Hope Harbor

Psalm 31:14-15 (New American Standard Bible) 14But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, "You are my God." 15My times are in Your hand; 2 Samuel 22:31 (King James Version) 31As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. Most of us have probably heard the expression; “Timing is everything”. I’d been thinking recently how grateful I am for God’s timing in my life. I hate to admit it, but the truth is I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator – especially when the task to be accomplished seems large or challenging. I am reminded of God’s good plan for our lives and His perfect timing, almost every instance when I see my beautiful, smart and lovable service dog Tanner. The prospect of acquiring a canine companion was raised several years ago. Once following a fall at home, a woman on the pastoral staff urged me to get a dog. After that conversation, I did some investigation. My research revealed th...

 I am a member of a group of volunteers from my church who will be teaching children about France. As I was considering, what to present to the children, I did a Google search about evangelism in France. I found an interesting article about a French scientist named Andre Eggers who is a Christian and gives speeches on Creationism to help introduce people to God and help them to believe the Bible is true. Perhaps when my friend and I do our presentation, we could talk about inventions made by French people and lead into a discussion of the Greatest Inventor (Creator) and talk about how the French need more books about creationism translated into French (SO many believe in evolution) and how the Church there needs to have courage and not compromise. (We of course will need to present this on a child's level) This prompted me to realize how vital it is that Christians stand firm for truth. It is wonderful to have the confidence and assurance that science is not incompatible with ...

Sometimes when we are anxious about what we need, we can make it more difficult to achieve our desired result. I think about this many mornings.  My service dog Tanner typically awakens me early eager to go outside, and also looking forward to breakfast. Often he is so anxious to get my attention that he repatedly nudges me, practically climbing into my bed to make sure that he has my attention. Admittedly, sometimes his persistence is necessary because of my drowsiness. However, what Tanner does not realize is that at times his attemps to get me out of bed, actually hinder ny ability to respond to him. As this almost 80 pound canine invades my space trying to get me to hurry and meet his need, I have trouble getting myself up. The principle that interference may impede progress can be seen in nature. A farmer must wait with patience for his crops to grow. After he has done his part, planting and irrigating appropriately, the agricultural expert must then trust and al...