Tag: Bible

Iron Men

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

I was good at cross country running when I was young.

In High School, I rode my bike so much that I had a hard time finding pants that fit. Pants that were skinny enough for my waste were too skinny for my thigh muscles.

You know what I liked about those sports?

I could be isolated when I did them.

By nature, I’m an introvert.

I crave alone time.

It’s how I recharge after a day of dealing with people.

Nowadays, I find my alone time in my “cave” (a spare room with no windows in the basement).

The bike tires are flat, so my gut isn’t. Pants that fit my waste have plenty of thigh room now.

So, what’s with the title? Am I writing about superheroes?

Maybe someday.

Proverbs 27 has a verse that says,

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

(ESV)

As much as I love my alone time, I can’t do life alone.

I would flounder, lose my motivation. Life would stink.

Since I was a teenager, I started intentionally reaching beyond myself. I purposely sought to get to know other people.

The friends I’ve made over the years have challenged me in so many ways. They’ve encouraged, challenged and corrected me enough to keep my on the right path for my life.

When I’ve strayed from that path, they’ve guided me back to it.

Hopefully, I’ve guided a few of them in return.

All this comes to mind now as our church is getting ready to kick off small groups for the fall season. I’ll be leading a men’s breakfast every Saturday morning in Brighton, Colorado. We have dozens of others groups in the area. Email me if you want any information about them.

If you aren’t in this area, I strongly recommend getting involved in some sort of small group.

If your church does not have them or you don’t go to church, start one of your own.

People grow better together.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17 NIV).

Let’s get to sharpening.

The View From Here

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

My flight back from North Carolina made a detour. Despite swinging clear down to New Orleans, we still encountered turbulence from the large thunderstorms in our path.

Isn’t that just like life.

I arrived home to a misfiring minivan, a broken toilet, weeds threatening the garden, foot high grass in the backyard (it rained so much there was no time to mow), a leaky basement, a failing shower head, and a wife leaving me (just for the week to help her parents. Calm down.)

We managed to get through the week and got all the repairs taken care of but we are still in an emotional fog as my mother-in-law has taken a turn for the worse. She will likely take possession of her heavenly body this week.

This is the view from the middle of the storm.

Emotional and physical exhaustion threaten to rule.

Other than my daily devotional, I’ve only had one chance to sit down and write. The words wouldn’t come.

Even as the storms rage, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there will be sunlight on the other side.

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”

Psalms 23:4 NLT

My wife and I will rest in God’s strength and guidance as the storm passes.

When we reach the other side, I will update you on my writing journey and the next exciting steps.

Until then, if you are in the middle of life’s storms,

seek the strength and shelter of the one who can calm storms with a word.

When the storm passes, rejoice in the clear new day.

Sample from Walk In The Light

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

Sorry I haven’t posted much lately here. I am crazy busy getting ready for Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference in a couple of weeks.

I have been keeping up with the writing on my other webpage (and Facebook Group). It’s a daily Bible study that takes you through the entire Bible in two years. I post the reading and add a commentary on a verse that stands out to me and encourage discussion, especially on the Facebook Group.

You can find a sample of it below.

It can be found at WITLBible.com and at the Facebook Group Walk In The Light Bible Study Group if you are interested in joining.

As far as my normal blog goes, I have two written that need serious editing. If work lightens up, I will try to get that editing done at lunch times over the next couple of weeks.

After Conference (Memorial Day week), look for my content here to pick up again. Thanks for your patience.

May 8, 2023

Monday – Gospels

Reading – John 20-21

Highlight Verse:

“(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.”

John 20:9-10 NIV

They were taught by Jesus Himself. They lived with Him for three years.

And they still didn’t get it.

Immediately following this scene is where Mary encounters Jesus outside the tomb.

She stuck around.

And she encountered Jesus.

Yes, it’s true that the other disciples encountered Jesus later that day and several more times before He ascended. But they had to endure a longer time of uncertainty because they didn’t wait where Jesus was last seen.

There are times of uncertainty in our lives; times when we have no idea what Jesus would want us to do.

We would do well to stay where Jesus was last seen by us.

That could be in fellowship with people we know have close relationships with God.

It always means seeking Him in the Word.

It never means wandering away from the places where we are likely to encounter Him.

In times of uncertainty, do you tend to wander closer to God or away from God?

Who are the people you know who would lead you closer to God?

Peter’s Perspective

~ Richard Solano ~ 1 Comment

It’s been the worst two days of my life.

Now my eyes peeled open to the third day.

The first rays of light teased at the new day – one I wasn’t sure I could endure.

But I had to get up.

The women who had been cooking for us told us last night that they would be going to the tomb to anoint his body.

I feel guilt even recounting it to you now. I should have helped them. But I was numb. If someone didn’t tell me to do something, I didn’t do anything.

I know…

I was alive. My friends were alive and still here with me in this room in the Holy City.

I should be thankful.

I think we were only together because we had no place else to go.

Our whole world fell apart when they killed Jesus!

A week ago, it was so different. Crowds adored and praised him as he entered the city. They hung on his every word.

It was all good until that last meal. Jesus revealed that Judas would betray him – and that I would deny him.

He was right – on both counts.

Judas led a mob to us Thursday night and they took him away.

Friday morning – I can’t bear the thought – I denied I even knew him. It has been my deep shame since the moment I heard the rooster crow that early morning.

I pulled my stiff body off the cushion that Sunday morning and set about helping with breakfast. The bread was already in the oven, my shame compounded by my late rising.

I was about to ask what I needed to do when the ground shook. We all stopped and looked at each other. It was over quickly and we moved on.

I was tasked with cooking some fish – my specialty. We all worked together to try to have a hearty meal ready by the time the women returned.

They returned sooner than expected with a crazy story.

They said Jesus wasn’t there!

John and I high-tailed it to the tomb. He beat me there but I went right on in. There were the burial clothes, neatly folded. No body.

We went back confused.

Was there reason to hope?

Could he be alive?

I dare not believe it.

That evening, we were all gathered in the upper room. We had locked the doors because there were rumors going around the city that we had taken the body.

I gotta say, I was a little more than scared.

I might have been a little grumpy too. I wasn’t the only one. We were all in a very bad place.

Until we weren’t.

No one saw him come in.

He was just there.

Jesus!

At first we jumped in surprise. There was a scream or two. One of them might have been me.

He spoke peace to us.

Peace came like a wave.

Then, such elation came over us that cannot be described.

Our Messiah lives!

Over the next few weeks, he visited us several times, explaining the good news of his death a resurrection.

He even took the time to meet directly with me to forgive my denial of him.

Eventually, he took us up on a mountain where he – I’m not exaggerating here – flew up to heaven.

It wasn’t like the cross. This time we knew He was alive. We knew he was preparing a place for us in heaven. Until then, we had good news to tell everyone.

It’s the news that Jesus paid the price for all our sin. He sacrificed his life to fulfill the requirements of the Law for all. Then, on the third day, he showed his power over death by rising. Now we have power over death by believing and trusting Him.

I, Peter, saw all this. My eyewitness accounts can be found in the Gospels. I can now be found in heaven, thanks to my Jesus.

Photo credit Pisit Heng via Unsplash

I hope you enjoyed this look into the events of that first Easter. I did embellish the story  so it is fiction based on truth. That truth is the Gospel.

It is my hope that you may read this and find that truth yourself.

Love is…

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

 

Love is patient…

I think of the man walking slowly through the grocery store with his elderly mother helping her get all the things she needs.

 

Love is kind…

I think of the woman who, when she saw a child fall off his bike, immediately stopped to help the crying child get to his mother and first-aid.

 

It does not envy…

I witnessed writers congratulating and hugging their fellow writers as they won awards for which they had competed.

 

It does not boast…

There was that true sportsman who, upon winning the championship simply smiled and pointed to heaven, acknowledging where the talent and drive originated.

 

It is not proud…

The former head of a denomination confessed a slight wrong to his successor and asked forgiveness in a spirit of complete openness, even allowing the story to be told in public.

 

It does not dishonor others…

There was the girl who stood by her friend being accused by their peers.

 

It is not self-seeking…

I’ve seen many parents work multiple jobs so that their children can have food and clothing.

 

It is not easily angered…

I’ve seen police officers, being berated and belittled by an aggressor, calmly question and calm the suspect.

 

It keeps no record of wrongs…

I think of the couple that got back together after his infidelity, when they worked through their problems in counseling.

 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth…

There was the couple who confronted the killer of their son, holding him responsible for his actions while forgiving him and bringing him the truth of the Gospel.

 

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

There was that couple who came alongside me in my trials, living the example of faithful marriage for many years.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

 

There are so many examples of the love chapter being lived out in our lives. I have witnessed either first or second hand all the above examples. I strive to live out these verses myself.

 

Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all were to be living examples of this chapter everyday?

 

Let it start with me and you!

Tomorrow’s Life Journal Entry

~ Richard Solano ~ Leave a comment

I know I haven’t posted much here lately. But I am still writing. Wil Clarey Book 3 is moving along at a slow but steady pace. But there’s another bit of writing that I’ve been consistent with this year.

For the past few years I have been posting a Bible reading schedule each day.

The schedule is not exclusive to me. I use the Life Journal reading plan from You Version. I just post it on Facebook to make it accessible to more people and to provide a forum to comment about the reading.

This year I challenged myself to write a commentary on each day’s reading. I have surprised myself by being consistent with that every day. (1 month so far)

Today’s commentary (actually tomorrow’s since I write them a day in advance) contains a little more passion than most. I decided that, even though I don’t want this blog to become preachy, this would be a good one to share.

Here’s the entry:

Reading for February 3, 2022

Exodus 35-36

Acts 10

“But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.””

Acts of the Apostles 10:15 NLT

I admit, when I first saw this I thought, “See, vegans can’t use the Bible to back up their claims!”

That’s true. But this chapter goes way beyond food. In fact, the vision was intended for Peter to learn not to exclude people.

You might say, “But we don’t exclude people anymore.”

Really?

Okay, most people have suppressed the tendency toward racism, though it does still exist. But what about excluding people we see as failures.

It has gotten so bad that we now have a phrase for it. “Cancel Culture.”

Someone fails morally or ethically and we tend to think of them as no longer belonging to society. We stop buying their products, listening to their music, reading their books. You may even be tempted to think of them as less than human.

Let me declare right now that God loves each human being no matter what they have done. Their deeds may require they reap dire consequences, but God loves the death row inmate just as much as He loves me.

That’s a tough pill to swallow.

Are there people that you have thought of as not deserving God’s love? Do you think God loves each person enough to lay down His life for them? Can you make “cancel culture” a thing of the past?

If you are interested in following these Bible reading posts, search for the group “North Metro Life Journal” on Facebook.