Prodigal Ponderings — spiritual growth RSS



Decisions

We had been looking forward to our vacation for a couple months and when the time finally arrived to prepare for our trip we had one major obstacle to contend with: Hurricane Irma.  Planning a vacation to Florida in the month of September is always risky since it is hurricane season, however we’ve done it before so we thought it worth doing again. Hurricane Irma was not just a threatening storm, it was billed as the largest and most dangerous storm to our hit our land in any of our lifetime. After watching the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and all the damage that storm did to Texas, this was not something to be taken lightly.  So we had a serious...

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Even Unto Old Age

One of my favorite exercises to keep my mind sharp while also feeding my spirit is to memorize God’s Word; specifically some of the Psalms.  Since there’s 150 Psalms and I’ve memorized like 7 I’m hardly in line for a medal; however as I do get older and my mind becomes more selective, memorizing things that matter is part of my “activity” to age gracefully. A favorite of mine is Psalm 92 and specifically how it compares the righteous (God’s people) to the growth of a palm tree, and that it still bears fruit, even unto old age (Ps 92:12-15).  I remember reading this verse to my mother a couple years ago when she was questioning why she was still...

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Sure, I Can Build That:)

Every woodworker knows that once friends and family know you have a shop and a few tools, all sorts of random requests come your way.  Everything from, "could you remodel my kitchen" to " can you repair a drawer in an old chest".  For a carpenter, every request is a bit like a challenge issued.........we hate saying "no" to any project because "sure, I can do that":). It's a blessing and a pitfall.  The blessing is that you get the pleasure of helping out a friend, solving a problem, or "fixing" a treasure.  The pitfall is that we "wood guys" can end up taking on projects that are either beyond our shop capabilities or that divert our focus.   Did I...

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My Biggest Fan - Lessons of Life

Over the past several days I faced a familiar woodworker's crisis: one of my favorite tools, my lathe, quit working.  I had purchased an inexpensive starter lathe awhile back and put out several nice products including pepper grinders, salt shakers and French rolling pins. Now it was time for an upgrade.   Woodworkers love their tools and I’m no different. Many, like myself, also love the research involved before our next purchase; then there’s the weighing of price, practicality and performance.  This is where my #1 fan comes in.   My beautiful wife is not only my best friend but also my greatest encourager.  She knows me; she listens to me, and she pays attention.  As I was wrestling through my decision...

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Made to Worship

During my recent Bible study, in the midst of the Old Testament book of Judges,  I was reminded of  a central aspect of how God created us all.  Whether believers or not, all of us were made to worship. While most relate worship to a religious practice, the reality goes far beyond that.  As a matter of fact one of the definitions Webster offers is this:  extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem. In my past, my worship was given to any number of self-serving pursuits that ultimately left me unfulfilled. Here’s an example: several years ago I was fortunate enough to share in season tickets for my favorite hockey team.  Looking back, this was just one...

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