Monday Musings: Changing Seasons
If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I love fall. September, October, and November hold a special place in my heart. It’s not just because of the changing of the leaves, the chance to wear warmer clothes and/or consume all things pumpkin related. It’s also because I feel a noticeable shift in the atmosphere. It is the fourth quarter and the end of the year is approaching. It is a season of thankfulness leading into a season of celebration. Change is all around us in the Fall. When the seasons change in our lives, there is also a shift. If you are self-aware…
Monday Musings: EC-ism #1 #NoCasualties
My mother is a wise woman. She drops little nuggets and then walks away like she hasn’t just wrecked your entire world. We had one such moment this weekend. So, I’ve decided to begin a collection of “EC-isms” in her honor. An EC-ism is a quote or thought inspired by Effia Casenia Stripling (AKA mom). This one hit home. How many moments, ideas, and relationships has the pursuit of perfection stolen from us? How many laughs, memories, precious breaths and glimpses of sanity have I been robbed of chasing the alluring yet elusive promise of perfection? Well, I say enough is enough. I refuse to let another thing become a…
Sometimes I Forget: Reflections After a Worship Experience
SOMETIMES I FORGET . . . Sometimes I forget and have to be reminded. Reminded of your love, reminded of your power, reminded of your faithfulness. Reminded that you are a promise keeper. That there is no sin too great that your love can’t reach. No shame so deep that you can’t cover. I have to be reminded that you cover me. Your love, your grace, your mercy – they cover me. Tonight, I was reminded. Reminded of your presence. Tonight I breathed in the presence of the Most High God and remembered. Remembered who I was. Remembered who He was. Remembered I was LOVED. Remembered I was CALLED. Remembered…
What is Shalom?
Shalom is a Hebrew term that is rich in history and meaning. In its simplest form, it means peace, prosperity, harmony, wholeness, completeness, tranquility and welfare. However, in the Old Testament it assumed an interconnectedness between people, nature, and God. In the book Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin, author Cornelius Plantinga described the Old Testament concept of shalom: The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and…
