Sometimes the greatest evidence of God’s love is the people He places around us. The friends who carry us when we cannot walk, refuse to give up on us, and somehow help us find our way back to Jesus.
Tag: love your neighbor
What Do I Leave in My Wake? Part 3
(Part 3 of 3 from an address given by Elle Taylor on June 8, 2025. Published with permission of the author. FOR PART 1, CLICK HERE) LOve of God I like to think of love of God as the HOW to the first two loves we have discussed. We often know and understand that we can…
What Do I Leave in My Wake? Part 2
(Part 2 of 3 from an address given by Elle Taylor on June 8, 2025. Published with permission of the author. FOR PART 3, CLICK HERE) Love for Self I don’t recall a single scripture where God tells us to dislike, criticize, or berate ourselves. He does ask us to be humble and contrite, but not…
What Do I Leave in My Wake? Part 1
(Part 1 of 3 from an address given by Elle Taylor on June 8, 2025. Published with permission of the author. FOR PART 2, CLICK HERE) I am someone who really likes movies. One of my favorites is Cars. I love the story of Lightning McQueen, a self-absorbed race car. On his way to the Piston…
The Problem with Idling (and Idleness)
I remember the first time I was sitting in a car that had the “auto start-stop” feature. My colleague and I were headed to lunch in his new car. When we arrived at the first stop light, his car engine stalled. With cars all around us and the light about to turn green, he took…
Relentless Pursuit
Eighty years ago today during the Battle of Okinawa, an infantry regiment of the US Army attacked Maeda Escarpment–a long, steep slope at the edge of a 400-ft cliff. It was a brutal battle for both sides. To defend the escarpment,also known as Hacksaw Ridge, the enemy troops hunkered down in a network of caves…
Mercy in Both Pockets
I was at a worship service recently as a senior couple reported back after serving a full-time mission to some of the poorest among us. As they shared their experiences, they spoke of someone who was an example to them and described him as having “mercy in both pockets.” I really love this imagery. I…
Tasting vs. Being Filled: The Fruit in Lehi’s Dream
Two groups reached the Tree of Life. Both experienced its fruit. But only one remained. The difference may be hidden in two simple words: tasting and filling. Perhaps the love of God was never meant to be something we occasionally sample, but something we allow to become part of us.
Christmas Carol Theology: Fitting Us for Heaven
The focus of Christmas is most often the infant Christ who carried the promise to change the world as a man. That change absolutely occurred; however, the most important change He came to offer was individual–one person at a time. In the third verse of “Away in a Manger” this message is clear:
Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with thee there.
The plea to Him is a request to help us change. Help us become who God sent to earth to become–more like Him.