Star for the Journey

faith

  • The Presence That Brings Peace

    Scripture Focus: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33 If happiness depended upon a trouble-free life, very few people would ever experience it for long. Jesus never promised…

  • The Measure of Love

    True love nurtures growth. It doesn’t simply accept someone as they are and leave them there. It patiently encourages what’s good, gently corrects what’s harmful, extends grace when grace is needed, and quietly draws out the very best in the one it loves. When I stop and think about it, isn’t that exactly how Christ…

  • Retired… or Reassigned?

    I once read a quote often attributed to Benjamin Franklin that has lingered in my mind for years: “Many people die at twenty-five and aren’t buried until they are seventy-five.” Whether he actually said it or not, the thought is sobering. It made me wonder if something similar can happen spiritually among Christians. I’ve noticed…

  • The Poverty of Plenty

    “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.” -Ecclesiastes 5:10 Have you ever noticed how quickly “just a little more” quietly becomes “still not enough”? Solomon certainly did. Few people have ever possessed more wealth, influence, opportunities, or accomplishments than he did.…

  • Still Under Construction

    “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 1:6 Most of us like to think we’re making good progress in our Christian walk. We learn to be patient, extend grace, and speak kindly. Then someone cuts…

  • The Fragrance of Our Influence

    “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour…” — Ecclesiastes 10:1 I have always found this to be one of the most vivid illustrations in Scripture. An apothecary would carefully blend fragrant oils and costly spices into a beautiful perfume. Every ingredient was chosen with care, yet it only…

  • The Wind in the Branches

    There are some things in life we know are real, even though we’ve never actually seen them. I’ve never seen the wind. I’ve watched towering trees bow beneath its strength, curtains billow through an open window, leaves skitter across the driveway as though they suddenly remembered an appointment somewhere else, and clouds drift across the…

  • Roots by the River

    Scripture Focus: “For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:8 I…

  • Room for One More

    One of the things I learned to appreciate about my father is that he never seemed to spend much time asking whether he could afford to help someone. He simply helped them. That probably sounds reckless to some people. Looking back, there were certainly times when our own circumstances weren’t exactly overflowing with abundance. We…

  • The Chapters Before Us

    Father’s Day has a way of making me think about things I didn’t understand when I was younger. Not because nobody explained them to me, but because children have a limited view of the world. They see what’s directly in front of them and assume that’s the whole story. When I was little, I knew…