KDMANESTREET

Matters of the Heart

I went to high school with a really neat young lady who habitually did random acts of kindness and stayed active as a cheerleader. It came as a complete shock when she died suddenly in her twenties. The doctor’s examination reported she had Marfan Syndrome, which neither she nor her family knew about. This inherited disorder affects connective tissue. In her case, her condition became…

“And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” ~ 1 Kings 19:11-12 I wonder if God’s gentle…

Run, Forrest, run!” I loved this seen from the movie, Forrest Gump. Little Forrest was being bullied by the other kids from school. So his small, female friend, Jenny, took charge and admonished him not to fight, but run! Bolstered with speed, Forrest not only lost his weighty leg braces, but also made record time. Impressive. I ran that fast once . . . yes, in a dream, but it felt exhilarating…

Of Bridges, Dolphins and the Church

“There’s a broken beam inside of the big big bridgeI guess that whole thing is caving inMaybe it is time I learn how to swimI’ll be a dolphin, I’ll be a dolphin” ~ Dolphin song by Poe Soaking in the warm sunshine and turquoise water, my husband and I ferry toward Shell Key Preserve near Tierra Verde, FL with our Eco Tour Guide at the helm. “Do you know the story behind this bridge?” Our guide…

I started this post two weeks ago and am finally finishing. Woot-woot! It has been a very busy time as my family is in process of moving, (which has been our marathon move).

I also want to share that this will be my last post for a while. I know God called me to this blog after I almost lost my husband to pneumonia seven years ago. But after prayer, I feel led to focus on some other areas,…

Where is Your Treasure?

Your heart will always pursue what you treasure.

What do you treasure? It’s natural for teenagers to daydream about athletic glory, romantic excitement, pride of possession from owning the right car or wearing the best clothes. Hopefully, as we mature, we recognize what will last for eternity and set our focus on that.

Matthew 6:24 tells us we can’t serve two masters, God and money. Jesus…

Settling into our family cabin, I determined to start a big crackling fire in the fireplace. After wadding up several sheets of newspaper, I positioned the logs in tepee style to create a nice little vent for the oxygen to fuel the flame. Completely satisfied, and patting myself on the back, my dancing fire lasted for maybe five minutes before fizzling out.

Fortunately, my husband came to the…

Build Upon the Rock

Almost lured to sleep atop his air mattress by the gentle rhythmic incoming tide, my dad didn’t see it coming. BAM! A random large wave pelted him downward into the sand before catapulting him onto the shore. That was the end of an otherwise relaxing vacation, and the beginning of his back pain.

Hopefully you haven’t been literally pelted by a random wave, or regular wave for that matter! But…

Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness Sake

The Beatitudes describe traits that are the heart of the Christian way of life. They are characteristics we should bury deep within our souls. If we are living by the Beatitudes, then we will no longer be like the chameleon who easily blends in with its surroundings. Pursuit of living a godly lifestyle will result in standing out from those who live by the world’s standards.

Living a…

Blessed Are The Pure In Heart

I, for one, want to see God someday. But is it even possible to truly be pure in heart? Can anyone consistently hold to this high standard? What exactly does Jesus mean in His sixth beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart”?

The Greek word for “pure” in Matthew 5:8 is katharos. It means to be “clean, blameless, unstained from guilt.” Interestingly, the word can refer specifically to that…

Blessed Are the Merciful

What did Jesus mean when He said, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice?'” (Matthew 9:13).

I find John Piper’s article about Jesus’ idea of mercy insightful. John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more…

Why did Jesus say “Blessed are the Meek”?

Meekness is not weakness. Sometimes we confuse the two. But the difference between a meek person and a weak person is this: a weak person can’t do anything. A meek person, on the other hand, can do something but chooses not to.

Christianity.com

If meekness isn’t weakness and God chooses to bless the one who walks in this virtue, then I want to know the truth of what meekness really means.

C…

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4 NIV).

I wonder what went through the minds of Jesus’ disciples when Jesus shared this beatitude. For these collection of truths, which we know as the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, seems to go against society’s way of thinking and living. Jesus, however, was not directing these teachings to the general…

What Does It Mean to be Poor In Spirit?

In His longest recorded sermon, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-11), Jesus begins by describing the attributes He looks for in His followers. He promises something special awaits those who attempt to develop and live out these attributes. Fair warning, however, like a salmon swimming upstream, our sincere attempts to develop these traits will create opposition since each beatitude goes…

Five Habits of Highly Missional People: Sent

So far in this series, I’ve covered the four habits of highly missional people─ using the acronym BELLS─from Michael Frost’s book, Surprise the World!. These weekly habits include: Bless, Eat, Listen, and Learn. The final habit is to begin identifying yourself as a missionary ─ a Sent one. Frost encourages journaling to reflect how you either demonstrate or announce (describe it, explain it,…