well, actually, this pome is titled 'If' but po-tay-to, po-tah-to... my wife linked to this the other day and i remembered what a powerful read it was... hope you enjoy [especially if this is your first time... and it works for women too by the way!] 'If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But [...]
this is not a completely happy psalm. here we see David once again, who was the same guy who brought us this in Psalm 23: 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with [...]
this one really is a short one... so let me include it: 1 Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. 3 Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me— people without regard for God. 4 Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. 5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy [...]
i came across this article titled, 'Loving Dzhokhar Tsarnaev' [one of the suspected terrorists involved in the recent Boston Marathon bombing] shortly after it happened and it really made some strong points in terms of our role as Christ following people in the wake of such a horrific disaster. the author, Adam Mabry, starts off by highlighting two opposing reactions which are equally unhelpful: 'The first is the xenophobic, racial, and even religious hatred of [...]
so my new 'The Weekly Mash [and Peace!]' blog is still in its early days but it's been encouraging to see new people subscribing almost daily - as it is still quite new though not a lot of people are visiting each of these posts and there have been some amazing things there, so if you are someone who reads stuff on Irresistibly Fish [my main blog] all the time, then i encourage you to [...]
i am not a big fan of tradition when it is solely taking place for tradition's sake [even if the original meaning and intention might have been good but has been lost or watered down along the way] but there are some traditions which are rich and full of life [baptism, communion, a family that eats together etc] that are incredible. Join me as I look at Mark 7.1-13: [to continue to the [...]
what happened yesterday with the bomb explosions after the Boston Marathon that up til now have claimed three lives and injured well over 100 people [with ten or more amputations that occurred with some of the survivors] was a tragedy. any time someone is killed it is a tragic thing and more so because this was something that was ruthlessly planned and carried out. and Facebook knew about it - scrolling down my news feed [...]
Jesus has just fed a crowd of more than 5000 people using one child's lunch so how does He follow that up? By slowing things down and spending time with His Father, feeding His soul and replenishing His batteries... after which He is right back at it as He catches up with His crew by taking a stroll on the lake to meet them... Come and take a listen as we read Mark 6 verse [...]
When trying to feed a big gathering of people, it is normally essential that you plan way in advance and consider things like seating, table settings, courses of food, what time the function will start, who has been invited and the like... Jesus decides to skip all that by throwing an impromptu crowd feeding... did i mention that He attempts this without food? [Don't worry, He passes the buck to His disciples - "You feed [...]
Rule number 1 when trying to keep your head attached to your body - don't piss off the king. More importantly, do not piss him off directly to his face by telling him exactly how you think he is publically sinning. If you do happen to inadvertently do that, be sure to be interesting enough when talking about God and life and the kingdom that he will keep you around out of curiosity and actually [...]