http://spiritualoasis.org/blog RESOURCES FOR ABUNDANT CHRISTIAN LIVING Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:45:28 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en While working for his former employer, a Christian friend of mine had an extremely high pressure job. One Wednesday evening, I asked him how he was doing. He responded, “This day has been a long week.” Have you ever had a day like that—a day when it seemed as though nothing ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/07/14/take-heart-my-friend/ I had just finished speaking about living with no regrets. A gentle-spirited, older woman approached me. She was complimentary. She was not, however, her normal, cheerful self. She wore a worried expression on her face, which I was not accustomed to seeing there. So, I asked if there was something ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/07/12/be-sweet/ Contemplating the significance of life... Well known 19th century American philosopher Henry David Thoreau wrote many things about the human experience. One rolls off of my lips often, because it seems to summarize his philosophy regarding life most succinctly. By now, many of you know what it is. Thoreau stated: The ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/07/10/from-ordinary-to-extraordinary/ A friend who lives in a distant land occasionally does battle with feelings of insignificance and despair. He once stated publicly that he didn't know why he tried to do anything of consequence, since it seemed like nothing he ever did turned out right and nobody even seemed to care. I quickly responded as forcefully ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/07/08/you-are-loved/ Another Independence Day is upon us. Families all over the nation are making their way to lakes and parks and beaches. Picnics and barbecues and fireworks displays will be enjoyed millions. Each year, when I listen to the speeches and watch the parades, I am moved with a strong sense of gratitude ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/07/04/god-bless-america/ For the last two weeks my wife (Telesa) and our two youngest children (Benjamin and Abigail) have been on a mission trip to Honduras. They are scheduled to return early Sunday morning. I'll try to share some of the highlights of the trip next week. In the meantime, here is ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/06/28/honduras-mission-update/ One sunny afternoon I went to the bank to make a deposit. There was only one teller on duty at this small branch. The line was long. I waited patiently for the five people who were in front of me. It seemed to take forever for each one to do ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/06/26/frustrations-and-the-holy-spirit%e2%80%99s-fruit/ We encounter change in our world every day. We are changing, as well. Amidst so much shifting — so much change — we often find ourselves groping for something solid to hold on to, some solid place upon which we can stand. This can be quite challenging. When it comes ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/06/20/facing-lifes-challenges/ The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, Proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/06/16/beauty-from-within/ The Gospel is astonishingly good news! In Romans 10:13 we read: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This quote from Joel 2:32 serves as a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole (a synecdoche, to be precise). It speaks of a ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/06/12/the-majesty-of-our-mission/ Rembrandt van Rijn, a resident of seventeenth century Amsterdam, was a prolific and popular artist. Art historian Marilyn Stokstad ranks him as one of the great artists of all times. He also ran an enormous workshop, where many apprentices learned to imitate his style. He may have excelled more as a ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/05/28/our-supreme-concern-following-jesus/ Someone has said, with tongue in cheek, that by the time we learn enough to be parents we are too old. Parenting truly is one of the most challenging tasks most people will face. So much is expected. Parents are on call twenty-five hours a day, eight days a week! ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/05/26/our-children/ Each year, when I reflect on Memorial Day, several special people come to mind. Like many of you, I have known many who having given their lives in military service, going back to the Vietnam War. Their sacrifice and the lingering sense of loss experienced by each of their families ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/05/25/memorial-day-2008/ Our recent trip to the northeast reminded me of the way spring quietly emerges in Delaware. Hints of green peek from buds on tree branches. Daffodils surface from quiet rest under blankets of mulch. A few early arriving yellow flowers seem to trumpet reveille to spring. Ah, spring! What a ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/05/25/two-trees-at-a-time/ High school graduations evoke a host of thoughts and emotions. My wife and I have seen two of our sons walk across the stage, another is slated to graduate in a few days. Each time we watch one of our children pass this milestone, we are deeply grateful that God ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/05/25/prayer-for-graduates/ Here are a few additional pictures of Niagara Falls, which were taken at night. The sights are simply breathtaking. These shots do not do them justice, but they will give you a sense of these marvels. American Falls at Night:   Horseshoe Falls at night:   A close up of the Horseshoe Falls at night:   Here ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/05/22/niagara-falls-at-night/ Many of you good naturedly participated in my previous "Where Am I?" quiz. It quickly became apparent that the image you were viewing was taken from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, across the street from the entrance to the Maid of the Mist Marketplace. Even though we previously lived close enough to visit the ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/05/19/niagara-falls-and-more/ Take a close look at the picture below. Anyone one know where I am? ShareThis http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/05/15/where-am-i/ Jesus said that His followers would glorify the Father in Heaven by letting their lights shine. The Holy Spirit instructs us through Paul’s writings that we are children of light. In another place we are taught to shine like stars in the universe. Truly, Christians should have a certain spiritual ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/05/01/recipte-for-revival/ Few technological advancements have revolutionized the human experience more rapidly or more dramatically than the Internet. We have e-cards, e-commerce, e-fax, e-file, e-libraries, e-loans, e-mail, e-news, e-trades, e-zines and... e-almost-any-and-everything. We can even find long-lost loved ones via the “Net.” Through this modern marvel, the world is literally at our ... http://spiritualoasis.org/blog/2008/04/28/safe-surfing/