Exhortations for The Soul

  Have you ever heard the saying: Life is like a vapor?   You’ve probably heard it when someone passes away or like around now when we’ve just started the New Year 2024 and the second month is almost over already. When you hear the saying though, what does it mean to you? Does it cause you to reflect on your own life and want to make some changes for the better because you think time is running out on you? In the book of James 4:13-15, we read, from The Message version: ”And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”“ That’s a reality check, is it not? Life is transient or fleeting, that is, lasting only for...

  Works without Faith is dead. Yes we know the popular scripture about faith without works, and you might be thinking that I got it mixed up. I didn’t. It’s just that I’m at a place where I’m delving into the popular scriptures and just going beyond the headlines, as we reporters or journalists would say, digging a little deeper. So let’s read James chapter 2 from verses 14- 26 in the New International Version NIV. ”What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the dem...

  A camp C A M P is a place where people of like minds or similar goals gather for a specific purpose. Whether it’s for fun, adventure, vacation, a spiritual retreat or maybe even business.   It is generally outdoors, in a secluded or exclusive environment. But certainly, a camp could be held in a building as well.   But what is key, is that the people who attend this camp have a singular purpose. I’ve been to camps, well camp sites. I was never one to do the outdoorsy kind of activities. But I definitely endorse the idea. Have any of you been to camp? If you have, I know it must have been memorable, impactful and hopefully something that you would recommend. You gain additional knowledge and you meet new friends, all of that is good. Unfortunately, what can make a camp memorable also, could be something negative - troublemakers. People who are time wasters, people who are not focused, people who don’t understand the assignment, people who feel that their ideas are better...