What Happens Today

Zwazo We returned from Haiti to a little surprise in our cellar; a visitor. I have no idea how he or she got into our house, but there he was, discovered by one of my daughters, a little bird. He was just walking around, feeling rather lost and confused I'm sure. I have no idea how long he was in there, but our first reaction was to set him free. So, we opened the cellar door, and within a few minutes he found his way back into the great outdoors; back to freedom. We were meant to fly, to be free; unrestrained and soaring through the skies like we were made for it. We were not meant to be held down or tied and snared. We were created to thrive in our purpose. Yet there are things, one thing especially, that entrap us, ensnare us, tie us down and keep us from flying free. Hebrews 12:1 calls it the "sin that so easily entangles." That's what sin does; it entangles, it ties down. To be blunt, sin kills. It's the reason Jesus hung on a cross, it's the reaso

Unexpected Words of grace are often unexpected. Have you ever done something wrong, hurt someone, and gone to them sheepishly offering an apology expecting correction or a sour look and instead gotten an "I understand" or an "It's OK"? Such a response can take us off guard because our experience shows us that  grace is not often extended to those who do wrong. We live in a society that demands justice and protection of rights; and if those rights are stolen or infringed upon, the offended is often quick to make known the penalty to the offender. The Declaration of Independence declares clearly our right to pursue happiness; and heaven forbid that anyone would rob us of any of that happiness. How dare they? We've been trained by this type of action and response, expecting lashing out for our failures. But this is not how the kingdom of God works. Yes, our failures are real and we may feel we've let God down, but His response is different than what