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During the Spring and Summer, our back patio turns into our own little arboretum. We have several flower beds and large flowerpots that are filled with a variety of annuals. As the flowers emerge, the whole area comes alive with a huge variety of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, etc. As you watch for a little while, you’ll see that some types of bees like certain shapes and types of flowers, and other types of bees like others. Same with the butterflies. They all have a preference and go to the same flowers over and over.

I write (and talk) a lot about God’s sovereignty over, well, everything. It can be annoying to my friends sometimes, but mainly, I’m just reminding myself. God has total dominion and works all things according to the counsel of His will down to the tiniest detail. I anchor my life to this truth. My faith in God’s sovereign rule enables me to confidently live without fear in the understanding that there is perfect purpose in everything I experience both the good and (from my human viewpoint) the bad. Nothing that happens is accidental. Nothing is meaningless. It is all part of the Master’s plan for my good and His glory.

Last summer, my eldest son was married. Next summer, my second son is getting married. The Lord has blessed both couples with a great gift that he specially prepared for each of them. I watch my sons delight in their bride and soon-to-be bride. So much love. So much joy. Each bride is enchantingly beautiful in the eyes of their beloved. It’s all given me impetus to meditate on the bride of Christ, the Church.

I recently had a very good discussion with an avowed humanist. We had a fair amount of common ground. We both believe and affirm the dignity of each human being. We both believe and affirm the importance of personal responsibility.

In a recent meeting at church, someone asked me my greatest weakness in the faith. I quickly selected the socially acceptable sin of impatience. What do I mean by socially acceptable? I am talking about those “sins” we don’t mind or maybe even like to confess to each other.