I Didn’t See It Coming

September is Suicide Prevention month so I am focusing on that topic for a few weeks. I originally wrote this post back in 2018 not long after I lost a dear friend. I’m bringing it back now because I feel led to share it. It originally appeared on a previous blog I had. That blog no longer exists.

 

 

All week I’ve been avoiding writing this post.

All week I’ve felt it rolling around in me.

So, here goes.

It’s Suicide Prevention week. The time we set aside to raise awareness and encourage people not to leave.

It’s a subject that has always been near to me. Not because I’ve ever been tempted but because it’s a subject the Lord has given me a heart for.

This year is especially hard —

On June 29, 2015 I lost the best friend I ever had.

He died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

Suicide.

I never saw the signs.

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Suicide Prevention Month

September is Suicide Prevention Month and with it comes this important reminder from my heart.

You are important.

You matter.

You are loved. By me. By God.

Please stay.

Please don’t leave.

This world is so much better with you in it.

 

I know it might be hard to see or believe, but you are not alone.

There are people out there who would love to hear from you.

I hope you will use one of the resources below to reach out to them.

 

Call or text 988. Volunteers are standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are waiting to hear from you. Available in English or Spanish.

They also have a website where you can chat. The website also has resources for deaf/hard of hearing people.

Their website is 988 Lifeline

 

Military members and veterans have unique struggles. A hotline has been set up for anyone with military experience, active, reserve, or retired. Call 988 then press 1. You can also text 838255 to contact someone who understands. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can find out more or chat with someone by visiting their website, called, Veterans Crisis Line

This resource is open to all branches of the military, including Coast Guard and Space Force.

 

Another good resource is the Crisis Textline. Text them at 741741 or visit their website, You can reach out to them anytime day or night by clicking here…. Crisis Textline. They also have resources for anxiety, bullying, depression, grief, and other needs.

 

The Trevor Project provides text, chat, and phone call support to those who identify as LGBTQ+. They can be found here – The Trevor Project They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

Whichever resource you choose, I hope you will reach out to someone and get the support you need and remember:

The Lord loves you and so do I.

.

 

 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

 

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

 

 

 

Category: Death, Faith, Life | LEAVE A COMMENT

A Woman Died

A woman I know died this week.

Though she was a few years younger than me, she looked my mother’s age.

 

She used to come into the food pantry I served.

I’d tried talking to her a time or two – but she didn’t seem to want to interact.

 

I saw the signs – haunted, darting eyes, gaunt face.

I recognized the smell on her clothes and the sores on her face.

 

She was a meth addict.

 

She was also someone’s mother; someone’s daughter.

 

She was caught up in a hell of her own making.

 

For whatever reason, she never broke free.

 

Now, she’s dead – a victim of her own bad choices.

 

As much as I hated her bad habit, I can’t point a finger.

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Easter 2026

It’s almost Easter!

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week.

During this week Christians from around the world will remember Jesus and His crucifixion, as they celebrate His resurrection.

I hope you will take time to reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice and what it means for us as believers.

 

If you would like to know more about Easter, please check out these links to previous posts:

 

What Is Easter?

What Is Palm Sunday?

What Is Holy Week?

 

For more posts about Easter, please visit my Easter page here – Easter

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

 

 

 

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The Last Supper

The night before He was crucified, Jesus celebrated the beginning of Passover with His disciples.

This meal is often called the Last Supper because it was the last meal Jesus shared with His followers.

 

During the Last Supper is when Jesus instituted the act of Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper).

He broke a loaf of bread and said it was a symbol of His body being broken for us.

He then poured a cup of wine and told them to drink, explaining it was a symbol of His blood being shed for the redemption of our sins.

Jesus instructed them to do this in remembrance of Him.

 

In churches today, we periodically celebrate Communion by drinking a small amount of wine or grape juice and eating a small piece of unleavened bread.*

This is to remind us that Jesus’ body was broken for our healing and that He paid a high price to ransom us. .

When we participate in Communion we are reminded of the great sacrifice Jesus made by dying for us and we are acknowledging we know He did it for us personally.

 

While Jesus and the disciples were at this meal, Jesus told them He knew one of them was a traitor who would betray Him.

He even went so far as to name Judas as the one.

Judas immediately left and went straight to the leaders and priests to tell them where to find Jesus.

This led to Jesus being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane later that same night.

 

After the meal, they sang a hymn and left the Upper Room to go to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Judas knew that’s where they would be and that is where he brought the leaders and priests to arrest Jesus.

This arrest meant the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

It also meant the beginning of His trial, which led to His Crucifixion, death, and resurrection.

 

 

To learn more about what happened next, please read my post, Jesus Was Arrested.

 

*Because the bread used during Passover is unleavened, it is tradition to use unleavened bread during Communion.

To read about the Last Supper, please see Matthew 26:17-30, or Luke 22:7-23

To learn more about the Easter Season, please visit my Easter page, a compilation of previous Easter and Lent posts.

 

 

 

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Why Jesus Was Crucified

There is a passage in the New Testament where the crowds are mocking Jesus while He’s on the cross.

One of the rulers even says to Him, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” Luke 23:35 (NIV)

They didn’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God.

 

It is important we understand that Jesus was fully God, as well as fully man, and as such He had the power to prevent the Crucifixion.

 

He could have called down legions of angels to fight for and protect Him.

He could have killed all the people who were against Him.

 

But, He didn’t.

 

Jesus knew He’d come to earth for one reason – to fulfill God’s plan for mankind’s redemption by going to the cross and paying for all sin for all mankind once and for all.

 

Jesus was perfect and had lived a completely sin-free life.

By being crucified, He was paying for all the sins of all mankind.

He was trading His perfect life, which fulfilled all the law of the Old Testament for the redemption of all the sin-filled lives of every person ever born. .

 

He knew many would reject Him.

He knew many would not understand.

 

He also knew many would accept Him and the free pardon of sin He offered.

 

Jesus went through with the crucifixion because He loved all of mankind past, present, and future and He wanted to ransom each and every person ever born.

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Category: Death, Faith, God, Jesus, New Testament | LEAVE A COMMENT

What Is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is a holiday in the Christian calendar.

It is always 46 calendar days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent, a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us as we look forward to celebrating Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Ash Wednesday is observed as a reminder of just how sinful mankind is and our desperate need for Christ and His gift of forgiveness.

 

Many churches have a service on this day,

Often, the pastor, or other officiant, will mark a cross on the forehead of the people in attendance.

This cross is made of oil and the ashes of palm branches.

For some, it is a reminder that God created us from dust and we will someday return there. (Ecclesiastes 3:20)

For others it references the Old Testament, when it was common for people to repent with sack cloth and ashes, and therefore symbolizes repentance and/or mourning.

Whichever way you view it, by receiving the ashes on your forehead you are acknowledging you regret your sins and grieve over your sinfulness.

 

Ash Wednesday is not a requirement for Christians and is not mentioned in the Bible.

Participation in this special time is something that each person must pray about and decide for themselves.

It is important that careful thought is given to why you might want to do it, taking care not to do it for show or because others are doing it.

Instead, it should be done as something between you and the Lord as a sign you realize the gravity of your sinful nature and that you understand and appreciate Christ’s sacrifice.

 

Ash Wednesday services can be very moving.

Whether you choose to take the ashes is your personal decision, but whatever you decide, I encourage you to attend an Ash Wednesday service as we begin this season of reflection.

 

 

You might also like to read my post, Lenten Season 2021.

 

To learn more about the Easter Season, please visit my Easter page, a compilation of previous Easter and Lent posts.

 

 

 

Category: Death, Holiday, Life | LEAVE A COMMENT

Prisoner Alert

One of my personal prayer focuses is Christians imprisoned around the world for the cause of Christ.

Currently, there are 23 known men around the world who are in prison for sharing their love of Jesus with others.

 

The website, PrisonerAlert, a ministry of the Voice of the Martyrs, lists these men by name and gives a brief biography of each as well as listing where they are held.

By clicking on the individual prisoner’s profile you can find a place where you can write them a letter of encouragement and/or petition a government official to ask them to release that prisoner.

 

Will you please pray for these men and ask God to strengthen, empower, embolden, and comfort them?

Will you also pray for their release?

 

It is my hope that through their experiences others will be drawn to a relationship with God and that rather than squashing faith in Christ, their imprisonment will cause the love of Jesus to spread far and wide as these men stand strong for what they believe in.

 

 

For more information, please visit the website PrisonerAlert.com.

 

For information on countries which restrict Christianity or the sharing of the gospel, please visit The Voice of the Martyrs.

 

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. –Hebrews 13:3

 

 

 

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It’s Palm Sunday!

Today is Palm Sunday!

It’s the day we remember and celebrate Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem.

Humbly riding a donkey, He declared Himself King of Israel, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy which stated:

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
    righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 NIV

 

He did this not for His own glory, but so that we would all know Who He is in the hopes that we would be reconciled to God and saved from sin.

 

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem the people expressed their adoration, praise, and joy by crying, “Hosanna!”

We should join them in celebrating and declaring:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke-19-38 NIV

 

 

Today also marks the beginning of Holy Week as we remember Jesus and the tribulations He suffered as He became our Living Sacrifice.

I hope you will take time this week to prayerfully reflect on Christ and what He did for you..

 

I invite you to read an in-depth explanation of Palm Sunday by reading my post, What is Palm Sunday?

You might also like to read my post, What is Holy Week? which gives a more in-depth explanation of why this week is so important.

You can read the complete story of Palm Sunday by visiting Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-16, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.

 

To learn more about the Easter Season, please visit my Easter page, a compilation of previous Easter and Lent posts.

Category: Death, Holiday, Jesus, Scripture Study | LEAVE A COMMENT

What Is Easter?

Easter, also called Resurrection Sunday, is the day we celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead, gaining victory over sin, death, and the grave.

 

Jesus had been killed by crucifixion on a Friday.

Early on the following Sunday morning some women who had been Jesus’ followers, came to His tomb with prepared spices.

They were planning to properly anoint His body for burial.

They’d been unable to do it right after the crucifixion because the Sabbath started at dusk Friday and lasted until dusk Saturday.

During this time they were not allowed to do any work due to Jewish law.

 

When the women got to the tomb the stone blocking the entrance had been rolled away.

Jesus’ body was not there.

The tomb was empty except for the linens Jesus’ body had been wrapped in when placed there late Friday afternoon..

 

There was an angel there at the tomb.

The angel spoke to them:

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