When we are born into this world, we are given a name. Many will keep that name their entire lives, yet never own their identity. What if your name is not your real one? Like Saul who spent many years with contempt for Christians changed his name to Paul. In actuality, he never changed his name, but God gave him his real name. It took him to break, and admit his flaws, only then had he earned his real name. We live our lives wounded by others and accepted it as our identity. Perhaps it was your dad calling you “stupid, weak or sissy.” Or your “friends” that bullied you into a false personality. We are marked by people’s opinions, and they scar us, many times for life. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 In defense, we give up our real identity. We protect ourselves by a false worldly view. As an imposter, we live out our lives living a lie. No longer do we recognize ourselves. Our ego takes over, we attach labels to ourselves to hide behind. Speaker, Writer, Blogger, entrepreneur, the list goes on. Labels we hide behind,  identities that hide the real you. Who are you? Whatever appellation you go by. God sees through all the false fronts. You may create a new persona that your online world sees. Or perhaps even a facade that even your closest of friends think is […]

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Ever want to brighten your day, I would say visit your local Family Christian store. I have been a patron of Family Christian stores ever since my wife introduced me to them over a decade ago. Since then it has become a traditional store for us to visit. Usually around Christmas time as well as when there is a birthday or other celebration coming up. One thing that I have noticed about any Family Christian Store I have been in, it’s the people. My latest trip to my local store this past week was no exception. Driving out there on my lunch break, in hopes that I would be able to get in and out quickly. I was greeted by the assistant manager, Patricia with a smile and words of blessings. Only after the cheerful greeting did she offer assistance. Unlike many retail stores, you could tell her spirit and heart truly meant the words she shared. After declining her generous offer to help, I proceeded to peruse around the store. There was a buy one get one 50% off Sale going on that peaked my interest. With brick and mortar stores these days, without an appealing sale, people are inclined to stay at home and order off the web. I wandered around the store and before I knew it I had been there over thirty minutes. Still with no purchase in hand. It was not for not finding one; it was from finding so many and having to decide. Finally, I chose two books by Stan Toler that I […]

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As I alluded to over a couple of posts recently my family has shrunk a bit. It has been through these losses that true grace has been revealed. Anyone that watches as their parents or in my case grandparents as they lose their ability to care for themselves knows it is hard. No longer do you see them the same. No longer are they the same. Their true self shines through almost child like. My grandmother passed away a couple of weeks ago. She had changed from the steadfast strong lady I once knew. Her life began to dwindle with her memory. One moment she knew me, the next I was a stranger. I pray that the loving woman, full of joy and grace the last I saw her. I pray that was the real grandma I happened to never really know. We had our differences. We could go quite some time without even speaking. Now that she is gone, I pray the way she was the last few months. I pray that was God’s way of shining through her to speak to me. A couple of weeks after her passing at the age of 98, I lost my sweet beautiful cousin at age 33. My heart was devastated. Why would God take her so soon? In reflecting over the times we spent, my cousin was living a life full of grace. Her life was so full you could not help but be changed by her presence. Although her life was taken suddenly and what […]

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