Compassion – Pathway Journey

May 21, 2025May 18, 2025

How Grace and Mercy Lead to Peace with God

In the church world we throw around words and catch phases until they become threadbare of their meaning. Paul used the three terms of grace, mercy, and peace in his salutations to his spiritual sons. Here is one, “To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Tim. 1:2 NKJV).

Peace always follows grace and mercy. It is impossible to have true peace with God without the blessings of grace and mercy. Since we were born with a sin nature, it is impossible to have peace with God without them. We can’t outside of these two make ourselves compatible with God’s peace.

We can measure twice and cut once. We can fill the cracks with putty and sand until smooth. We can put three coats of paint on a stairway to Heaven. Still, it will not reach!

September 11, 2024September 11, 2024

Be Merciful: Drop the Rock

We live in a world that celebrates bravado and even ruthless behavior. Even the word meekness is thought to be weakness by many. Biblical meekness is actually restrained power; having the power over someone but exercising mercy instead.

To be sure, Jesus spoke truth and at times He was very straightforward especially to the religious elites. But we see the tenderhearted Jesus dealing with the woman about to be stoned for adultery. He challenged the religious leaders, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7 NKJV). He forgave the woman’s sin without excusing the sin by telling her to go and sin no more.

August 21, 2024August 21, 2024

History-Long Hatred of Children: A Ploy of Satan

Children are the most vulnerable humans on the planet. They are very dependent upon adults for provision, shelter, protection, and education. Through the course of world history, children have been neglected and worse of all targeted for exploitation or even destruction. Why?

In our present age, we see children used as slave labor, sex slaves, so-called collateral damage in endless wars, starved by abject poverty, and easy fields for organ harvesting in less humane societies.

Then in our more so-called civilized cultures, we see children harmed in sex abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, objects of child pornography, sexual mutilation, destructive drug therapy, warped by dysfunctional families, and killed by abortion.

April 10, 2024April 8, 2025

Don’t Let Crazy People Drive You Crazy

I recently heard someone opine that he thought that 15 percent of people are bad, 50 percent misguided, and 35 percent were good. Now whether you agree with that number or not, you must admit that there are some crazy people in this world. When I talk about crazy, I’m not talking about people with organic mental issues. Crazy is a term reserved for those who can do better but don’t. I believe some people who act crazy are demonically influenced. Now you may think I am crazy.

I am not a psychologist, but my life’s work has been in the people business from being an educator to a Christian minister. Furthermore, I think of myself as a somewhat positive person because I usually reserve an ounce of hope for everyone regardless of their craziness.

The truth of the matter is, everyone can change but not everyone will or want to change for the good.

February 6, 2024February 5, 2024

My Dentist Said I Was Stoic!

Crazy title, right?

After a lengthy dental procedure where my dentist did a root canal, then ground it down for the crown prep, plus filled the neighbor tooth, and ground it down for a crown; he patted me on the shoulder and said, “You’re stoic.” I forgot how long I was in the dental chair, but it was a while. When finished my dentist said it was hard on him and he was amazed that I didn’t move a muscle or make a sound. Perhaps I was afraid to move! Anyway, I was surprised by his comment, thinking maybe it was intended as a compliment.

January 26, 2024March 1, 2024

Looking Into Their Eyes

I have seen some pitiful folks in my time. It is not the ragged clothes I see or their crippled limbs, but their eyes that give me a glimpse of their misery and hopelessness. I believe every person was granted to exist by God; this in itself makes me know that there is dignity in every life.

Many choose to take a path that is not God’s best, but some seem to have it thrust upon them by poverty, abuse, sickness, or where they were born. I have come to know with more awareness and certainty of the dignity of every human being. I know Christ loves them just as He loved the women He saved from a stoning, the demoniac He delivered from legions of demons, and even my wretched soul.

August 10, 2023December 31, 2023

The Value of Life

People are more than globs of carbon compounds organized by DNA. We, yes, you and I, were created and designed by God, in His own image. In the second chapter of the Bible, the declaration is made, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7 NKJV).

For all of you animal lovers, yes, treat your critters humanely, but they are not equal with us. Human beings are at the apex of the creature pyramid. Our eyes are on the front of our heads which makes us a predator. A five-hundred-pound black bear is much more likely to run from us than attack.

We are not gods, but we do have the spark of divinity in us. We were created in the image of God. Just as God exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so he created us as a triune being with a spirit, soul, and body.

The main point to this: We were created in the image of God with a soul, and everyone is inherently spiritual. A person is a spiritual being regardless of their morals or religious leanings, people can be spiritually righteous or spiritually evil.

July 25, 2023July 24, 2023

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Life is too short to get tied up in knots over things that should not matter. I know that is easier to say than to do. People and things are always tugging at our shirt tails for attention like a three-year-old wanting a cookie.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

January 25, 2023January 24, 2023

More Than Enough

I remember taking my beloved Christian brother, Pastor Baptiste, who lives in Haiti, to one of our American all-you-can-eat buffets. There were stations after stations of food. He was amazed at the quantity of food and that he could eat all he wanted. When I was with him in Haiti, I discovered he had told many of his friends about his unbelievable experience at the bountiful restaurant.

June 9, 2022June 9, 2022

Pain Hurts!!!

We have a skillet with a removeable rubber grip on the handle so you can use the skillet in the oven. This week we cooked some garden fresh yellow squash with slices of onion sprinkled in olive oil in that skillet. Shortly after it was removed from the oven, I was going to move it and without thinking I grabbed the hot handle without a pot holder. Ouch! It took a nano-second for me to let go. I put my hand under tap water and I was fine. Pain hurts but it helped me to let go!