Safely Home!

Some fellows hit those Home Runs
Some doubles or Sac-Fly's
But not so many can steal home
As to the plate they slide

Stealing home base is no cinch
Nor for the faint of heart
They must tag up before they try
To get their running start

And with us it is the same
If we want to move ahead
Before God will allow advance
We must go back instead

To tag up with who we've been
And where we have gone wrong
Only then by His own grace
Can we run safely home!

Safely Home by Peter Caligiuri
Copyright 2023
All rights reserved




I’ve Got a Mansion!

One of my favorite hymns to sing with my friends in memory care is “Mansion Over the Hilltop” written by Ira Stanpill in 1949. His song has become a classic for every generation of Christians because it reminds us that our hope is not found on this earth…For the rest of this post continue reading on Walking With Lambs

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:1-2 KJV

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An Unexpected Promise

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? John 14:1-2 ESV

While the other gospels just tell us that Jesus went from the Last Supper table to the Garden of Gethsemane; John allows us to listen in on the conversation along the way. Jesus begins by letting them know that one of them will betray Him, the rest of them will run away, and Peter will even deny Him. Of course, they are shocked and start to argue with Him. (Haven’t you argued a little with God once in a while?) But in today’s passage, we see that Jesus pivots, from the bad news about the disciples’ impending failure, to the amazing news about what God has in store. Today’s verse is one you probably have heard at a graveside ceremony or to people living out their final days. And while God’s promises certainly apply in those end-of-life situations, they are also true in our everyday world. Just like the disciples, we may be facing discouragement, confusion and fear. We find ourselves in the middle of battles we didn’t start and conflicts that we don’t know how to resolve. At exactly our lowest moment Jesus comes and gives us these words; “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me!”

You see, faith is not just handy for funerals or on Sunday mornings. Real faith, the Jesus kind of faith is meant for every day of our lives and can help us with whatever we are facing today. But real faith is more than just a gift. It is also a spiritual muscle that God wants us to exercise. Jesus actually commands us to get off our duffs and take control of our heart and say, “Stop all the fussing! God is still in control!” You might say you don’t have a lot of faith, but Jesus tells us we only need a mustard seed of faith to move mountains. So pick yourself up from the feeling sorry for yourself corner and to turn to God for strength. He knows what is going on and He says, “Don’t let your heart be troubled!” He has a special place prepared for us today!