Doses of Faith

From my post yesterday, you may be thinking that I don’t trust people in the church.   This is not true.   I belong to a church that is filed with loving and caring members.   Yes, there are times that a few slide to gossip and back biting, but it does not last.     Every congregation at some time has some internal problems, but with God’s help, they work it out.   But, let’s get back to my subject of “Trust.” The other night after my nightly devotion, the question kept coming to my mind about trust and my own trustworthiness.   Where did my trust begin?   What formed my attitudes and my ability to trust?   After going to sleep, I woke up with thoughts of Job and how he handled losing everything, and how his friends did not encourage him but judged him.   After tossing around, I went back to sleep to hear knocking on a door.   I looked at clock and it was 5 AM.   Who in the world?   I went to all the doors and no one ...

Trust – Who Can You Trust? When we are let down by a friend, it hurts.   Trust goes a long way with a faithful and loyal friend.   After being let down often, it is hard to trust another person.   The pain and disappointment of being let down and judged by someone who you thought you could trust is hard to get over.   The hurt and distrust leaves an open sore that can only be healed by time and God.   One would think that the church would be where you can go for someone to trust.   At an early age, I learned that this is not true.   I would hear church ladies say, “I’m just letting people know so they can pray.”   Since I knew what was being said was not true, my thoughts were “how do we pray?”   Then later a church secretary (not my church) came to me with juicy gossip that a friend of mine was having an affair.   I shocked her by calling out the gossip.   She had seen my friend having lunch at the Chat N Chew with her bo...

The joy, love, and laughter of Christmas past will always linger in my heart and mind.  I'm blessed.  My family in rural South Carolina were close and came together during holidays.  The traditional low country pig cooked over coals for hours while men sat around keeping the coals hot and sampling the meat and sauce.  The sauce was a vinegar base with lots of peppers and the sampling helped them make it perfect.  With most families cooking their Christmas pig, the delicious smell lingered in the air all around Puddin Swamp.  Once the meat came off the coals, families came together for good food and fellowship. My earliest memory of Christmas is the Evans family gathering on Christmas Eve with good barbeque, lots of homemade cakes, cousins playing, aunts and uncles sitting around talking, and Santa knocking on our bedroom window after we had gone to bed.  Yes, there would be Santa at our bedroom window.  Did we ever go to...

There was a hole in my roof .  It could have been worse, but at the moment the rain poured as my tears matched.  I wanted it fixed yesterday and I was assured by the roofer I called that he was sending two men over right away.  It did not happen.  With a forecast of rain, I hoped it would be just a drizzle, but it poured.  So, my heart broke and the tears came. Why?  Why would I cry?  I rushed out of the office to get some air, but no where to hide to feel sorry for myself.  Did I really feel sorry for myself?  Back at my desk, the work piled up with interruptions. It is a busy time with a lot to do with closing for the holidays.  My thoughts were, "why don't they get it done?"  How will I handle it all?  Saved by lunch and an offer for some company. My roof did get fixed.  My brother heard I needed help and came to the rescue.  In the office, most of work done and ready for a short day tomorrow.  But, ...