For One Hour

A few weekends ago, the good doctor and I headed to a grieving couples retreat led by Nancy and David Guthrie. I must say that when we initially heard about it we thought, "We need this. Yes! Let's do it." Then, the week before the retreat both of us were thinking, "What are we doing? Can we get out of this??" Not really knowing what to expect, we showed up Friday night to a room full of couples who had also experienced the same devastating loss we had: losing a beloved child. Looking around at each couple, it was hard to believe each of them had felt or was feeling the same sadness we had felt. As we shared stories that night and Saturday morning, my heart was burdened for each of them as I listened and saw the courage they had, the pain the carried, and the hope that drew them forward. Each story was different, yet out of ten couples, one thing was the same: an unswerving faith and trust in God. To be perfectly honest, this absolutely shocked me. I think I...

I've been pondering lately the simplicity of Christianity. The only thing God requires of us is simple faith and simple accepting a good gift and simply believing He has good things for us. So, why does it seem so hard? "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that ...Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs...Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth...so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life ." (1 Timothy 6:6-16) I love that last verse: the life that is truly life. Lot of things glimmer and tempt and promise to fulfill us. But do they? Let's think back to the last thing you wanted that you got...Maybe a new car, a new shirt, a new pair of shoes? Maybe a job? How long did that feeling of...