The Mediator Today’s scripture selection: Job 9-10 Key verses: Job 9:33 “If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together….” With those words, Job lamented the fact that he felt incapable of fully pleading his case before God. Although he couldn’t help but pour out his questions and his… Continue reading Week 5 Thursday
Author: Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Week 5 Wednesday
Never Alone Today’s scripture selection: Psalms 12-14 Key verses: Psalm 13:5 “Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.” When the Psalmist cried out with these words – it expressed the feeling of abandonment everyone feels now and then. Sometimes I have… Continue reading Week 5 Wednesday
Week 5 Tuesday
Decisions, Decisions Today’s scripture selection: Joshua 21-24 Key verses: Joshua 24:15 I love the internet. I don’t always believe what it has to say – but I love it just the same. I love to “Google” things and see what I can learn. Well here’s a little statistic worth pondering. If it’s true, it really… Continue reading Week 5 Tuesday
Week 5 Monday
Everlasting Is A Long Time Today’s scripture selection: Genesis 16-19 Key verse: Genesis 17:3-7 We live in a throw-away world. We buy a fast-food breakfast and wash it down with coffee from a Styrofoam cup. We get electronic mail and dump most of it into an electronic trash bin. We buy, or perhaps… Continue reading Week 5 Monday
Week 5 Sunday
Planting Seeds Today’s scripture selection: Matthew 11-13 Key verse: Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus came preaching and teaching – and some only complained. He came healing – and some claimed he had his “nerve,” – doing work on the Sabbath. He came warning of impending doom to those who just wouldn’t listen – and they said, “Isn’t… Continue reading Week 5 Sunday
Week 4 Saturday
More Than Words Today’s scripture selection: Romans 7-8 Key verses: Romans 8:26-27 It’s become popular in recent years, among some Christians, to put a favorite Bible reference on their car’s license plate – a sort of “vanity plate for Christ.” I don’t have a problem with that – in fact, I’ve been led on more… Continue reading Week 4 Saturday
Week 4 Friday
Who’s Who Today’s scripture selection: Isaiah 18-22 Key verses: Isaiah 19:11 It’s often said, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” While that may be somewhat true – especially in the worlds of business and politics – an ancient prophet named Isaiah begs to differ. Back in his own day… Continue reading Week 4 Friday
Week 4 Thursday
Letting It All Hang Out Today’s scripture selection: Job 7-8 Key verses: Job 7:11 To say Job was frustrated is the definition of understatement. He was crushed, defeated, angry, hurt, isolated, and just plain exhausted. And his so-called friends, sent to “comfort” him only offered, at best, platitudes – and at worst, condemnation. No… Continue reading Week 4 Thursday
Week 4 Wednesday
Don’t Panic Today’s scripture selection: Psalms 9-11 Key verses: Psalm 11:1 Ever feel like running for the hills? I know I do. But, thanks to God, it doesn’t happen often. In a world that seems to be running at an ever more frantic pace, I am reminded of today’s advice from the Psalms: “In the… Continue reading Week 4 Wednesday
Week 4 Tuesday
Dragging Our Feet Today’s scripture selection: Joshua 16-20 Key verses: Joshua 18:3 When was the last time there was something you knew you should do; perhaps you had a clear sense that God was calling you to do it – but you still weren’t doing it? That can easily happen in our lives.… Continue reading Week 4 Tuesday