Entries by B. J. Funk

Remember, O Lord Your Great Mercy

August 28, 2018 in , /by

Psalm 25:6 She was bent over in pain that day, the result of years of unmet expectations and disappointments with life. It’s not that she had not tried. She had. Others, however, always made it to the finish line first, got the best deals, played the winning hands, found the better bargains. Some days she felt like she could win. She started the morning with anticipation, entered into the day with confidence, but before the evening came she sensed, once again, that defeat rested on her shoulders the way a bird rests on its perch, claws clutched confidently around the […]

Women Need Each Other

August 9, 2018 in , /by

  Women need each other. We have a special kinship, a unique understanding, a tender concern for what each other goes through in this life. The nurturing quality that God so beautifully placed inside of us seems enhanced when another is hurting.  We want to be there for each other.  When we are with a dear friend, our problems don’t seem quite so tough, our pain quite so intense. Cherish the friend with whom you can cry, laugh and be yourself. Thank the friend you can call any time of the day or night. Bless the one who never tells you what […]

The Sweet Scent of Forgiveness

August 6, 2018 in , /by

  How do we know the right time to go to someone and ask them to forgive us? I don’t want to go to an angry and dissatisfied person and ask forgiveness if God has not prompted me with his perfect timing. Only He knows when that person’s heart is ready to accept my apology. Only God knows if that person’s discontent has softened enough to hear my request for forgiveness. Prayer paves the way for forgiveness to happen. When we allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in our lives and when we are in communion with Him […]

Wrapped in Such an Ordinary Package – A Christmas Story

December 8, 2017 in , /by

Wrapped in Such an Ordinary Package A Christmas Story By BJ Funk Because God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit always have had complete reign above the earth in a land called heaven, then it is reasonable to assume that the kingdom of heaven was and is where the Trinity lived and reigned. Wherever the Triune God was, then that’s where the Kingdom of heaven was and is. That lasted all throughout time from Genesis through Malachi, and then through four hundred years of silence before the New Testament. In that land called heaven, the Son, […]

The Peace Lily’s Reminder

February 4, 2016 in , /by

Do you have a Peace Lily in your home? This beautiful green plant seems to have only two requirements: proper lighting and water. I have three in my home now, one on my kitchen and dining room table and a larger one by a window in my living room. They ask so little of me that I almost neglect them until I realize their leaves are beginning to wilt. A good, full drink of water always seems to take care of that. My Peace Lilies keep a surprise from me, and I am always taken back when I pass one […]

Rainbow Promises

February 10, 2015 in , /by

A soft rainbow graced the blue sky above as my friend and I traveled on the highway. We couldn’t help but look, feeling that something deep within demanded it. Not to do so would have been like disobeying our daddies when we were little girls and were told to stop at the curb before crossing the street. A command sprang up from somewhere deep within. Stop. Look. Listen. The rainbow demanded our attention. To ignore it would betray our better judgment. No matter that we were searching for exit signs on an unfamiliar highway, we had to look. Against a […]

Frogs and Pearls

January 17, 2015 in , /by

When I was around eight, my maternal grandmother told me a story about the importance of talking nicely. She said when we talk ugly, frogs come out of our mouths, but when we talk with love and kindness, pearls come out. The same mouth can either hurt people or show them love. What she said made a great impression on my young life. With her words, she painted a clear picture. I visualized those frogs, and I wanted no part of them! The thought, however, of pearls coming out of my mouth sounded much better. I only saw Mama Newton […]

Four-Way Stops: Demonstrating the Golden Rule

December 1, 2014 in , /by

By B.J. Funk Have you heard of the Parable of the Four-way Stop Sign? It’s the Golden Rule in action. Four vehicles can reach the stop sign around the same time, from four different directions. Each stops, allowing the first that arrives to be the first to move forward. You stop and wait your turn. Another waits his turn. In this world of law suits running rampant because someone has violated another’s rights, the four-way stop brings a pleasant reminder that ‘doing unto others’ actually can work. I go through one every day on my way to work, and I’ve […]

Mercy Kept the Light On

December 1, 2014 in , /by

By B.J. Funk Motel Six television commercials are known for their ‘We keep the light on’ advertisements, which might not mean much to some, but which send a comforting beacon to many for whom the light has been turned off. For those who have ever had a door slammed in their faces, or a rejection that feels like hard fists in the stomach, the encouragement of  finding a place that actually keeps the light on is an oasis of hope, a contrast to their desert of darkness. Already today, you have probably passed by someone in the grocery store or […]

Mayberry Every Day

December 1, 2014 in , /by

By B.J. Funk I have always enjoyed reruns of the Andy Griffith Show, especially when his deputy, Barney, added his unique touch of humor. After Andy died, I started taping all of the Andy Griffith Marathon shows. I don’t want to miss a one. It’s not just that I lose myself in laughter, but I lose myself in thirty minutes of peddling backward into the simplicity of another time. My mind and body slow down when I walk into Mayberry. There’s nothing quite like a visit with Andy on his porch, with Aunt Bee in her kitchen or with Opie […]