Categories
The Lighter Walk

Friendship Walk

It has taken me a long time to have a friendship with God. We were more the ‘casual acquaintance’ type for many years.  Oh sure, we had our moments of closeness when I cried out in despair for help, not fully expecting to receive any help. And there were those ‘ah ha’ moments on spiritual retreats when I got all caught up in emotions of the worship and the message.

Real friendship was another thing. I still remember walking to communion one Sunday as the band played a song about Jesus being my friend and I realized that I didn’t feel that way. It broke my heart that others could know him that way but I didn’t. I mean I have been a Christian all my life so how could I not feel Jesus was my friend? Friendship implies a close relationship, a sharing of secrets, a deliberate presence in each other’s lives, and time spent together through all the good and bad times.

Wasn’t that Jesus?

Categories
Transformation Stories

Life Trees

Dying drying trees

Brown and lifeless

Or

Rebirthing trees,

Waiting for new life?

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Strong foundations

Branching off, crisscrossing,

Intersecting each other

New paths

Giving way to

New life.

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Solid trees, grown upright,

Branches reaching upward

Unity in growth

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Brown transformed to green

Renewed

Replenished

Beckoning us..

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Foundations rooted

 in

Rich soil

Growing, dying, rebirthing

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All reaching up

All branching out

All rooted in hope

Watered in love

Growing through faith.

Maggie Marcum

Categories
Living Loving Serving

The Love of My Life

How many times do we hear people say that someone they are in a relationship with is the love of their life–until they break up and move on to the next “love.” In a culture that seemingly embraces divorce it is hard to imagine that any one person can be the love of our life. Today many young people are rejecting the marriage norm and instead are moving from relationship to relationship when boredom or routine settles in.

I used to be one of those serial lovers–always looking for my soulmate or one true love. I have been fortunate to experience that kind of love a couple of times in my life but I sensed that something was missing. Its because the kind of love I want can’t really be found in a mortal man. I wanted unconditional, all forgiving, all loving, and perfect love. Pretty hard expectations to place on another mere human.