A Sprig of Hope

Sweet!

2012-03-16T07:07:25.270-07:00

Sweet!

Bam!

2012-03-06T21:34:36.341-08:00

Bam!

I love this. :)

2012-03-06T21:25:04.766-08:00

I love this. :)

Wonderful song, Cliff. Tell me more about it.

2012-02-12T15:37:17.097-08:00

Wonderful song, Cliff. Tell me more about it.

Maybe empty-handed but possibly with full hearts. ...

2012-02-12T15:29:17.334-08:00

Maybe empty-handed but possibly with full hearts. Eugene

So beautifully written Michael. What a wonderful ...

2012-01-21T07:31:04.314-08:00

So beautifully written Michael. What a wonderful illustration. Finding hope in what is to come is paramount. Thank you for the encouragement! ~Sally

Michael I consider it a privilege to have had a ch...

2012-01-16T20:51:28.935-08:00

Michael I consider it a privilege to have had a chance to get to know you and your beautiful wife, Michala and adorable daughter, Mary Grace and sweet singing soulful companion, Cliff Hutchison while you were here with us in Colorado. While I was sad to see you go, I am praying for all of you as you begin this new venture in your life and in your calling! I am honored and delighted to call you friend! May you have the Lord's blessing upon you as you move forward with this calling and I pray for God's provision upon you and your ministry in Argenta! God bless you, my dear friend! We will see each other again, some day! Love, love, love! Peggy

Can't wait to meet you, Tellie Blue!!!

2012-01-16T20:44:08.298-08:00

Can't wait to meet you, Tellie Blue!!!

Mary Grace seems to have no trouble giving. MAybe...

2011-12-06T20:16:47.419-08:00

Mary Grace seems to have no trouble giving. MAybe we should all follow in her small footsteps. Merry Christmas, my friend.

that guy at the end is sexy ;-)

2011-12-01T04:53:29.476-08:00

that guy at the end is sexy ;-)

Heather- Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Its a ...

2011-09-11T21:14:40.761-07:00

Heather- Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Its a pleasure to know this stuff gets read at all.

I love your writing, Michael....always a treat to ...

2011-09-11T19:33:19.861-07:00

I love your writing, Michael....always a treat to read your carefully-crafted words

Thanks Cathy. Go cocks!

2011-09-10T08:44:50.255-07:00

Thanks Cathy. Go cocks!

Michael, you are feeling the weight of Christ'...

2011-09-09T13:50:59.529-07:00

Michael, you are feeling the weight of Christ's glory in you, and obviously not taking this calling lightly. I am proud to call you my friend…even if you are a stinkin' Gamecock ;-)

You may very well win the east again, but SC will ...

2011-09-03T13:37:36.134-07:00

You may very well win the east again, but SC will not go all the way.

That is a supreme compliment my dear orange-bloode...

2011-06-30T20:35:36.126-07:00

That is a supreme compliment my dear orange-blooded friend. Continue to enjoy that humidity out there.

Michael, what you have posted here has given this ...

2011-06-29T22:16:09.286-07:00

Michael, what you have posted here has given this Clemson fan goosebumps. Well and truly written, my friend. :)

Haha, yeah I thought that too about Georgie-Ann. H...

2011-06-01T17:02:02.312-07:00

Haha, yeah I thought that too about Georgie-Ann. However, your comment was nowhere near as good as her's. :)

It just occurred to me: that though God is seeming...

2011-06-01T16:18:46.323-07:00

It just occurred to me: that though God is seemingly more concerned about spiritual death, physical death may well freeze us in that state of separation from God. Therefore, the two should not be viewed as separate but rather as two stages of something God never intended for us.

By the way, how did you like my Georgie Anne imitation with all those scripture references. Gotta love Bible Gateway.

Eugene

Well said, Michael. As you know by now. I love r...

2011-06-01T16:14:15.159-07:00

Well said, Michael. As you know by now. I love robust debate and dialogue. I too learned so much yesterday. And the beer and Mexican food (thanks, Dee Dee) weren't so bad either.

Dr. Scott- I thought a lot about the differences b...

2011-06-01T09:09:35.038-07:00

Dr. Scott- I thought a lot about the differences between spiritual death and physical death after Derek's comments yesterday. I also enjoyed Andrew's sobering perspective of both "sides" of our discussion. I have my own struggles with the fear of death and the blind assertions of others that it is "no big deal" have done little to quell if not aggravate my worries. The robust debates like yesterday give me far greater hope in the face of such fears. But most of my critique is not in response to your position (one that after seeing it laid out, I believe as well) but to "no big deal, God needed her" straw man. I am also thinking of the skeptic and how they view death. Yes they need hope but they also need to know that God is not presiding over the deaths in Joplin with a satisfied "whatever" expression on his face. They, like me (a fellow skeptic at times), need a more robust account of what death means. Perhaps your and my sides are not opposing but pedagogical for each other in a circular strengthening, informing each side giving a great understanding of the power of death and God's victory (and subsequently ours as well) over death. Thanks for the dialog!

I did not know he was a poet too. That poem catch...

2011-06-01T06:18:00.290-07:00

I did not know he was a poet too. That poem catches the reality of an evening sitting and thinking about the big things of life. Thanks.

So, I've been thinking more about our conversation about death.

I may under emphasize it. I still feel you are giving it more than it is due. Death in many parts of the Bible does not only--or even mainly--refer to the stopping of the heart, but more so to the inability of us to be in relationship with God. This is what God hates. This for Jesus was the point of being forsaken by the Father on the cross. He did not so much fear bodily death in the garden as he did that separation.

For us this is the spiritual death we too often live in even while our bodies hum merrily along. This is the death the New Testament and, especially Paul write so much about.

John 8:51
Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

Romans 6:9
For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

Romans 8:38
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, can separate us from the love of God.

1 Corinthians 15:26
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:54
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

1 Corinthians 15:55
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

1 Thessalonians 4:13
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

2 Timothy 1:10
but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Perhaps this is an age/time perspective. Paul did not hate or fear death near the end of his life but rather viewed his body (this life) as a tent and would be content to keep living it if it meant preaching the gospel but really was prepared and eager to go on to life more full and permanent.

Eugene

I liked it a lot, you can title them all from now ...

2011-05-02T16:02:18.461-07:00

I liked it a lot, you can title them all from now on :)

Hope my title was ok. Sure enjoyed reading your b...

2011-05-02T14:59:44.484-07:00

Hope my title was ok. Sure enjoyed reading your blog. Eugene

Wow, Michael; just…wow.

2011-04-21T22:37:53.344-07:00

Wow, Michael; just…wow.