Hello again! As you know, “Up!” has been on pause for a week while I’ve been away for some dedicated study time. As of today, the devotional returns to your feed or email inbox five days a week—Monday to Friday! A lot has happened in the past seven days. There is a lot of hurt. … Continue reading Made in the image of God
image of God
An accurate view of yourself
Some people have too HIGH a view of themselves. They think they’re always right and others are always wrong. They think it’s a privilege for you just to be in their presence. They think they’re the best thing since sliced bread. Others have a too LOW a view of themselves. They think they’re good for … Continue reading An accurate view of yourself
When up is down and down is up
“For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV). There are people living in huge mansions who are way more miserable thank you think. There are people living on the street who have way more joy than you think. There are people who have made a lot of mistakes who have way … Continue reading When up is down and down is up
Aren’t they all our children?
Several years ago a reporter was covering the conflict in Sarajevo when he saw a young girl get shot. He rushed over to help. By the time he got there another man also wanted to assist. They lifted her into the reporter’s car and set off to the hospital. The reporter drove, and the other … Continue reading Aren’t they all our children?
Loved people love people
I was watching an interview with someone who worked with at-risk youth. He said, “Hurt people hurt people.” He meant that if someone has been deeply hurt in their past, they often hurt other people simply because it’s what they know. Is that always the case? No. But in his experience it was often true. … Continue reading Loved people love people
Love defined
Today is Valentine's day. It's a day a lot of people spend thinking about love. But I'd like to widen our scope a bit and think about what love actually means. And not just in the romantic sense, but in the wider love-your-neighbour sense. I think that when we look at Jesus’ example, love means … Continue reading Love defined
When they sang Happy Birthday she wept
Tony Campolo is a sociologist who traveled to Hawaii. Because of the time change he found himself wide awake in the middle of the night, wandering the streets, and looking for somewhere to eat. He found a small diner and ordered a coffee and a donut. Soon, a bunch of loud, boisterous prostitutes came in. … Continue reading When they sang Happy Birthday she wept
You will never make a good impression if…
Most of us check the mirror in the morning, usually while combing our hair or brushing our teeth. Then we walk away from the mirror. But not really. A lot of us carry an invisible mirror around with us all day. What I mean is that we’re aware of ourselves. We’re aware of the impression we’re … Continue reading You will never make a good impression if…
Dear You
Recently I was reading Psalm 139:14 where it says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” I’ve read a lot about this verse. Different scholars say different things. But in and through it all are a few firm facts of modern life: That sometimes you need to acknowledge the dark difficulty of … Continue reading Dear You
Moving toward love
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 “Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love." (NLT) Today's Thought It’s been a difficult week. In addition to whatever happened in your personal life, we hear about walls being built and political protests in the streets. Then on Sunday evening here in Canada, 6 Muslims were shot … Continue reading Moving toward love
