Stephen De La Vega

    Christmas may be a little different this year. The Christmas season may always be hard for some of us, but this year that may be true for many more because 2020 was a difficult year, and Christmas may not seem so merry. Can we still “gather around” in joyful celebration, or will peace on earth fall short this year? This will be the first time in about 12 years my family will not enjoy a white Christmas…     Spending Christmastime in the snow, at a place fondly named God’s playground, has become a family tradition with us. Whatever we could do in the snow, we’ve done it over the years. We’ve also spent Christmas Sundays in our home church away from home, and Christmas Eves singing carols by candlelight in another favorite church. We’ve grown used to recalling the Christmas story while overlooking snow-capped trees and snow-covered mountains. This year COVID infections and the lack of available hospital beds forced us to shelter in place. We can’t leave the...

I recently heard about heretical teaching from an evangelical pulpit. The preacher taught that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross. He declared that God took Jesus’ place on the cross at the moment of death. So, God the Son didn’t die. God died instead, for Jesus and God are one in the same. Or so it was preached. My dad listened from the pews in unwelcome surprise. In horror, really, because all hope and life hangs on the fact that God’s Son died on the cross to satisfy the penalty of sin – to satisfy His Father’s righteousness. Jesus asked His Father if there was any other way to pay the penalty of sin, but He submitted to His Father’s plan. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 I was as shocked as my dad as he shared about this errancy. We both listed biblical truths that depend on the fact that Jesus, Himself, was crucified on that fateful cross....

Hi friends. This is not my typical blog post but I want to share it because I’m sure God helped me write it. It’s a short poem. Simple, yet earnest. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Drifting I'd live, I'd laugh, I'd hone my craft And smile in the mirror But life and laughter Fade to after As fantasy turns to clearer Living and fun Are done when done And God longs to be dearer So, thrive with joy Cast off decoy Let God be God and nearer     If you want to know more about God and His desire to be nearer to you, please email me at authordlv@att.net. Read more blog posts here .

  Two arms, two legs, ten fingers, ten toes. Perfect! All is good in the maternity ward. Or so it seemed… When will the crying end? Why do the ‘terrible twos’ last more than a year? Why won’t they listen to me? How did they become friends with ________? Teenagers! Sometimes they grow up, but too many of them just get older. (Sigh) We’re not really cute, little bundles of joy underneath those chubby cheeks. That’s what the Apostle Paul would tell us: As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way o...

This blog post is a little different.  It's unplanned and not my regular, biblically-based writing.  I'm happy to announce I'm a Sunshine Blogger Award  nominee. The Sunshine Blogger Award is a peer recognition for bloggers across all genres who inspire "positivity and joy."  While there is no formal evaluation or vetting process, and no tangible prize, I am truly honored to receive this award because it comes directly from a fellow blogger who also puts pen to a page and appreciates the value of every post and every word.  So, much thanks to you, Tim Kiser of The Profit Dare , for nominating me. This is a good time to send appreciation to everyone in my blogging community.  We have developed a wonderful sense of community and mutual support and I appreciate you all.  There will be times I don't acknowledge a kind favor, but it's not because I don't care.  It's just too easy to miss things that file into my online activ...