Listen: I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:13-14) Reflection: Last week, a very difficult criminal trial in Dallas ripped the city apart. An innocent, unarmed black man named Botham Jean […]
Transforming Conflict through the Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness
Listen: Colossians 3:12: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.“ Reflection: The Holy Spirit wants to grow kindness in our lives and here we are told to ‘put it on’ to ‘wear it’. Perhaps kindness should be a pair of glasses that enable us to see past […]
Transforming Conflict through the Fruit of the Spirit: Long-suffering
Listen: “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32 (NIV) “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Colossians 3:12-13 […]
Transforming Conflict through the Fruit of the Spirit: Peace
Listen: “Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” (Romans 14:19) Reflect: My mom was diagnosed with esophageal cancer last month. This means that stress has moved into my mom’s, my sister’s and my life in the form of appointments, care, worry and the unknown. This stress has been the source conflict among us […]
Transforming Conflict through the Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
Listen: “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:4) Reflect: My Dad had expressed a desire to return for “one more visit” to his birthplace, the beautiful state of Montana, for his 90th birthday. He had a list of things he wanted to do and see “one more […]
Transforming Conflict through the Fruit of the Spirit: Love
Listen: “…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power,together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17b-19 NIV) […]
Transforming Conflict through Celebrating Relationships: How to Love the Disagreeable
Listen: “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book […]
Transforming Conflict thru Celebrating Relationships: Encourage Others
Listen: “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater […]
Transforming Conflict through Celebrating Relationships: Love
Listen: “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 Reflect: It’s “Family Reunion Week” and the tortillas are flying at my house! Gutierrez Family reunions are a big deal as my husband is the tenth child out of a family of fourteen, […]