Michael Harrison's e-devotion

  Earlier this week I shared a post that gained the attention of several people.  It first rolled around my head and heart.  I think it is important enough to repeat here… 7 Keys to Life 1.  Put God first 2.  Love One Another 3.  Never Hate 4.  Give Generously  5.  Live Simply 6.  Forgive Quickly 7.  Pray Everyday That is some powerful stuff.  In fact, as the new year begins those are many of the things that wraps us resolutions and life change that so many people are longing for.  Some of them are close to impossible if we are honest. You might not have an issue or problem with putting God first, loving others or living simple.  But a lot of people struggle with forgiving or dealing with hate.  Those are the characteristics that lead to frustration and even more problems when they are not dealt with. Look close at the list again.  Might two of those things be the opposite or the cure for hate and not forgiv...

Here is a part of a newsletter / article from one of my mentors, Blaine Bartel (you can find his stuff at www.blainebartel.com).  This was originally titled How to Handle the Haters.  This is a long article, but take some time.  Read on… “To the Haters: Take a number. The line is long, but it moves quickly.”  I remember furiously composing this tweet about eight years ago.   A long-time friend and former colleague in ministry had just posted a hateful and derogatory comment about me online.  In the moment, it hurt.  It spitefully targeted past failures in my life that I had repented of and quite honestly, I was still crawling out of the ashes of all the repercussions. This friend had never reached out to me to have a conversation of any kind.  At the time, I didn’t know how to handle hate.  I allowed the poisonous arrows of shame to go straight to my heart. I had imaginations of revenge. I found bitter feelings taking up preciou...

  "The time is always right to do what is right.”  MLK Today we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.  He walked, spoke and lived to help others.  We are all flawed and have our issues, but we all have the inner calling and strength to do good. Many of the quotes I have seen from Dr. King are incredible.  Like the one above, it is all the right right to do what is right.  It is my calling to help those in need and to speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves.  How are you doing that? Proverbs 31:8-9  NLT Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.  Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. That verse stands out for me and helps me stand up for others.  To make sure that people get justice is something that we cannot side step.  So many people are ill treated.  So many people don’t have the means to take care of themselves.  So m...

Ephesians 4:32  NLT Instead, be   kind   to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving   one   another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. This is not a political post but my heart and thoughts about the shootings this past weekend and beyond. Hatred is rampant in the world and in our lives.  We see examples of it all around via the news and even in personal relationships.  Honestly, it saddens me a great deal. It is always right to love people.  It is always wring to hate people.  Jesus showed us this truth by the way He dealt with people while He was hanging on the cross.  His words evoked the best and even the forgiveness epitomizes unconditional love. The violence of killing people and hate crimes and all that is seen around it is senseless.  I don’t believe this is a gun problem.  I totally believe it is a heart problem.  We need to understand love...

Proverbs 31:8  NLT Speak   up   for   those   who cannot   speak   for themselves; ensure justice   for   those   being crushed. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King did that well.  On this day, the 3rd Monday of January, our nation honors Mark Luther King, Jr. for his impact on countless lives and on our county.  His impact continues today. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke up for people who could not speak for themselves.    I agreed with his heart and his desire to see our nation embrace more people and stand stronger together.    We are indebted to Dr. King and to many others who stood when we couldn’t and when many wouldn’t stand. He spoke of a nation where people were free to live and serve as equals.  There were marches, there were speeches, there were acts of violence and hatre...

Today I share with you an article from one of my favorite writers and speakers, Margaret Feinberg.   In this article she shares insight in dealing with happenings this past weekend in Charlottesville in an article posted on her website titled “ Charlottesville—Responding to the Hatred and the Horror” The shouting, the slurs, the swastikas, and hands raised in Nazi-style salutes. These types of images instill fear in my heart, thanks in part to the warnings of my Polish Jewish grandmother. Somehow these symbols and images have been resurrected in our time, now targeting not just Jews but also black people and Muslim people and immigrants.  How can this be? Seeing these images emanate not from black-and-white clips of Nazi Germany but technicolor shots of Charlottesville stoked anger inside of me. But the words of the Beloved Disciple rang in my ears: I John 4:20 “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love hi...