Effort Today’s Scripture Selection: Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” I’ve always loved these encouraging words spoken by… Continue reading Effort
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
Duty
Duty Today’s Scripture Selection: Acts 23:1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” When you hear the word “duty” – what does it bring to mind? I think of something along the lines of God, country, honor, duty.… Continue reading Duty
Downcast
Downcast Today’s Scripture Selection: Psalm 42:5 “Why are you downcast, O my soul?” I think of myself as a pretty positive person. One child in my congregation, in giving me a wonderful, hand written letter of appreciation for me as his pastor even said so. He said, “He’s always smiles.” I like that. But it’s… Continue reading Downcast
Discipline
Discipline Today’s Scripture Selection: Hebrews 12:11 “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” How disciplined are you? I know there are more than a few times in my life when I wish I had… Continue reading Discipline
Discerning
Discerning Today’s Scripture Selection: Proverbs 14:6 “The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.” Discernment – it’s one the most valuable things we can nurture in order to grow as a person and as a child of God. I believe it is also one of the things that God… Continue reading Discerning
Devotion
Devotion Today’s Scripture Selection: Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” I love it when scripture gets right to the point. Oh, there are many passages that are long and profound and worth savoring bit by bit – like a good meal. But there are other portions that are short and sweet,… Continue reading Devotion
Despair
Despair Today’s Scripture Selection: Second Corinthians 4:7-9 It is one of the selections from scripture which I love most of all: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not… Continue reading Despair
Desire
Desire Today’s Scripture Selection: Isaiah 26:8 “Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” And while we are on the subject of how the scripture often uses words differently than our common culture…let’s talk about this thing called desire. Desire… Continue reading Desire
Delight
Delight Today’s Scripture Selection: Psalm 1:2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” How often do you “delight” in something? So often people think of delighting in things that are, in the grand scheme of things, pretty superficial: They delight in ice cream. … Continue reading Delight
Cry
Cry Today’s Scripture Selection: Psalm 18:6 Who didn’t hear it growing up: “Oh, stop being a crybaby”? I know I did, more than once. But I also learned that sometimes crying is perfectly acceptable. And somewhere along the way, thank God, I learned that crying to God is particularly acceptable. The Psalmist agrees: “In my… Continue reading Cry