Day One Hundred Eighty-Three of 365 – Things That Inspire Me: Unalienable Rights
On this Independence Day, I ponder something that stirs inspiration at a level deeper than I initially thought. That something? Unalienable Rights. What is the definition of Unalienable Rights? What’s unalienable cannot be taken away or denied. Within the context of the Constitution, these rights are granted by God. From that particular perspective, it seems that […]
Day One Hundred Sixty-Seven of 365 – Things That Inspire Me: True Faith!
True Faith! Defining Faith often becomes a tenuous task! People from widely diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences routinely work to communicate their definitions and at times impose those definitions on others. Yes, defining and communicating Faith is indeed a challenge! Through my years on this rock I too have sought to make sense of the […]
Day One Hundred Sixty-Four of 365 – Things That Inspire Me: A Change of Worlds
Today on day 164 of my 365 day personal writing challenge, I would like to share a few thoughts about death and a change of worlds. Now on the surface, you might wonder how talking about death and a change of worlds inspres me. This might sound strange but if you will run with me […]
Day One Hundred Forty-One of 365 – Confessions of a Recovering Bapticostal: Be Still and Know!
It seems that frenetic activity becomes embedded in the practice of religion. Notice I said religion and not spirituality. I know that was the case for me growing up. So much energy was spent creating an illusion of importance surrounding the practice of faith as I knew it. Church services at least three time a […]
Day One Hundred Forty of 365 – Confessions of a Recovering Bapticostal: The Value of Wisdom
The Value of Wisdom! Growing up in the somewhat convoluted combination of Pentecostalism and whatever “ism” to which Southern Baptists belong, I realized that I heard very little wisdom from the mouths of those whose job it was to dispense it. I heard countless sermons, speeches and lessons purporting wisdom. On the surface, these presentations […]
Day One Hundred Thirty-Seven of 365 – Confessions of a Recovering Bapticostal: Avoiding Hell
Hell! Is it a real place? Will those who fail to believe make Hell their eternal residence? Is earth the Hell for people from another planet? Is Hell a place of our making? Where and what exactly is Hell? This would make a great Google search if you are interested. I remember the take on […]
Day One Hundred Thirty-Five of 365 – Confessions of a Recovering Bapticostal: The Strength of the Willow
The storms of life! We’ve all faced a few in our time. If you have yet to face one, stick around! Your time is coming! None of us are immune. No “storms of life” vaccine exists. Growing up, I was keenly aware that there was a preferred way to face life difficulties. At least in the […]
Day One Hundred Thirty-Three of 365 – Confessions of a Recovering Bapticostal: When Righteousness is Just a Jacket!
Joseph (of Old Testament fame) possessed a “technicolor dream coat” which he wore as a Robe of Righteousness. Elijah (also of Old Testament fame) possessed a mantle that somehow embodied a representation of Righteousness. Garments of various types have been associated with Righteousness in multiple religious groups around the world. The thing about coats and mantles […]
Day One Hundred Thirty of 365 – Confessions of a Recovering Bapticostal: Pre; Post; A . . . Or?
I’m in the middle of sharing a mini-series within a larger series of writing and I’m really enjoying myself! I have committed to publishing a brief article, blog post or thought once a day for an entire year! What a challenge! In the midst of this journey, I’ve discovered that writing a series of posts with a common […]
Day One Hundred Twenty-Nine of 365 – Confessions of a Recovering Bapticostal: When We All Get to Heaven!
A few posts ago I addressed the varying beliefs and ideologies associated with the concept of “saved” – especially as it relates to Christianity. The differences in perspective can be dizzying. A concept of debate that follows closely on the coattails of being “saved” is what happens after we die. Every major religion has some […]