We received so many submissions for our recent writing contest (a short piece incorporating a symbol) that we had trouble selecting a winner. Therefore we’re running another contest for those who entered, this time a reader’s choice award. Between June 3- June 15 we will publish all of our favorite qualified entries received and open voting to the public, who will be able to select a reader’s choice winner for this contest. Those who are entered in the contest may encourage their family, friends and readers to vote for them.

Reader’s Choice Voting will be open from June 16th – 22nd. The entry with the most votes will win the contest.

Here is Lifelines by Aya Gosh

A wise old priest once said, When all else fails, don’t start praying… You should have been praying a long time ago.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t.  Start praying a lot sooner, that is.  Instead we face trials that seem insurmountable, testing that seems to push us to the brink, temptations that seem more alluring by the day, health issues that linger, and relationships that never progress.  Life is full of difficulties.  It always has been and always will be less that what we would wish–especially as we approach the end times.

Read the words of Isaiah (24:3-13) The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word.  The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish with the earth. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant.  Therefore a curse consumes the…

We received so many submissions for our recent writing contest (a short piece incorporating a symbol) that we had trouble selecting a winner. Therefore we’re running another contest for those who entered, this time a reader’s choice award. Between June 3- June 15 we will publish all of our favorite qualified entries received and open voting to the public, who will be able to select a reader’s choice winner for this contest. Those who are entered in the contest may encourage their family, friends and readers to vote for them.

Reader’s Choice Voting will be open from June 16th – 22nd. The entry with the most votes will win the contest.

Here is Confusion by Indira Mukhopadhyay

Billy Graham once told the story of a televangelist who said, You didn’t catch Jesus associating with questionable people or those whose basic ideas and attitudes were at variance with what Jesus knew to be honorable and right!

Really?

When Jesus said to his disciples, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth  (Acts 1:8), which people did the televangelist think Jesus wanted the disciples to witness to?  Only the good ones, who already knew Him?

This all goes back to being in the world, but not of the world.  We are born into this sinful world with a sin-filled nature

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came…

The California coast was shrouded in fog the morning of 4th July 1952. Twenty one miles to the west, on Catalina Island, a 34 year old woman waded into the water and began swimming toward California, determined to be the first woman ever to swim the strait.

She was Florence Chadwick.

She had already set the world record for swimming the English Channel in 13 hours 20 minutes, and was the first woman to swim it in both directions.

Despite what most people say and think, you really can take it with you when you die.  It all depends, of course, on your definition ofit.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

The ancient Egyptian pharaohs literally tried to bring itall with them as they built huge tombs like the pyramids to house not only their material wealth, but their loved ones and even their pets.  Ouch, if you happened to still be alive and a loved one when the pharaoh died.  History shows us how unsuccessful their attempts to take it with them were as the tombs…

On the evening of April 21st, my wife’s oldest sister passed away after a long battle with cancer.  Later that night I had what we think was a bad reaction to prescribed medication and I blanked out at the wheel and totaled my car.  My airbag didn’t deploy, so I face-planted into the steering wheel and ended up with two very large black eyes, two completely bruised arms, bruised ribs and a wrenched back.  While never losing consciousness, I couldn’t recognize my wife at the hospital.  I somehow lost 3+ days from my memory.  A few days later, our very affectionate 19 year-old cat had to be put to sleep.  And then my family doctor told me I needed to lose 90 pounds.  I was on the verge of a serious personal pity party.

You’ve all had times like this, where it seems that everything that could go wrong did go wrong. …

As the days draw closer to His return I find I want to be even closer to my Father in heaven.  Oh, I know I am close now but I feel like I just can’t get close enough.  I have this burning desire in my heart for more knowledge of His word and more of His presence.

Have you ever asked for something you really wanted and when you got it you found it only left you wanting more?  Well, that is exactly how I feel about our Lord.  I asked and prayed for a closer walk and an unquenchable thirst for Him and He definitely answered my prayers, Praise God!  The more I learn about Him the more I find I don’t know nearly enough about Him.

My question is does anyone get close enough, I mean really close enough?  Is that even possible?  The only way I can explain the desire…