9/22/2022 Are questions an attempt to get answers? Many times people would ask Jesus questions and He would reply with His own question for them. Even those who were trying to trap Him with leading questions Jesus still often replied with questions. Could it be that questions are meant to lead to better questions? Could it be answers are really seeds for better questions? Could reaching for deeper and thus higher questions lead us to better understand the glory of the glorious God?

This is a combination of my Hope and Grace Journals.

 

9/19/2022 Why does God love us? Does God have to or does God want to? How does a glorious God love us at all? How does God love us so much the Trinity would offer One to die for us? How can a Trinity even do that? Why would God do that? To explain the depth of love of this sacrifice God places it on our terms as a loving Father offering His beloved Son to die for those who hate and despise Him. Timothy Keller reveals God is a prodigal God loving we who waste all of God’s blessings.

This is a combination of my Hope and Grace Journals.

 

I have not written for a long time. On top of the return of many of my old pains a cold invaded and things went from bad to badder and from worse to worser. I had to miss group the last two weeks I had a chance to see Duncan off and that shows how bad things were. Sorry Duncan! I will miss you and thank you for the may ways you blessed my life.

But the glorious God brought adjustments to the spinal stimulater through the good folks at Nevro and the cold is breaking up. I am getting back to bad and worse! Celebrate hope and grace even when they do not make sense to others and even at times to you!

 

Why do we pray for God to be with us when He always is? Why do we ask for God to bless us when we are always surrounded by His blessings?

 

9/12/2022 One of the worst memories of September 11^th I have is the seemingly never ending line of ambulances with their crews standing looking at the towers totally helpless. They had come to help. They wanted to help. But there were too few they could help. This picture could make you feel hopeless but think of it in another way. How often have you believed there was no one who cared or would help. Know there is a long line of people wanting and waiting to help. There is hope.

This is an entry from my Hope Journal which helps me hope, beyond hope.

We can miss grace thinking it is this wonderfully obvious thing when really it is as simple as a friend a first responder coming to your aid, or an ad for a, doctor, counselor or a church. Hmm. Maybe grace can at times be obvious?

From my Grace Journal to remind me of our need not for agreement but grace in our relationships.

 

9/11/2022 Today is Sunday and September 11^th.

September 11^th was a day when over 3,000 people were killed in the name of hate. People hated so much they hijacked full passenger planes and flew them into the Twin Towers in New York city expanding the fires of hate and fear. Fear turned to anger, anger became hatred and hatred bred more violence. In the end probably more Muslims died as a result of September 11^th than ‘infidels’ killed on that day. A true result of hatred and vengeance.

Sunday is a day we celebrate undeserved grace and life. Grace by its very nature is undeserved but it is important for us to remember! Sunday is a reminder joy, hope, love and grace can come even after we awake from a September 11^th. Even our own or our families September 11^th.

Remember the pain and rejoice cause Sundays a comin!!!

 

9/10/2022 Bonnie is sick with what is probably a sinus infection and is really down. For the second day in a row the power has gone out as KUB is working just a few feet from us. Remember, no matter how large or trivial your problems are hope is a reality and can be a source of strength and joy.

This is an entry from my Hope Journal which helps me hope, beyond hope.

No matter how you feel treat others with grace and they may return grace to you. If they do not you can receive the joy of offering grace to them.

From my Grace Journal to remind me of our need not for agreement but grace in our relationships.

 

9/8/2022 A friend asked if I was better today and I had to respond I am worser. Worser may not be a word but it does define how one feels. Constant pain and weariness I am used to but thinking I am on my own ‘tape delay’ is worrisome. Hope is hard to come by today but not impossible. When it feels like someone is pulling your toe from your foot hope is possible! When your muscles clench and hold for hours and even days hope is possible! When food tastes bad and seems wrong hope is possible! When walking into a room seems like walking into another world hope is possible! When walking is taking each step in the ocean up to your waist hope is possible! When others words comes as fragments you have to discern like a code hope is possible! Some might say I sound hopeless but isn’t is amazing to be hopeless means to have less hope so hope is possible!

This is an entry from my Hope Journal which helps me hope, beyond hope.

Grace is an undeserved gift. You could say God sees us as worthless. Like hopeless the word worthless does not seem to mean there is no worth and Jesus gave His life believing we were worth more than we can even imagine!

From my Grace Journal to remind me of our need not for agreement but grace in our relationships.

 

9/7/2022 Yesterday and today I seem to be just out of phase with what is around me. Things seem either closer than they are or farther away. Food seems wrong and fluids seem thicker and bitter. Even good sleep does not lessen the weariness. I seem to be just out of step with everything and everyone. It hurts to be around others because I don’t see things the same and others get frustrated with me. I think because I am frustrated. Will not be able to go to group and I hate missing it. But better to not go than to have to come back because I couldn’t make it.

 

9/6/2022 God says in the darkness there is Light. Whether you believe in God or not in the deepest darkness there is hope. The problem can be either we are so frightened by the dark we don’t look or because we are too weary to believe hope is there. Look and you will see.

This is an entry from my Hope Journal which helps me hope, beyond hope.

Grace can not only be a response to sin but can even help prevent sin. Treating others with grace can help you not sin and even help others to not respond in a sinful way. While human grace cannot cover a multitude of sin it can help limit the sin and the destruction sin causes.

From my Grace Journal to remind me of our need not for agreement but grace in our relationships.

 

9/5/2022 Today is the only day I have. This is not pessimistic but realistic. Today is the only day I can live and it is a ‘present’ from God. Today is a chance to break from the bad of the past and try to form a better tomorrow. Today is when I need hope and grace and when I can offer hope and grace to others. Today is a present from God and my chance to make a present to God by being a present to others.

This is a combination of my Hope and Grace Journals.

When Moses asked for God’s name the reply was I AM. God is ever now. Eternal to the point that all of time and beyond the reach of time is before Him. For God to prophesy is to see one moment and share it to those in another. God is ever present because God is by nature ever present. As Creator of time God is both beyond and within. God is within our today and also beyond it because He is present in both our tomorrow and yesterday now. That is why I can pray today and the answer was on its way before I knew to ask!!! Here is hope and grace!!!

 

Labor Day – Having grown up in West Virginia Labor Day was a very important recognition of the cost and value of the rights of labor. Decades and generations of violence and even attack by government troops at Matewan (where 50 caliber machine guns were used against men, women and children living in tents and the shells are still being dug up) finally saw the Unions come to be and attempt to bring protection to those who not only work but who also make things work. Unions came to be because of the sacrifice of those like Mother Jones who was a character with character. My Dad supported unions but would be sold out by his union who not only did not protect their members but helped the corporation. So labor is more than about unions but recognizing the value of those whose work form true prosperity. May those who seek to tax, legislate against and steal the pensions and benefits of workers hear the voice of those like Mother Jones and value the labor and those who labor. Thanks to all who work hard for themselves and their families and are a blessing to all!

 

9/4/2022 It has been so hard lately between the pain and weariness that as they would say when I was a boy, “His get up and go got up and went!” On the wardrobe by my bed is a gift from my wife Bonnie which says hope. At times I look at it thankful for what I have, at times hoping for hope and at times wondering what hope is or where it has gone. But hope is there and is real! Very, very real! As Jesus encouraged everyone, “seek and you will find”. Jesus also said “you have not because you ask not.” I’m a seekin and a askin!!!

This is an entry from my Hope Journal which helps me hope, beyond hope.