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You are welcome to use the writings on these pages or pass them on to others who might find a touch from God in the words. Our purpose is always to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you everything, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring these words to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom its been shared. All rights reserved. Peggy Hoppes

Our Lord is so good, He grants us many blessings. We can see Him in the daily course of events, in our homes, our jobs, our lives. I pray that these words help you to grow in your faith and recognize His hand in even the most mundane circumstances.

The picture to the right is of a Celtic Chapel located in Cornwall England. This building is approximately 1700 years old, and contains a holy well known for its healing powers.

(Click for enlarged)

Due to the high volume of spam that comes through the domain, I have had to stop using that email address. However, if you would like to send me mail, use the following address, replacing the bracketed words with the symbol. Thank you for your continued interest, prayers and messages of encouragement.

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“And they were bringing unto him little children, that he should touch them: and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.” Mark 10:13-16, ASV

My son posted on his Facebook page that they watched School House Rock in his government class today. I had to laugh: Victoria has used Play-Doh in class and Zack is watching cartoons. What has the thousands of dollars of college tuition gotten them that I didn’t give them when they were four years old? Oh, I know that they are learning so much more. Victoria has had lessons in theology and theatre, Zack is learning Math and Science far beyond anything I will ever understand. But it is funny that even in such high level learning, sometimes the best ways of teaching are the ways we taught them when they were small children.

We can study the words of the Preamble to the Constitution, looking more deeply into the meaning intended by those founding fathers. We can read the letters they wrote, the text from debates, and put it all into the context of the time so that we better understand its purpose and importance. It is good to do these things. However, it is good to know the words, to have them written on our hearts. Those words are the foundation of what we believe, of who we are and what our founding fathers intended to do with this great nation. The words speak for themselves, and there is no better way to learn than with music.

Does a four year old understand what it means to ‘ensure domestic tranquility’? Probably not, but as they get older and those worlds remain on their hearts, they learn that those words mean that we the people commit to working together to keep conditions at home at peace, home being within the borders of our nation, our states and the walls of our homes. It means that together we ensure that we can live our lives in a settled and secure environment. Now, as an adult, I can sing these words and understand them, but I don’t know whether I would know them so well if I didn’t have School House Rock to teach me the words.

As adults we study the scriptures to help us to understand what God intends for our lives and our faith. It is good to spend time reading the bible, looking more deeply into the meaning. It is good to pay attention to the language, the context, and the interpretations of those who have come before us, so that we might understand the complex concepts of theology. And yet, is there anymore more important than those lessons we learned in song at Sunday school so long ago? Is there anything more important than knowing “Jesus Loves Me?”

We can approach our faith from an intellectual point of view, studying to understand the words and concepts that we find in the scriptures. But the lessons we learned as four year olds are the foundation of everything we know about God. Jesus loves us, this we know because the Bible tells us so. The Bible also tells us so many other things about God, but without the love of Jesus, none of it matters. This is why we are to receive the kingdom of God as a child. Understanding will never get us into heaven, only faith will.

“Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.” James 4:7-10 (ASV)

Are you bothered by the charge from James to mourn rather than laugh, to have a heavy heart rather than one filled with joy? It seems so upside down. I often write about living in the joy of the Lord, why would I want to be afflicted, mourn and weep? It does not make sense to us who are called to live as children of the Kingdom of God. And yet, I’m sure we all know someone who takes this instruction to heart, thinking that as Christians we should not be happy. They go about life harsh and demanding, with a severe look about them and the idea that life as a Christian is not happy. This text is not a call to a life of grumpiness; it is a call to the humble life of one who knows the reality of sin and recognizes their own failure. It is a call to confess to God and let Him transform your life.

We live in a world that plays the blame game. We spend a lot of time pointing fingers when we hear about something that has gone wrong. We never look to our own fault; we find someone to be the scapegoat. There are times, certainly, when blame can be placed on the selfish or self-centered actions of another person. There are times when someone else is at fault. However, most of the problems we face cannot be explained away so simply. Most problems come from the failure of many.

There are those who do not like the book of James, probably because of verses like these. James writes to the Christian about living a consistent and vital faith, doing good works that are based on a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. It is so easy for us to get caught up in the joy of what Christ has done for us that we forget why He had to live, die and rise again. We have been forgiven so we forget that we needed to be forgiven. We have been blessed and we forget that we are called to be a blessing. The book of James, taken apart from the whole of scriptures, is hard to take because it is focused on what the Christian is meant to do. But he offers a good reminder in the context of all the scriptures: that we are sinners who fail daily to live the life Jesus has called us to live.

While we might be bothered by the language in this text, let us read it with the faith we have in Jesus. We have been exalted and we will be exalted, but while we live in this world we will continue to fail. We need this reminder that we are sinners. We need to remember that we have much to mourn and that we have reason to weep. We are reminded that the devil is very real and that we have to strongly resist the temptations of the world. We are reminded to seek God, to confess, to do what we need to do to make our lives right. We are reminded to be humble, and in doing so we’ll see God’s grace.

The following links provide some specially chosen scripture that tell the stories of the Birth and Passion of our Lord as Saviour Jesus Christ, as well as a fictional perspective of the Crucifixion. Spend time in God's Word, read about His life and learn of the wonderful gifts He has for you. Know Jesus Christ and honour Him today. Thanks be to God.

The Birth of our Saviour

The Story of our Saviour's Passion

The Crucifixion, a fictional perspective

Scripture on this page taken from the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible which belongs to the public domain. Some scripture on this site taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

As you may be aware, I also write a weekly devotional on Wednesday called "MIDWEEK OASIS." For those of you who are familiar with lectionary scripture sources, MIDWEEK OASIS is based on the texts used by millions of Christians each Sunday. The lectionary consists of four texts: an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a passage from one of the Epistles and a Gospel text. We are now using the lectionary for our A WORD FOR TODAY texts. This devotional is posted on Wednesday, at both A WORD FOR TODAY and at MIDWEEK OASIS.

You are welcome to use these words to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you these gifts, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring them to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom you've shared it. Peggy Hoppes