James Rush Manley – Writer

 
God says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Sounds good, especially for encouraging others setting out on grand adventures and hopeless quests. But why does our response to His call often leave us feeling rolled, spindled, and mutilated? What happened to supplying all our needs? Or granting wisdom, comfort, or money enough to do what He told us to do? read more ...

In the air, pilots survey vast panoramas, confident of encompassing perspective. But they miss the approaching storm, invisible behind the overcast. Mothers, outfoxed by precocious toddlers, believe life consists of jelly-smeared CDs and melted crayons smashed into wads of unmatched socks. They forget the world of humans taller than three feet, who speak in whole sentences. From the valley on the west, the snow-covered volcano Cotopaxi stands almost pastoral. Cultivated fields surround its base and climb its sides. From the high mesa on the east, however, it resembles a Mars probe photo—same mountain, different points of view. read more ...

Sometimes good captures us—the partner mission’s success; a neighbor’s new car and paid-off mortgage; a coworker’s great health, a clean house, and well-behaved kids; a wide-screen, high-definition, surround-sound home theater system. God gives good things, but the fight begins when the cute singer on the worship team expels the song from imagination’s space. Wrestle the thought and smash temptation to the floor. Don’t look there, turn the other way. But the other way is not like the other cheek. The beautiful monster escapes the restraining grasp and dances before our hearts with easy insolence—again and again and again. read more ...

We live within creation’s cage: the double twins of space and time, matter and energy. Their impartial rule treats us all alike. Money, hours, and strength go only until spent. Do the taxes, wash clothes, or hold your honey? Choose one. You can take enough fuel to go the distance, but what cargo stays behind? You can make the extra landing for the patient, but sunset will stop the flight short of the hospital. Limits dog life. Neither desire nor worthy need gains their attention. Their hard places define humanness and teach the brutal lesson quickly: There is not enough to go around. Get yours while you can. read more ...

We know the secret to success: pick up good pieces, assemble correctly, and point in the desired direction. Every action results in something. Choose the right effort; reap a good reward. Archimedes taught us that, given a big enough lever and a place to stand, we could even move the Earth. The proper combination of cause and effect works for everything—Legos®, houses, quilts, money, and life. But secret knowledge addicts us to success. We demand it as our right and then rage at God’s injustice when we fail. We manipulate universal building blocks but forget that batteries do not power creation while God sits back, watching it scoot about heaven’s floor. read more ...