Soul and Spirit | Ain't Complicated

Esther Boss: A New Creation

God exchanged her ruined body for something new.

I got word early this morning that she died during the night.

In the last few days, we prayed often for God’s best for her, deeply hoping that meant a miraculous healing of her long-running rheumatoid arthritis and just-discovered bone cancer.

Instead, God’s best for her meant exchanging her ruined body for something new.

That faith does not erase the pain of loss for her husband Marvin and the rest of her family.

Such reassuring Christian hope does not eliminate the emptiness they feel.

They. We.

But believe and hope we shall.

Meanwhile, in Heaven, such glory for Esther!

And such glory for the Redeemer-Lamb who won her back to Himself and kept her for Himself! Read it all

Resurrection Morning

Jesus lives and all is well!

Today Orpha Tice Smucker would have been 67 years old. Now she is eternally ageless.

Below this photo of her and James’ grave is a poem written by one of her granddaughters. I took this picture at 7:29 the morning after their April 9 burial.

Resurrection Morning

They put Jesus to death on an ugly tree,
He endured the pain for you and me.
He loves us! His grace will be enough,
So in Him let us put all out trust.

The women, weeping, went to His grave,
To put spice on the One who is mighty to save,
But the cold, death stone was rolled away,
And an empty place where Jesus lay.

An angel told them, “He is not dead,
But He is risen as He said.”
The women rejoiced and ran to tell,
That Jesus lives and all is well!

Jesus is alive, today and forever,
His love for us no one can sever,
His blood can cleanse from every sin,
Just open your heart and let Him in.

–Kaitlynn Yoder, then 10

Why God Stepped Down

A simple overview of the Eternal Spirit's objectives in taking on mortal flesh

Here is my second draft summary of some of God’s purposes in the Incarnation:

Live a sinless life.
Learn obedience through suffering.
Be touched with the feelings of our infirmities.
Give us an example.
Defeat the devil.
Vanquish death.
Bear our sins and make atonement for them.
Become our faithful High Priest.
Rise again for our justification.
Redeem us to God.
Gain our victory over the flesh and sin.
Make effective blood shed in the Old Testament systems of sacrifices.

Please help me refine the list with your comments below. Read it all

ISIS Avenges Turkey’s Rapproachment With Israel?

Maybe the Islamic State has already answered that question.

It seems it was just yesterday I read the amazing news that Turkey had reached out to Israel and they had patched things up diplomatically.

Now I see this on the Drudge Report:

And I wonder if ISIS means this as a signal to Erdogan, Turkey’s leader.

Whatever the case, may God use His people in the area to convey His love and provision. May the Gospel’s message of forgiveness and peace shine its brilliant light amid such evil and darkness.

When You Have to Go in a National Park

Be sure to pick a single-occupancy restroom or outhouse.

Secretary of the Interior cheers gender-free bathrooms in national barks

June 27 tweet by Secretary of the Interior

So yesterday (apparently) the President decreed that national parks no longer honor the single-gender bathroom concept. (Gender-specific restrooms — what an antiquated concept in this great society. 😯 )

Apparently whatever the sign may say is no guarantee what you will find inside. So beware of using multiple-capacity restrooms. The spectators therein may be more “sexually varied” than you bargained for. Read it all

“James and Orpha, Come Home!”

Where we see an abrupt summons, God has seen a precious, long-scheduled event of glory.

At the vibrating buzz, I flipped open my cellphone…

James Smucker was killed

James Smucker was killed in an accident last night
and Orpha is in ICU. They were visiting Wisconsin.

I stared. Icy fingers squeezed my heart, bent my mind, twisted my emotions. How do you process a message like that? Rereading it carefully changed nothing.

My spirit reached out to the unerring Father, petitioning for His best for Orpha. He answered with exactly that. Read it all

Some Bestiality OK With Canada Supreme Court

Sickly legalizes some sick sex acts with animals

So Canada’s highest court has just ruled that some sex acts between humans and animals are legal.

Despite all the acceleration of the normalization of perversion in the last few years, this still has to at least kinda shock the sensibilities.

Some folks (including the dissenting judge) expressing dismay at and condemnation of the 7-1 ruling seem to be exercised primarily by the animal abuse angle.

The human morality slippery slope is a bigger issue to me. The pursuit of certain “rights” is definitely leading to what’s morally wrong being rebranded as right. Even a leftist should find that repugnant.

Well, here are two excerpts from the story: Read it all