Reset with Bonnie Sala

Each year we yearn to start life afresh. And yet, if we've lived a while, we know that the reality of life is that our futures will be a mixture of both good and bad.  

My grandma Sala had some great little sayings that often come to my mind.  One was "Don't borrow trouble."  Much like the phrase, one day at a time , Grandma would remind herself (and me) that nothing is accomplished by careening into tomorrow and beyond, in my head.  Grandma believed Jesus when He said, "Don't worry about tomorrow…for each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34).

"In our world, the idea of ultimate truth — something that is true at all times in all places and has relevance for our lives — is about as extinct as the dinosaur," [1] points out Lindy Keffer.  But Jesus Christ talked about truth and claimed that He was "the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6).  What's more, He said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free!" (John 8:32...

When he was a toddler, my son did not do well with goodbyes.  He loved nothing more than to be surrounded by a crush of family and he'd cry mournfully when grandma and grandpa, or the cousins drove away, after a visit. 

When Paul wrote to the Romans he said that those who embrace Jesus in their lives become transformed . Have you noticed how very few transformations in nature are instantaneous? The growth of a flower bud into fruit is a process that takes time. Even a caterpillar inside its cocoon turns to goop before it's transformed.

It's easy to see the problems in another person, but we don't always recognize our own shortcomings. When someone criticizes you, do you usually write it off as jealousy? Or maybe you're prone to strike back with sharp words. It's always better to first consider some ways in which you may be able to benefit from critique.

I recently enjoyed watching an online show about a fictitious Orthodox Jewish family living in Jerusalem.  It was interesting to hear young, engaged couples expressing their desire to establish they what they called a righteous Jewish home.  You don't hear that word righteous much these days. 

You won't go far in this life without coming up against hatred.   But, if you know that you're loved, you will be less likely to be derailed by it. The apostle Paul achieved that sense of confidence in the face of hostility because he was secure in his relationship with God.

Charles Spurgeon was a famous preacher and Bible teacher of the 1800s.  But his wife, Mrs. C.H. Spurgeon, or Susie, had a powerful ministry of encouragement long after her husband's death.  Susie's life was one of great physical suffering, but she encouraged others in their discouragement from her vibrant relationship with Jesus. 

The first time it happened was awful.  It was New Year's Eve and Beth's college-aged son had been driving drunk.  When he hit the car of a husband and wife returning home from festivities, the woman was expecting a baby and had to be hospitalized. Beth's heart was broken again sometime later, on the day her son stood in court …for a second DUI or driving under the influence charge. Beth had been p...

Can you remember naptime in kindergarten?  After lunch, each child in the class had a blanket from home that they dutifully unrolled on the floor; we were then expected to sleep for a half hour. But I had no intention of sleeping.  I hated naps!  There were too many things to discover and too much fun to be had, to sleep.

One of my friends shared with me what she had imagined her adult life would be when she was a child. She'd had grand plans—an illustrious career that enabled her to be a gift to society, so everyone would praise her. She'd have a family of perfect individuals or be contentedly independent. She'd be surrounded by beautiful possessions but would have such a peaceful and humble spirit that she barely...

Of all the women and men of the Bible, Jacob can seem like a strange person for God to associate Himself with. "The God of Jacob" is a frequent title used for the God of the Bible, and Jacob is referenced 22 times in scripture.

In the Bible book of Luke 10, Jesus explained that the way to live is to love God with all the parts of who we are—with our hearts, souls, our minds, and our strength. These parts of us are distinct but intertwined. We might think of these aspects of ourselves as our emotions, our eternal essence, our reasoning, and our dedication. We engage with God through all of these. Understanding how to live...

Most of us would own up to having parts of ourselves that are messy.  The most honest among us would admit to being wrecks, apart from the grace of God. Our inclination is to hide our flaws and failures, just like Adam and Eve did back in the Garden of Eden. Scripture says that God sees the conduct of all people (Jeremiah 32:19) and because of His love (that makes no human sense), He has compassio...

My friend Kim had had a bad night.  Expecting her first baby, she and her husband had recently discovered that the family dog had a stomach condition that made him ill in the night quite often.  After a night of little sleep, she wondered how she was going to be able to cope with being up with a baby and a dog in the future!

Imagine filling a pot with water. Then you put the pot over a fire, put on the lid, and wait for it to boil. Now, only a fool or a character in a fairytale would expect to take the lid off and find that the water had turned itself into a hearty soup!

How important is Scripture?  Pastor Rich Villodas points out that, "When Jesus was tempted, scripture flowed from his lips.  When Jesus was challenged, scripture flowed from his lips.  When Jesus was crucified, scripture flowed from his lips.  One of the ways to live like Jesus," he concludes, "is to internalize scripture, so that when we are cut, it spills out." [1]   [1] Villodas, Rich [richvill...

When one year turns over into another, we tend to reflect. Most of us sense or are even embroiled in global unrest, fear, and uncertainty. Many of the goals we'd hoped to reach remain unmet. We're not the first people to feel this way! The Apostle Paul lived in the thick of trials and tribulations of his own era. His practice was to always train his focus on following and being together with Jesus...

Christmas time can make you feel like one big failure.  It used to be popular to send a "creatively written" Christmas letter that bragged about everything your family had done that year.  We knew what had really happened in our lives—failed marriages, kids that got into trouble and jobs that were lost.  But we didn't include that in those Christmas letters.    

There's more than one disease plaguing humankind this Christmas--loneliness is a global epidemic.  Locked down and socially isolated by the pandemic, people of all ages have felt the pangs of loneliness.  Many are still working from home and large numbers of former churchgoers have simply given up gathering together in person.  Now, we greet Christmas in our loneliness.        

Christmas, no, make that all of life, comes with a great big platter of expectations.  We expect that Christmas will mean gifts, cheer and goodwill.  In life, we expect that parents will love and protect children, marriage covenants will be kept and that doing the right thing will bring the right results.  But this is not always reality.  Sadly, Christmas can make the brokenness in our lives seari...

There's no way to pretend otherwise:  Christmastime makes the losses we've suffered feel more acute and more agonizing.  As the world seems to swirl more garishly and noisily, Jesus of the Manger, waits for those of us grieving loss, with powerful comfort. 

It's nearly Christmas.  Come to the Manger of the Nativity now, with all that you're carrying, and gaze upon Him, the Savior that is not just for all people, but for you . 

The follower of Jesus is going to run into opposition--ever increasing opposition when we speak His name.  Here are two reasons why.