“As they led [Jesus] away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.” -Luke 23:26 Sometimes you just want to be a bystander; someone just passing by. All you want to do is mind your own […]
April
08
True Image
posted by laurieetta
In case you haven’t been paying attention, I’m quoting Mark Batterson, the author of Draw the Circle, a lot these days. That’s because our church is using this book as our Lenten study, so I am writing reflections from what we read there. Mark talks about how many people have circled various things in […]
April
07
A Little Help from My Friends
posted by laurieetta
I couldn’t decide between two paintings to illustrate the idea of a “prayer covering,” so I am including both. They each depict a story in Exodus 17. The people of Israel are on their desert journey when they are attacked by the Amalekites. Moses commands Joshua to take some men and engage in battle while […]
April
06
Jesus, Please Contend for Me
posted by laurieetta
Did you know you have a God who will fight for you? And not just fight but contend. You see, the word “contend” translates to mean more than mere fighting. God is like a mother Grizzly bear protecting her cubs (physical combat) and like a defense attorney who pleads our case (verbal combat). God loves […]
April
04
Prayer Takes Chutzpah
posted by laurieetta
Chutzpah—a Yiddish word that means, “gall, brazen nerve, effrontery, and incredible guts.” Sometimes prayer takes chutzpah. To prove the point, we look at a story Jesus tells his disciples about a woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer. The story is called “The Parable of the Persistent Widow.” Deprived of her rights after her […]
April
02
Prayer Paradox
posted by laurieetta
Prayer is a paradox, I think, because it is easy to do (just talk to God) yet it is also complicated, nuanced and deep. That is probably why so there are so many books and Bible studies on prayer. Mark Batterson, who wrote a book about prayer called, “Draw the Circle,” talks about this prayer […]
February
21
We Played the Flute for You and You Did Not Dance
posted by laurieetta
This well-known painting is by the French artist, Édouard Manet. While on a trip to Spain, he became fascinated by a painting by Diego Velazquez, which inspired him to paint this iconic image. It depicts an anonymous regimental fifer of the Spanish army. Manet presents the uniformed boy against a flattened, monochrome background of a […]
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