the seasonings - many she'd never heard of - and the mound of toilet paper amazed her.

But what captivated her the most was the cereal aisle. She walked along it, her face glowed like she'd just found a pearl of great price. Shredded Wheat to Lucky Charms, Bran Flakes to Cocoa Puffs - she was in a breakfast wonderland.

To me, it was just a meat counter, just a vegetable aisle, just a row of cereal. 

How often is it just salvation, just His grace, just His presence?

When did I last 

• Gaze wide-eyed at His majesty 
• Marvel at His love
• Stand amazed at His provision
• Worship, captivated by His love

When did I last worship the Pearl of Great Price, Jesus, with total abandon? 

Do I remember the awe I felt when I first met Him and realized the grace and mercy He freely offered me?

Do I take Him for granted?

Lord, please give me that lady's perspective when I consider the riches I have in You!



Blessed? Please share!

Jesus' Suffering...Our Redemption

sadwallpaperhd.blogspot.com

I'm studying through Matthew during my quiet time and, early last week, I read the chapters on Jesus' arrest, torture, and crucifixion. I sat in despair at the horror these chapters described.

I was drawn to Isaiah 53 - words written hundreds of years before Jesus' birth. Jesus knew the agony that faced Him and yet He came.

• Despised
• Rejected
• Esteemed not
• Stricken by God
• Afflicted
• Pierced
• Crushed
• Oppressed

God's judgement poured out on His Son; His forgiveness and grace poured out on us. 

I remembered the words Jesus spoke to Peter in the garden as He stood in front of the soldiers who came to arrest Him:

"Do you not think that I can call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more that twelve legions of angels?" Matthew 26:53

Jesus had deliverance within His grasp, but He refused to reach for it.

With a spoken word, He could escape the agony to come, but He remained silent.

He chose to walk the path to the cross. He willingly sacrificed His life for mine.

I can't describe the grief, amazement, and gratitude I felt. How can we stand in the face of such love? To fall to our faces is the only acceptable response.

Why? Why would Jesus suffer this way? Hebrews 12:2 says, "...for the joy set before him endured the cross..."

I'm sure Jesus was eager to experience the joy of returning to Heaven to become one with His Father once again. Did Jesus rejoice to know He would soon hear the praises of the angels instead of the scorn of the world around Him? His eyes were focused on the glory awaiting Him rather than the agony He experienced.

But I think there was an even greater joy that filled His heart: the joy of knowing you and me - all of us who love and believe in Him.

He died to cleanse us of the hopelessness and despair that tries to destroy us.
He rose to give us eternal life with Him.

What joy!

1 + 1 = Eternal Salvation

Note: Usually, my posts reflect my passion: to bring God's Word off of the page and into our daily lives. To discover how to live it, to be encouraged by it, and how to make it real and alive. But, every once in a while, I want to share something deeper. A new understanding. This is just such a post: 

To explore the depth of God's Mercy and Grace.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:4-5, 8 (NIV) (Emphasis mine)

Mercy and grace. So often we use these words interchangeably. But they are not interchangeable and to understand that is to bring a deeper richness to our salvation.

I know, you probably think I'm splitting hairs here, but bear with me.

Let's begin with mercy because that is where God begins.

In Ephesians 2:4, and in most New Testament verses about God's mercy, the Greek word is

éleos: to pass over deserved punishment. To extend forgiveness instead of punishment. Mercy rescues us from the penalty of sin.

Mercy is proclaimed on the cross. Because of Jesus' death on the cross, we are passed over and we do not experience the death we deserve because of our sins.

God's mercy is expressed in our redemption and forgiveness.

But what if we stopped there? What if God's mercy is all that was offered?

Hear me out...this might seem a bit crazy.

God's mercy is great, to be sure, but, without grace, it is finite.

Christ's death on the cross mirrors the sacrifices of the Old Testament. This sacrifice pardons the sins in the past but not in the future.

How does this forgiveness - this mercy - come forward through time to all men who have ever lived and to all who have yet to live?

Enter grace.

In Ephesians 2:4, and in most New Testament verses about God's grace, the Greek word is

chráis: an absolutely free expression of God’s loving-kindness; His unearned and unmerited favor toward men. A gift with no return expected.

God's loving-kindness toward us is absolutely free. We can't earn it and we can't be worthy of it. It is given, out of the depths of His heart. 

God bathes His mercy in His grace. 

Because of His grace, His mercy is eternal. 

Because of His grace, the mercy of the cross is gifted forward to all men who have ever lived or who have yet to live. 

Because of His grace, the mercy you and I received at the cross reaches through all time to forgive all our sin: yesterday's, today's and tomorrow's.

Because of His grace, we are forgiven and saved for eternity.

His Mercy, His compassion on and forgiveness of our sin through Christ’s death on the cross, is completed by His Grace, the unmerited gift of eternal salvation. 

Mercy + Grace = Eternal Salvation

God's mercy and grace are both centered in God. We can do nothing to gain or to lose them. Saved by God's grace alone, through our faith alone.

Once we are cleansed by His mercy and saved by His grace, it is for eternity. 

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. 1 Peter 3:18a (NIV)

Christ died for our sins (mercy) once for all (grace).

Once - for all men, for all time. 

God's mercy grace-gifted to all men for, all time. 

The key to grace is found in the word gift. A gift unaccepted is an expression of love missed. A gift unopened is a joy missed.

Jesus died for your sins - that's a fact!

The gift offered is eternal salvation. 

Have you accepted and opened God's gift?

Perhaps this post will start a discussion about mercy and grace. Please do! I have much to learn!!

4 Stories of Grace

Grace, Grace

God's Grace

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within

Grace, Grace

God's Grace

Grace that is greater than all my sin

Julia H. Johnston, 1910, Public Domain

Grace. Almost indescribable.  God's grace began with eternal life, given to us with Jesus' resurrection, and He showers grace on us each day through the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

In recent years, I experienced God's grace, even though I was filled with anger and frustration. When we moved from the Houston area to west Texas, I was so angry. I stubbornly refused to be happy. Instead of leaving me in my misery, the Lord used a fantastic retreat, Walk to Eamaus, to restore my joy and to show me the many grace gifts He'd given me in my new home.

God's grace is written all throughout Scripture. We can learn much through the lives of these four men:

• Moses
• Elijah
• Peter
• Paul

Moses   Moses' story is told in Exodus. He was the deliverer of God's people from slavery, the Lawgiver on Mount Sinai. God protected his life from the very beginning: As an infant, Moses was set adrift in a basket, rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, and raised to be next on the throne. Then hot-headed Moses killed an Egyptian guard and fled into the desert to live his life as a shepherd.

One day, while out on a mountainside with a herd of sheep, Moses saw a strange, burning bush.

God called Moses to deliver His people from Egypt but Moses didn't seem too eager to go:
Look at me! I can't go to Pharaoh!
What if the people ask me your name? What will I tell them?
What if they don't believe me?
But I've got a speech problem! Send someone else.

God could have left Moses with his sheep and found someone else more willing. But He chose to shower Moses with grace. He patiently answered Moses' questions and used him to deliver His people from slavery in Egypt.

Talk about stubborn! Sounds just like me. After I was laid off as an engineer at Johnson Space Center, God began to whisper to me about writing a Bible study. I had a list of excuses as long as my arm. When I did begin to write, I still resisted the idea. In His grace, God allowed my writing to win two key awards at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. My study, Storms of Life, is a testimony to God's grace.

Even in our stubbornness, God doesn't quit. We can't out-stubborn Him! He knew us before we were born and assigned the works we are to do in His name (Ephesians 2:10). He will deal with us in love and grace, waiting until we come to Him and surrender our lives to His purposes.

Grace that is greater than all our stubbornness!

Elijah   Even today, Elijah is one of Israel's most revered prophets. He was strong in his faith and stood up before the most evil Israeli kings, like Ahab and his wife, Jezebel. In 1Kings 18-19, the Lord used Elijah to embarrass 450 pagan priests and to prove that there was only one true Lord. As you can imagine, Ahab and Jezebel were furious and vowed to kill him.

Even after the Lord's show of power, Elijah was overcome with fear. He ran into the desert and begged God to kill him. He climbed Mount Horeb and hid in a cave.

God could have left Elijah to tremble in the cave. But He chose to shower him with grace. He revealed Himself to Elijah by passing in front of the cave and He restored Elijah's courage.

I have certainly cowered in fear. Many years ago, my family endured a horrible crisis. I prayed for deliverance continuously and I was terrified as things seemed to spiral downward. Even though God didn't choose to deliver us, He revealed Himself to us through His Word and through believers around us.

Fear, anger, or loneliness are crippling emotions. The enemy tries to defeat us and to cause us to cower in hiding. But God never leaves us there. As our loving Father, He comes to bring us back to our feet. We are never alone. We never have to fear. He assures us of His presence and His power.

Grace that is greater than all our fears!

Peter  Peter, the impetuous disciple, the one who often said or did something he shouldn't have. But he was the first to recognize that Jesus was the source of eternal life (John 6:68).

The night of Jesus' arrest, Peter followed the soldiers and hunkered down by a fire outside where they interrogated Jesus. A few of the people around the fire recognized him as one of the disciples but he denied that he knew Jesus - three times.

Jesus could have expelled him from His circle of disciples but, instead, He chose to shower Peter with grace.

After His resurrection, Jesus met Peter and some other disciples on the shore at the Sea of Tiberius. There He gave Peter three opportunities to declare his love for Him. All three times, Peter said, "You know that I love you." (John 21). Jesus cleared Peter's conscience and strengthened him. A few weeks later, Peter proclaimed the gospel with such power that 4000 people believed in Jesus.

That is always a result of disobedience: it denies Jesus. Sometimes, our actions deny our faith. Even though we might fail Him, He never turns away. He restores us and gives us opportunities to serve Him and to show our love for Him.

Grace that is greater than all our disobedience!

Paul   Paul was the Lord's missionary to the Gentiles - those who were not Jewish. He brought the gospel of Jesus to all of Asia and into Europe. Before this, though, he was a member of the Jewish elite, educated in Jewish beliefs by the best tutors in Jerusalem. He knew all of the prophesies about the Messiah, but He chose to rebel against the truth. He made it his mission to capture and imprison or execute as many Christians as possible. He rejected Jesus, even though he heard and saw the faith of the hundreds he persecuted.

God could have ensured that Paul was killed. He could have judged Paul and found him guilty. But He chose to shower Paul with grace.

On a trip to Damascus, Jesus met Paul on the road and transformed him from a murderer to a powerful witness for Christ (Acts 9).

Like Paul, we were in rebellion. Perhaps we'd heard of God's mercy and grace, but we refused to believe the truth. God pursued us and drew us into His love. Now we are His children, showered with His grace gifts.

Grace that is greater than all our rebellion!

Even as believers, we are in need of God's grace. We aren't always obedient but we are always loved. We aren't always strong but we are always filled with God's strength. We don't always listen but He never ceases to speak to us. We can never overwhelm God's Grace.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (Emphasis mine)

How has God shown His grace to you?


Photo credits:

Burning bush
Elijah hiding
Peter in the courtyard
Christian persecution

Desperate Prayers

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3

We’ve all been there. Crying out in desperation to the Lord. 

• A crisis that almost destroyed my family and, even now, the pain hits me, without warning, like the proverbial ton of bricks.
• My sister, who’s caught in a horrible job that threatens to cripple her.
• My closest friend Joanna who struggles with the death of her husband; lonely days and even lonelier nights.

Desperate prayers: for deliverance, for miracles, for new jobs, for emotional or physical healing. 

Sometimes, we feel abandoned and wonder why He doesn’t step into our circumstances and answer our prayers.

In those panicked moments, we might hear God whisper, “Don’t pray only for the work of My hands, pray also for the work of My Spirit.”

He doesn’t promise that He will intervene. He promises that He will indwell.

What do we need most when we face a new sunrise?

• Strength to get out of bed.
• Peace when things make no sense.
• Energy to make it through the next hour, or even the next five minutes.
• Clarity to remember how to do the daily tasks ahead of us.
• Guidance to make decisions and to respond to the situations we face.

Above all, we need the fullness of God’s Spirit to well up within us and do through us what we are incapable of doing on our own.

We need God Himself.

In those desperate times, He gives us His Word to guard our hearts and minds.

Strength: It is God who arms me with strength. Psalm 18:32

Peace: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Energy: But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. The will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Clarity:  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (New King James Version)

Guidance:  Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Psalm 31:3

When you are desperate, pray for God to move in your situation, but don’t forget to ask Him to express His grace in your mind, heart, and soul.

Share with us:

How has God's strengthened your heart and guided your thoughts through difficult times?

The Grace to Bloom

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 

When Ruby and I were walking in the park the other day, I spotted this determined little flower blooming in the middle of a patch of dirt and rocks.

Now that's determination, focus, and faith!

Three things I sometimes lack.

I know the little flower doesn't think things through but, if it were me, my conversation with God would go something like this:

Me: Hmm...I don't see any other roots around me so that means it must be kind of harsh above ground. I'm sure I don't have what it takes to grow and bloom up there
God: I am able to give you grace, pouring over and spilling out. My strength will enable you to poke your head up above the dirt and grow in the sun.  

Me: Oh, I know that. You tell me that all the time. But...It's hot and dry up there and the wind is blowing like crazy.
God: I'll make sure you have all you need to grow tall and green. I'll give you deep roots and healthy leaves.  Don't look around you, look at Me.

Me: You say that but it's not easy. It's a strange world out there. I know I can grow but can I bloom? I want people who walk by to see the beauty You've created and to smile.
God:  I promise you will shine with My love. I have work already planned for you and I will guide you to bloom beautifully.  


Me: Well, here goes! Gee, it's beautiful! The sun is so warm and I love the sound of my leaves rustling in the wind. There's a bud opening up. Look, that lady and her dog have stopped to look at me and she's smiling. She's even taking a picture!
God: Isn't it wonderful? This is just what I created you to do. No other flower can bloom quite like you.   

It always me a while to step out onto the path God has for me. When I do, I find so many blessings and I feel such joy when I'm able to reflect Jesus to others around me.

Grace

Provision

He has truly given me all I need to bloom for Him!

Be Bold!

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. Hebrew 4:16a (NKJV)

He just sat there, staring at me! After all, I was invading his territory. 

You see, I went for a walk in a small park near my home. (I’d call it exercise but strolling along at a snail’s pace doesn't quite qualify.) As I wandered along, I saw a squirrel sitting about three feet off the path, carefully examining a pecan. He stood up straight, stared at me intently, and tightly clutched his treasure. I expected him to bolt up a nearby tree as I approached but he just stood there, turning his little head to watch me.

When I was about a foot away, he scampered up the tree and out onto a limb. He flattened himself against the limb, peered down at me, and chattered his displeasure. I walked backwards for a ways and stared back at him. Finally he grew tired of our little game and turned his back to me. 

I laughed. “What a bold little thing,” I thought to myself.

When it comes to my relationship with God, am I a “bold little thing”? Well, actually, I am. My friends will tell you that I’m not the least bit shy about “chattering” at God. I peer up at Him and tell Him my frustrations.

We are just like that little squirrel.

• We stand up to God and voice our displeasure at situations in our lives.
• We stare at Him and demand He answer our prayers the way we want.
• We clutch our treasures – our TV shows or the possessions that give us acceptance with our friends.

And I have an idea that God sits on His throne and smiles us, His children.

He listens to our frustrations and demands with grace.

He looks at the things we cherish and draws near to show us that His love is more precious than any worldly treasure.

We can come boldly before God because Jesus is our Savior and our High Priest.

Praise God for His sacrificial love.

Bask in His grace.

Come boldly before Him!

How precious is the freedom you have in your relationship with your Father?

Photo credit: AcrylicArtist

Done Any Grumbling Lately?

And in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, 

because he has heard your grumbling against him. Exodus 16:7

Moses said these words to the Israelites who were grumbling like crazy - again. God delivered them from slavery in Egypt and they saw Him perform miracle after miracle. But, when it came time to eat one evening, they started complaining again.

"We wish you'd just left us back there in Egypt. We were slaves but at least we had lots to eat. What good is being free if we starve to death?"

Moses' first words?  “And in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD.”

We can all agree with that. Sunrises proclaim His glory. I might even stretch it so far as to say a cup of steaming coffee declares His glory.

Who do you suppose the “you” refers to?

Someone who seeks Him. Someone who walks with Him every day. Certainly someone who’s obedient.

Not so fast! Read the rest of the verse, “because he has heard your grumbling against him.”

He chose to show His glory—His mercy and grace—to the very same people who complained, who didn't trust Him, and who doubted His provision. He didn't zap them into pieces of coal. He understood their weak faith and and revealed Himself to them in a way that would bolster their confidence in Him.

I'm one of those people. We all are.

We've seen God do some awesome things but, at the slightest hint of trouble, we grumble.
We don't trust Him. We doubt His love.

It’s amazing that our Father God responds to our lack of faith and our grumbling with love rather than to thump us on the head (my Mom’s favorite mode of scolding).

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, 

abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15

When did you last praise God for His infinite patience?

When has He shown you grace when you deserved a thump in the head?

Photo credit: 1,

It’s Free!

 

For it is by grace you have been saved,

through faith--and this not

from yourselves,

it is the gift of God--

not by works, so that no

one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

 

You young’uns might not remember this song.

 

Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin.

 

From way back in 1971

 

I thought of this song when I saw these stairs in Grand Central Station in Washington D.C.

  

"There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold

 And she’s buying a stairway to heaven."

 

What a scary idea!

 

Can we ever buy our way to heaven?

 

What can we use to pay the price?

• Doing good things?
• Helping others?
• Going to church?
• Believing that God is real?

Can we ever pile up enough good works that we can buy our way to heaven?

 

Salvation and the hope of heaven are wonderful gifts given to us by God through the love and sacrifice of His Son Jesus.

 

He gives it to us because He loves us beyond what we can imagine.

 

When we stumble, we know that God won’t throw us out.

 

When we have bad days, we know God won’t reject us.

 

What precious confidence we have that we don’t have to buy God’s love.

 

 

We don’t have to earn His grace.

 

We don’t have to pay at the gate of heaven so He will let us in.

 

God’s love and grace are free because Jesus paid the price on the cross. We only have to accept it.

 

Heaven is free because Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

• We can't do anything to buy it.
• We can’t do anything to earn it.
• We can’t do anything to lose it.

God does everything!

 

 

 It is free!

 

What joy and confidence does it give you that your stairway to heaven is free?

 

Photo credit gold coins: yuiyizhuravov 

I Only Did It ONCE!

The guy who mows our walking park must be on vacation.

He hasn't mowed for a couple weeks.

If he sees all these weeds, he might say,

"Look at that! It's impossible!"

Isn't it amazing how fast things get out of sorts?

How about that diet?

"Well, I blew it last night. surely another day won't hurt."

Second day, "Oh, what's the use! I'll feel better after some brownies."

Cleaning house?

Why dust the coffee table? I need to leave hubby a message anyway.

Every time we come up with a good excuse to skip something, it gets easier the next time.

That's particularly true for me and my quiet time.

First day:

Oh dear, the time got away from me and I need to get ready to go.

I'll skip it just this once.

I'll only do it this once.

Next day:

It's so nice outside. I'm going to take a walk before it gets too hot.

I'll do it after lunch.

Just this once.

The evening of the next day:

Oh, shoot, I forgot all about you, God.

I'll be back at it tomorrow.

And the days roll on.

It all started with

"I'll do it later."

Isn't it amazing, staggering that Jesus didn't say


"I'll do it later."

He faced the cross and said

"I'll do it now."

• I'll suffer to heal.
• I'll shed my blood to redeem.
• I'll die to save

Praise the Lord for His mercy and grace!


Photo credit Cross: DesignPicsInc via DepositPhotos.com

Do You Need God's Restoring Rain?

 

 

 

 

Let my teaching drop as the rain,

my speech distill as the dew,

as raindrops on the tender herb,

as shower on the grass. Deuteronomy 32: 2

 

For several years, the land in west Texas has been parched.

We prayed, even begged for rain.

 

The past few weeks, God’s blessed us – and the transformation has been remarkable.

 

Overnight, the bare, dusty fields exploded in green of every shade.

 

Life returns, seemingly out of nowhere.  

 

Many times in the past, my life has seemed parched.

• The loss of the Columbia crew with whom I had worked for three years 
• The deaths of my mother and father-in-law within a few months
• The loss of my job
• The move from my long-time home to a new area

During these times, I prayed

• For rain to soothe my heart
• For dew to refresh my spirit
• For a shower to wash away the stubbornness that created a dry, dusty life

God answered my prayers, when I opened my heart to Him.

 

Let me repeat that: when I opened my heart.

 

God never forces His healing on us – but, because of His great love, He enables us to desire healing.

 

He flooded my heart with mercy – undeserved but given freely to me

 

He refreshed my spirit with grace – the riches of a relationship with Jesus, my Savior

 

He showered my life with the truth of His Word – restoring my faith and joy

 

Was it overnight?

 

No.

 

It was a slow process; with every step I hungered for more.

 

He became my

• Companion,
• Guide,
• and Friend

 Every day with Him is sweeter than the day before.

 

Does your heart feel parched?

Pray for His rain of mercy

Is your spirit aching with grief, anger, or bitterness?

Pray for His love and grace to cleanse you and fill you with joy

Is your life dry and hopeless?

Pray for His Spirit to fill you with the truth of His Word and to restore your faith.

 

 

 

How God has ministered to you when you were desperate for His rain?

If you know someone who might be encouraged by this post, please share.

Flip-Flops

I’ve got lots of flip-flops.



Simple ones. Fancy ones. Lots of colors.

Comfy, cool – perfect for running around in the heat of west Texas.


In recent years, the idea of flip-flop took on a whole new meaning. We hear it particularly during an election season.

“Senator so-and-so changed his mind on XYZ issue! You can’t trust anything he says because you never know when he’ll flip-flop. That’s why you should vote for me!”

“The mayor changes his mind whenever the wind blows. He goes with what’s easy, what’s expedient. We don’t need a flip-flopper in office. So vote for me!”



Flip-floppers

We hate to admit it but we’ve all done our share of flip-flopping.



We sit in church and nod our heads at the preacher’s words and then we go home.

Flip-flop.

We hold to our standards until we face a decision with family or friends. Then we go the easy route.

Flip-flop


How wonderful it is to know that God loves flip-floppers!

He doesn’t give up.

He points it out to us when our lives don’t match what we claim to believe.

He gives us the strength to hold to our standards without a holier-than-thou attitude.

He offers forgiveness, over and over again. When we fall, He sets us back on solid ground.

He chooses

• He chooses to indwell us flip-floppers.
• He chooses to love us, no matter how many times we fall.
• He chooses to walk beside us, lighting our paths.

 

The closer He draws us to himself, the more we experience His incomprehensible love and grace.

Just remember, it’s not a license to flip-flop.

It’s an invitation to deepen your faith.


When have you been amazed by God's patience?