HAPPY REFORMATION DAY!
“On this day in 1517, the priest and scholar Martin Luther approaches the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, and nails a piece of paper to it containing the 95 revolutionary opinions that would begin the Protestant Reformation...A number of princes and other supporters of Luther issued a protest, declaring that their allegiance to God trumped their allegiance to the emperor. They became known to their opponents as Protestants; gradually this name came to apply to all who believed the Church should be reformed, even those outside Germany. By the time Luther died, of natural causes, in 1546, his revolutionary beliefs had formed the basis for the Protestant Reformation, which would over the next three centuries revolutionize Western civilization.” *
Out of one man’s protests five hundred years ago, many denominations, and even non-denoms, have sprung. Bibles, in the native language, have been placed in the hands of billions. Revivals have defrosted the frozen chosen.
Reformation – revival. Throughout Scripture God has used prophets, angels, His Son and His apostles, to realign His people with the Truth. We humans have a tendency to muddle it, complicate it, and even add conditions to it.
Every once in awhile the Church needs correction. Many believe it does today. Theologically, some pulpits have veered from Biblical straight and narrow path. Others have become too complacent and put the Great Commission on the back burner. Still others have divided over what hymns to sing, or what color the carpet down the center aisle should be.
Realign yourself with the Truth today. Nothing spooky about it, trust me. But it often takes gumption, and that can be a bit teeth chattering! The outcome, however, is a treat--eternal life in the presence of the Lord as He smiles and says, “Well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) No tricks.
Lord, may October 31 remind us to safeguard the faith. Give us the fervor to always seek Your ways and not our own interpretations of it. Through your Son, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Amen.
Show me your ways, 
Houseplant lovers know that different ones require different care. There are low-light plants and then there are those that won’t thrive unless the sun is gleaming on them most of the day. Some prefer diffused light near a south or north window or their leaves will burn while others relish the afternoon western sunbeams.
I cringed at the doctor’s suggestion. A nerve conduction study. Right. Zap the nerve that has had me limping and losing sleep for months. Make it hurt even more. Good plan…but necessary so they can discover where the pinching originates. As the day approached, I prayed more consistently and constantly but my mind kept reminding me of the last time I had one and the tearful screams as that needle…oh, my.
said that 90% of what we worry about never comes to pass, or isn’t half as bad as we predicted. I’ve also read that there are 365 verses in the Bible that speak to fear and worry, one for each day of the year. For me that means God knows we are “wired” to worry—probably because our innate desire to be in control is constantly tested by an out of control world.
As I was applying my eyeliner today, I thought about it in a spiritual way. Yep, God revealed a truth to me as I put on my make-up. Guys, you may not wear eye makeup, but this can “apply” to you as well. Read on to find out why.
I learned a godly truth from a bunch of cilantro. Sitting in my fridge for a week or so, I noticed some of the leaves had rotted before I got to use them in my food. My first instinct was to chuck the whole thing. But I love cilantro, and it isn’t cheap. So I decided in order to keep the lush green ones from being contaminated, I’d pluck them away and sealed them in a storage baggie. Much less icky that snapping away the slimy, brown ones and getting the gunk on my fingers. Blech.
keep them from contaminating us, and uses the good He has found in us to do His will. Then He bags and seals us in His Spirit to protect us and keep us fresh until He can use us.
If it hasn’t happened to you, it will.
algorithm two millennia ago: Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12). Jesus used Scripture to keep Satan from seeping into his thoughts while he was in the wilderness being tested. 
It made me realize how much we believers need each other in times of weakness. It also showed me how ready people are to help, even without us asking. That’s the love of God flowing through,spreading from one hand to another, muscle to muscle and bone to bone in the Body of Christ.
in need and we need to be needed. It’s a two way street. Part of the commandment from our Lord is to love one another. That means getting into each other’s messy lives by helping and being of help. The love of Christ flows from one human to another. To not receive help from others is to block that flow.
Over my first month as an internet missionary, I have felt the weightiness of words. Words can build up hope or slash a person’s dreams. They can offend or bolster one’s beliefs. They can trigger interest or make someone click off and seek elsewhere on the web.
As Christians, we have been given the Word. We need to not only monitor what comes out of our mouths, but what is typed on our QWERTY boards and appearing on the screens of people we may never have direct contact with.
