marmarthunder

[marmarthunder]

Rise Above Hate

The above quote made me think a great deal about how hatred can only blossom where there is no love. I believe that is where we are headed as a society if we don’t stop the growing hatred towards one another. We have made significant progress as a society in learning the lessons of war.  While some are victorious we all in a sense lose. Many die. Many are wounded. Many carry the emotional…

[marmarthunder]

My love for Korea

Seoraksan (Mount Sorak) -South Korea Please prayerfully reflect on the thoughts in the video below. Christ talks about faith in adversity and the workings of God’s kingdom. For reasons I don’t fully understand the Holy Spirit has been poking me quite strongly, that I need to share a few thoughts with you about the love I have for Korea. I was blessed that my Lord led me to go there twice. The…

[marmarthunder]

Fallen and Free

Father, we are a fallen race. We are sinners saved by grace. Our world can go two ways– the path of peace or war. We possess the promise of being people filled with love; we can allow hatred and the judgment of others to take hold. Lord, help us in these perilous times to rise to our better selves. There are people’s rights being trampled upon by a system that feels cold and callous. I…

[marmarthunder]

Becoming

Image by Monika from Pixabay I am on the road of becoming who God meant to be. I am reminded through regretting saying this and doing that, I am not yet who God wants me to be. We are developing into the men and women we strive to be. When I was five years old I prayed under the willow tree by our home for God to rescue me, my mother, brother and two sisters, from abuse from our schizophrenic…

[marmarthunder]

Draw me to the Still Waters

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay I sang this song I wrote at a church service in northern Ontario, Canada. Afterwards a church elder came up to me and said, “That was a prayer, Kevin. Wasn’t it?” I smiled and said, “Yes, Dan, that was a prayer.” I pray it touches you. Dr. Kevin Osborne is the Dean of Psychology and President of Student Affairs for St. James the Elder University. Dr.…

[marmarthunder]

What kind of world will we pass on?

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels In two days 2023 will end. It has been a tough year. There are millions more poor people. The cost of living is causing food, gas, and essentials like body soap to rise. A friend told me that if she didn’t own her house, she and her teenage son would be homeless. Karen and I have seen many homeless on the streets and by restaurants. Many sleep on a cardboard…

[marmarthunder]

Is world peace possible?

I was doing research for another story when I came upon this hymn. It moved me deeply beyond any professional choir singing it. It’s real. They are given a moment of peace in all the heart-wrenching noise of the Korean War. It is sung by the members of M.A.S.H, which stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. For the benefit of those who have never seen the TV series, it focuses on the tragedies…

[marmarthunder]

The Christmas People Don't Always See

Image by Leroy Skalstad from Pixabay In movies and on TV we are shown a false Christmas. Homeless people wear color-coordinated.clothes. Homes have all kinds of Christmas ornaments. No one goes hungry. The unemployed get jobs. The employed get promoted. Children are happy. Separated parents get back together again. Children get all the presents they ask for and more. Everyone gets…

[marmarthunder]

The Outsider

Reflecting upon the attitudes that exist in society towards those who turn to addiction to drugs and alcohol to numb the inner pain in their lives, I wrote this piece. I welcome your comments on the issues it presents for society and the Church. Please note: This story is based upon a series of life observations that I have combined into a story. The situation presented is fictional. I saw him…

[marmarthunder]

But I'm not John-Boy - My Journey to be a Writer

John-Boy journaling My mother, June, said I reminded her of John-Boy (played by Richard Thomas) on the TV series The Waltons. She said it was because of that earnest look I had on my face that the world should know about the issues affecting people’s lives. This is a picture of my Mom with my grandmother, Mary. They both loved teddy bears. Mr. Teddy was a gift from my Mom to my grandmother. I…

[marmarthunder]

Both Sides of the Desk

I will be taking you on a journey from my sides of the desk as a counselor, friend and client. As a counselor I seek to care for all those who come for help — those who can and can’t look at me– the ones who have hope and those who don’t, that their lives will get better– they will escape poverty– one day from it they’ll be free. The light in some of their eyes has not gone out; others see…

[marmarthunder]

Focus on Beautiful Things

Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi from Pexels Are there times the stress of life gets you down? Do you have times where it’s harder to smile? I share with you a prescription that comes from the Bible. It’s from Philippians 4:6. Think about things that are lovely. We aren’t to dwell on ugly things. Every day our minds are bombarded with more bad news. Mass shootings in the U.S. are taking far…

[marmarthunder]

Loving Unlovely People

How do we love unlovely people? This story seeks to answer that question.

Image by Alexander Dummer on PexelsEach day we speak with those we love and those we don’t.It’s easier to care about those we know, who are easy to love.We see them on their good days and bad.We know when they’re happy or sad.Sometimes their lives are etched with pain.You can see it in their faces.The stress of life has worn them down.They want to smile, but all they can do is frown.But what…

[marmarthunder]

Do we hear the cries of the poor?

A question that God used to inspire me to write this prayer.

Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay Almighty God, in every village, town and city, there are hundreds of millions of people who struggle to survive. Most do their best to support them and their families. There will always be those who cheat the system, but You know they are in the minority. Unfortunately, because of the actions of a comparative few, the majority of the poor are treated like the…

[marmarthunder]

Just around the Corner

In reflecting upon the meaning of Easter, I write about how the hope of Christ is just around the corner.

Photo by Erik Mclean on Pexels Easter comes and goes. We are told stories from the Bible to give us resurrection hope. Because Christ died and three days later He rose, we’re taught this helps us cope. We have someone we can come to when we’re down. We want to smile, but all we can do is frown, The energy many had to face life’s struggles is less. Perhaps, the joy you once had is…

[marmarthunder]

Breathe God

I pray this prayer will inspire you to take time to breathe God.

Lord, we have many struggles. In the clattering noise, help us to take quiet time alone with You. When we feel overwhelmed by our circumstances, help us to remember You lead us through them. We are never alone even though there are times we think we are. You walk with us. You speak to our weariness with words of life. When we can no longer endure our challenges, remind us that we can come to You…

[marmarthunder]

There are Times to Give the Last Bow

Image from istock.com On mission team in South Korea I reflect upon when I was a missionary in the eastern seaboard city of Kangnung, South Korea. I taught English as a second language from primary to adult students at The International English School. I was part of a group of missionary teachers from the United States and Canada. When we weren’t teaching, on a rotational schedule we preached…