7/23/25
7/18/25
PATH
This post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--PATH
Five minutes to free-write about it
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I was once on a path. A very good path, I thought. A path that led to everything I had been searching my whole life for. I was so convinced it was the right path, I tried to persuade others to follow it as well. But God, in His infinite mercy and grace, did not leave me there.
It took extreme measures on His part, as I sincerely believed I had found all the answers and was no longer on a quest. But, in a most improbable way--probably the only one that would have captured my attention--He stepped in and rescued me from the darkness I thought was light. He opened my eyes to the lie I had bought into, turned me around, and set me on the path that really was the right one.
The details of this rescue mission are documented in my memoir, Sincerely Wrong: An Improbable Journey. (A free PDF copy is also available by clicking on the link in the sidebar of my blog.)
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Following is an excerpt from my book's AFTERWORD (pp 125-127):
Were I to see you headed towards some imminent danger, such as a cavernous hole in the sidewalk, it would be unconscionable of me not to warn you about it, and I would not hesitate to do so, even yanking you aside if necessary. . . . Don't be deceived, as I was, into thinking that there are many paths to God, or that we get to Heaven by being good. Although we were created to have fellowship with the Lord, Adam and Eve's sin caused us to be born into a fallen world. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and in Romans 6:23, that "the wages of sin is death." Because of sin, a vast gulf separates us from our Heavenly Father, and there is no way we can cross it through our own efforts. Only one path can lead us to eternal life, and that is Jesus, "The way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [Him]" (John 14:6).
The good news is that "God so loved the world [you and me included] that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). . . . This gift of salvation that is being handed to you can only be received by grace, through faith. It cannot be earned by good works (Ephesians 2:8-9), and as much as it is not God's will for anyone to perish, He will not impose His will on you or force you to accept it. The choice is yours.
7/16/25
7/12/25
PERHAPS
This post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--PERHAPS
Five minutes to free-write about it
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Over the years, the Lord has used my plants to teach me many things. Perhaps He is about to do so again?
A few, like these cuttings from my jade plant, however, do not. Barring an extraordinary miracle, there does not seem to be any perhaps in its future.
As for the wildflowers and tomato plant, will they have a chance to bloom and bear fruit given how late in the season I planted them this year? Perhaps yes, perhaps no.
Right now it's looking very iffy, as is the peace lily cutting, and the kalanchoe plant that was doing so well on my windowsill, but does not seem to be enjoying being outdoors as much as I thought it would.
Pondering the uncertainty of these things fills me with gratitude that there is no perhaps with God. He has given us His Word (the Bible) so we need have no doubts.
Romans 3:23 clearly states that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no one on earth who always does what is right and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20). We all, like sheep, have strayed and left God's path to follow our own ways (Isaiah 53:6).
But God does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). He wants everyone to repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). He longs to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18), and loves us so much "that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
God did not appoint us to suffer His wrath, but to receive the gift of salvation that Jesus died to appropriate for us (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10). There is no perhaps about it. The choice is ours.
7/4/25
TRANSFORM
This post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--TRANSFORM
Five minutes to free-write about it
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The transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly is quite amazing. So is the way a good haircut can transform the way you look. Or how adding a couple of ingredients can transform the taste of a recipe that turned out so yucky you were about to toss it.
My readiness to toss the recipe got me to thinking of how God doesn't just toss me out when I fall short. It led to a moment of deep gratitude that He is patient, longsuffering, and never gives up on me--even when I would have long given up on myself. No one is too far gone for Him to transform.
God loves us so much that while we were still sinners He sent Christ to die for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life (Romans 5:9, Isaiah 5:5, John 3:16,36). The gift of salvation is a free gift that can only be received by grace, through faith. It is not something you can earn (Ephesians 2:8-9).
When we repent of our sins and invite Jesus into our hearts, the slate is wiped clean and we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) with a new identity as a child of God.
God accepts us just as we are, and transforms us from the inside out through the power of His Holy Spirit. It is not something we can do in our own power.
7/1/25
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