SINGING FOR JOY

Yours, O  Lord , is the greatness, t he power and the glory, t he victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;  Yours is the kingdom, O  Lord , a nd You are exalted as head over all. 1 Chronicles 29:11 A new Zulu king was proclaimed three days ago. This, and the bitter rivalry for succession to the throne, has been big news in the country of South Africa where the Zulus are still a powerful force. Here are links to just a couple of the many articles on the topic if you are interested:  https://www.africanews.com/2021/05/08/south-africa-royal-scandal-new-zulu-king-s-claim-disputed//   https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/28/south-africas-zulu-nation-is-riveted-by-royal-succession-drama-its-about-more-than-who-takes-throne/ Succession there is complicated in part because there are usually multiple wives involved, and multiple children from these wives. The ugliness of the past month or so has included accusations of poisoning, lies, and coverups

 ... Your word is truth. John 17:17 I adore my cousins, so when the two of them were visiting from out of state and wanted to spend time with me, I was delighted! Kathy was driving and I was doing my directionally challenged best to tell her how to get to my house. Cindy, who had been to our home once before, mentioned that she remembered a broad, winding road before the smaller turnoff to our smaller neighborhood streets, but that she couldn’t remember the name of the larger thoroughfare. I knew the route she was talking about but interjected that the road in question was not curvy, but quite straight. We argued back and forth good naturedly about that for a bit. Much to my chagrin, once we reached said road, I realized that Cindy was right! After years of driving that route, I’d never noticed that it was indeed quite serpentine, twisting and turning this way and that. You see, in my mind, it was easier to picture the course as being perfectly straight and running exactly north and

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,  but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.   Psalm 20:7 I was recently in a conversation with a godly man, a friend I highly respect. He also happens to be a retired homicide detective. We were discussing the use of firearms for self-protection. That conversation WAS NOT, and this post IS NOT, about the right to carry firearms, one of the hot political topics of our times. For the record, I do strongly support the right of citizens to carry arms, and God bless those of you who do, especially with the intent of protecting loved ones or other innocents, but I just as strongly believe that many of us should not own guns. My friend gave the following wise criteria for self-determination about having a firearm for protection, and I thought it was worth sharing:   1. Are you physically capable to become proficient with a firearm? (And you should be proficient and knowledgeable in using one.) 2. Are you mentally prepared to respond to a deadl

 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 When I was little, I had mixed feelings about Cracker Jacks. I loved opening the box and catching that first whiff of salty sweetness, and the eager anticipation of tasting those delightful top kernels of sugar-coated popcorn. And, of course, most of all, I could hardly wait to get to the bottom of the box to claim whatever surprise plastic animal, fake tattoo, miniature spinning top, or pop culture sticker might be my bounty at the end. However, I was not a fan of nuts when I was little, and my mother firmly insisted I eat everything in the box, including the hated peanuts, before uncovering the coveted prize. I also had an aversion to the sticky feeling that was an unavoidable side effect of retrieving the tasty morsels from the box’s narrow opening. And I had a child-sized tummy, which became overly full by the time I finished the whole process.  Life seems like that to me. The beginni

  And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (emphasis mine) My husband is a frugal. I wish I could say that I always appreciated this quality in him, but the truth is that when we were younger, I sometimes foolishly resented what I considered his miserly ways. I selfishly wanted nicer clothes, family vacations more exotic than visiting relatives or going camping, and to be able to go out to lunch with friends any time I wished, not caring if it put us in debt. However, I have since come to deeply appreciate his godly wisdom. I’ve grown up. I’ve come to embrace the truth that all we have belongs to God anyway and we need to be the best stewards of it that we can possibly be. Recently, I was having  a conversation with a friend during which I compulsively turned out a light I was no longer using. I can still remember my mom telling me as a child that every time I tur