"Everything is possible for the one who believes." -- Mark 9:23

One day, when my youngest was learning to ride a bike, I was watching her and noticed that she was riding strong with little need for the training wheels that were still connected to the back of her bicycle.  Clearly, she was ready to ride without them.  So I told her it was time to take them off.  She was a little hesitant, but agreed, not sure of herself.  We took them off, she started zipping down the road, lost her balance, and wiped out.  Crying, she said, "I'm not ready, Daddy!  You shouldn't have taken them off!"  The training wheels went back on.  Two days later, she came to me and said, "Now I'm ready Daddy!  Can you take the wheels off now?"  I said, "No, Baby, remember what happened the other day?  I don't want to take them off until you're sure you're ready."  She responded, "I'm ready Daddy.  PLEEEAASSSSE take them off!"  So I did.  She got on that bike and confidently zoomed down the road with no problem whatsoever.  When it came to stopping, I was watching her and holding my breath just a bit.  She tipped over, but immediately turned to me and said, "I'm okay!  Stay there!"  She got back on the bike and rode powerfully back to where I was watching.  "See, Daddy!  I told you I was ready!!"

Did my daughter get special lessons in the day between the two events?  Did she acquire any special skills that she didn't have the first time she tried?  No.  The difference was that she believed.  How much are we not doing because we don't believe we can?  You can do a lot more than you think.  You'd better believe it.

Readings:  Leviticus 20:22-22:16; Mark 9:1-29; Psalm 43:1-5a; Proverbs 10:18

"He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray." -- Proverbs 10:17

There are a couple of different ways to look at "discipline".  There's discipline in the sense of consistent behavior and routine actions (the discipline of diet & exercise, reading, working, etc.), and there's discipline in the form of punishment and correction.  The first is internal-- "self"-discipline-- the other external, as when a parent disciplines a child.  Both lead to the same end, though.  Whether it's self-discipline, or submitting to corrective authority, it is for the sake of keeping us in line with healthy living and good choices.  When we are young, we have the opportunity to experience a great deal of external discipline from parents, teachers, and others in positions of authority.  As we mature, however, external discipline becomes more rare, and while we may experience this sort of discipline on rare occasion in the workplace or in society for committing crimes, if we live decent lives, others won't be disciplining us on a day-to-day basis.  Therefore, self-discipline becomes so much more important as we age.  The discipline you need to heed most is the disciplined placed upon yourself.   Decide the kind of life you're going to live, and shape your daily actions to match your heart.  This leads to the good life.

Readings: Leviticus 19:1-20:21; Mark 8:11-38; Psalm 42:1-11; Proverbs 10:17

“Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.” – Psalm 41:1

I love the old illustration about strength in numbers where the teacher takes a thread and with both hands snaps it easily in two.  Then they take several strands of thread, wind them together, and they have string.  It’s a little harder to break.  Then they take several strands of string until they have twine… then rope… then cable.  You get the idea-- one alone is weak, many together are strong.  If you feel strong, I pray it’s because of the authentic relationships in your life.  The richest and strongest is not the one with money, but the one with friends.

Readings: Leviticus 16:29-18:30; Mark 7:24-8:10; Psalm 41:1-13; Proverbs 10:15-16

"Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him "unclean" by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him "unclean." -- Mark 7:14-16

As we now find ourselves in the season of Lent, many are choosing to "give something up" in order to live sacrificially as they prepare for Easter.  Our Old Testament readings from Leviticus have been filled with rules and regulations and instructions on what makes a person clean or unclean.  But in the New Testament reading today, Jesus says clearly that it's not what goes into a person that makes them unclean, but it's what comes out.  If you eat only kosher foods, but spew hateful things from your lips, then you are unclean.  If you eat bacon-enriched everything (which is not kosher), but speak in love, you are clean.  Funny how the rules change.  This sort of thing is what led to Jesus being killed.  If you have chosen to fast and sacrifice during Lent, don't be legalistic and mean about it... do so out of a spirit of love and gratitude.  If you really want to give something up for Lent, why don't you make it something that comes out of you that's not reflective of God's spirit?  And don't just give it up for Lent... just give it up.

Readings:  Leviticus 15:1-16:28; Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 40:11-17; Proverbs 10:13-14

"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs." -- Proverbs 10:12

When there is division in our families and in our communities, and when venomous words are being thrown at one another, it's time we check ourselves and examine our hearts.  When you think of others, what is the primary nature of the thoughts?   When you think of "that" person, does your mind go to negative thoughts, and do you feel anger welling up in you?  Or do you consider that person in a loving, understanding way?  Lincoln once said that the best way to get rid of an enemy is to make them your friend.  When we consider others in a way that seeks to lift up, encourage, and support, we find that our relationships dramatically improve.  However, when we use up mental, emotional, and spiritual energy contemplating negative things about them, hate stirs up in our hearts, and we bring destruction to a web of relationships around us.  Exercise your capacity to love.  It's a better way.

Readings:  Leviticus 14:1-57; Mark 6:30-56; Psalm 40:1-10; Proverbs 10:11-12

"Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath." -- Psalm 39:4-5

I've been reflecting lately on the progress that technology is achieving, and the speed at which it's evolving.  I've also been hearing predictions that say within the next 25 years, it's possible that we will advance bio-technically to the point that our life-spans could be lengthened considerably.  Debate is heating up because of this.  Some hear that we may be able to live 150-200 years, and say, "I wouldn't want to live that long"... and I wonder what makes a person say that.  If you could live a healthy life for that long (which is still nothing in God's time), why wouldn't you?  My suspicion is that it may be because so many of us exist, but we don't live.  That makes sense to me.  I wouldn't want to exist that long either if I didn't have a reason or purpose.  Nor would I want to live that long if I couldn't be spiritually and emotionally whole.   Some have suggested that without death, we cannot know life, and that it is our very mortality that allows us to experience life in the first place.  So here's the question... forget the age old question "if you knew you had only a day to live"...  Instead, let me ask: if you had only 100 years left to live, how would you live them?  50 years?  25 years?  10?  5?  1?  Seriously think about it.  I'd love to know what you discover.

Readings:  Leviticus 13:1-59; Mark 6:1-29; Psalm 39:1-13; Proverbs 10:10

"When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, 'If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.' Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed form her suffering." -- Mark 5:27-29

This is faith in action.   A woman has been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, and she's tired.  In her belief that Jesus has the power to make her well, she finds courage to reach out and touch him as crowds are pressing in.  Yes, she is healed, but then she is scared.  The story continues to tell us that Jesus, sensing the power having gone from him, turns and asks, "who touched me?"  The woman thinks, "uh-oh"... and then she fesses up.  Fearing punishment or retribution, she hears Jesus say to her words of compassion:  "go, for your faith has made you well."

Jesus was pushing through crowds of people.  Many people were touching him.  But only the one reached out  and "touched" him.  This one had a faith the others did not.  In her belief, she held a power that could extract the very power from Jesus that made him divine.  What would your life look like if you lived your days knowing that you too had that kind of power?  You do you know.

Readings:  Leviticus 11:1-12:8; Mark 5:21-43; Psalm 38:1-22; Proverbs 10:8-9