Salty Zebra

  for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him.   Colossians 1:16  Why are you here? Were you an accident? Did your parents plan for you, or were you a surprise? Are you just a random sperm and egg that came together and set a series of consequences in motion? These are questions many ask themselves these days, but I have really good news for you – you are not an accident! You were created on purpose, for a purpose. Yep, you read that right, you were created. You were created by your Creator, Jesus. That’s a pretty big thought!   You see, Jesus wasn’t just born on the first Christmas morning, He existed before the beginning of time and actually created time itself. He is eternal, immortal, forever. He has no beginning and He’ll have no end. The book of John breaks it down for us in the first chap...

He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, in who we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1:13-14  Redemption. What does the word mean to you? It’s a big, churchy word. One that we’re familiar with hearing from the pulpit. But what does it mean to us in our day-to-day lives? Back to my friend, Webster : REDEMP'TION, noun [Latin redemptio. See Redeem.] 1. Repurchase of captured goods or prisoners; the act of procuring the deliverance of persons or things from the possession and power of captors by the payment of an equivalent; ransom; release; as the redemption of prisoners taken in war; the redemption of a ship and cargo. … 6. In theology, the purchase of God's favor by the death and sufferings of Christ; the ransom or deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law by the atonement of Christ.  The idea is that there is a price that needs to be paid. ...

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saint’s inheritance in the light.   Colossians 1:11-12  Patience and steadfastness. That’s kind of the definition of radiation therapy. Six weeks. Six weeks of driving hours to and from the hospital every day. Six weeks of laying down and having a mask pressed down on my face, locking me onto the table. Six weeks of nine buzzes. The first buzz brought the scent of ozone as the radiation “tickled” my olfactory nerve. The fifth buzz drew a blue light across my left eye for ten seconds and the sixth buzz drew a purple one across my right for the same. The seventh buzz was always a little strange as it had a “hiccup” in the middle. The ninth buzz signaled the end of treatment and I would be jerkily ejected from the machine. The mask popped off and I rose from the table wobbly, tired, but ha...

  We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people.   Colossians 1:3-4  When you see something positive in someone else, do you point it out? Do you affirm it? Encourage it? Do you worry that by doing so, you might “puff them up?” Here, Paul takes a very healthy way of encouraging the believers in Colossae, by thanking God for what He has heard about in them.   I first learned this technique through my uncle who worked in missions in India for decades. He was never one to tell me that he was proud of me or that I had done something well, but when we prayed together, He thanked God for the spiritual growth he saw in me and the ways that God was using me in the world. This was an indirect way to affirm what God had been doing in my life without falsely assigning credit to me for it. It gave God the glory for what God had clearly done and ...

  For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:9  Knowledge and wisdom. Two different words, different concepts, that are used occasionally interchangeably (incorrectly) and very often together. Let’s look at them: KNOWL'EDGE, noun nol'lej. 1. A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of our ideas. WISDOM, noun s as z. [G. See Wise.] 1. The right use or exercise of knowledge; the choice of laudable ends, and of the best means to accomplish them. This is wisdom in act, effect, or practice. If wisdom is to be considered as a faculty of the mind, it is the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just, proper and useful, and if it is to be considered as an acquirement, it is the knowledge and use of...

  Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel   Colossians 1:5 What are your deepest motivations? Why do you do what you do? It may be as simple as the reason you get out of bed in the morning to the guiding principles of how you spend your time and money in this world. Are you just running on vibes, or do you have a set of principles and ideals that govern your choices?   I’m going to be completely honest here, my husband and I operate very differently in this area, and I think we complement each other because of it. You see, I’m kind of a “running on vibes” sort of person. When faced with a choice or decision, I’m most likely to lean towards what “feels” right. That’s my reason for getting out of bed in the morning, btw. It hurts too much to stay in it 😩 . If I encounter an opportunity for giving or an invitation to an event, I do a heart check. I pray. I seek the Holy Spiri...