Born to be Free

“ Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters ; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price .  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy ? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.  Incline your ear, and  come to me; hear, that your soul may live ; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David ." (Isaiah 55:1-3) This passage has kept me up at night lately. There are some days, some times when it seems like you live in the flood-zone.  Time and trouble are rushing, always rushing by and you feel helpless.  You try to be strong.  You try to hold yourself and the people you love together because you feel like that's the only option.  The only way the world can go on is if you carry it on your back. So it seems. I find myself spending my d

Jesus was followed by crowds during much of His ministry.  Those who accompanied Him were seeking many different things. Some sought healing from disease, some wished for advice from a "good teacher", and others sought the sort of Messiah who would liberate them from Roman oppression. Jesus on the other hand wanted people to see Him for Who He was - the Son of God.  And to follow the Son, there was a risk.  So Jesus told them exactly that. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life,  he cannot be my disciple .   Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple .  For  which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost , whether he has enough to complete it?  Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able

A few days ago, I returned home from my last national tournament as a Bible quizzer.  In the days following, there has been one thought that is yet to leave my mind - "There are no ordinary people.  You have never talked to a mere mortal..." (C. S. Lewis) Lewis goes on to say "... Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors..." I met a lot of people this past week at this event, many different types.  Some of them I've known for a while, while others I had met a few months prior and I knew I would see them again next season.  But sadly there were also several others I met this weekend that I know I may never see again. It's strange to try and explain how you can feel so connected to people after only knowing them for a few days.  It would be even harder to explain it to non-C