The Blazing Center

The Sense Of Direction Of A Headless Chicken

31 August 2010

52636 Comments2010-09-01+02%3A00%3A53Mark+Altrogge

I trust my GPS implicitly, even over my own senses, because I have the sense of direction of a headless chicken. But recently I followed my Garmin’s British accent right into the heart of Washington, D.C. on a Friday at rush hour, rather than taking the bypass around the city, adding 2 hours to my [...]

When You Can Do Nothing Else, Cling

22 August 2010

519812 CommentsWhen+You+Can+Do+Nothing+Else%2C+Cling2010-08-23+01%3A23%3A15Mark+Altrogge

Charis, my granddaughter (almost 3) clung to Stephen, her dad, with all her might. She was terrified of the ocean waves that lapped around my son’s feet. Later in the week she ran, splashed and laughed in those half inch waves. But on that day, the first morning of our vacation at the beach last [...]

Look Past The Surface

25 May 2010

461113 CommentsLook+Past+The+Surface2010-05-25+22%3A00%3A20Mark+Altrogge

If God works all things together for our good, then we must learn to look past the surface to see the hand of God working behind the scenes. It’s called faith. We will either believe our eyes and our own interpretation of events, or we will believe what God’s Word says about what is happening [...]

The Power Of Three

14 April 2010

44014 CommentsThe+Power+Of+Three2010-04-14+10%3A00%3A57Mark+Altrogge

The Urban Dictionary defines the power of three as “The combined powers of three entities, upon such combination not only increase their power by three, but much greater. The Power of Three is symbolized by a ‘triquetra’, a Celtic pattern that shows the center of three connected circles.” Believers rely on the ultimate “Power of [...]

Don’t Let Discouragement Bully You

5 March 2010

419218 CommentsDon%27t+Let+Discouragement+Bully+You2010-03-05+12%3A58%3A45Stephen+Altrogge

Too often we let ourselves get pushed around by discouragement. I’ll never overcome this particular sin. My child will never come to faith in Christ. What if God doesn’t provide for me this time? Is my life going anywhere? Does God really have good plans for me? We let thoughts like these push us around, [...]

Almighty For You

15 February 2010

40484 CommentsAlmighty+For+You2010-02-15+10%3A00%3A49Mark+Altrogge

“It is the saints’ duty, and should be their care, not only to believe that God is Almighty, but also to strongly believe that his almighty power is engaged for our defense and help in all of our straits and temptations.” — William Gurnall Ask any Christian if they believe God is almighty and they [...]

Questions I Don’t Trouble Myself With

8 February 2010

402931 CommentsQuestions+I+Don%27t+Trouble+Myself+With2010-02-08+10%3A00%3A26Mark+Altrogge

DT 29.29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. There are many profound and perplexing mysteries in life, like why could the Steelers win the Super Bowl one year [...]

Faith, Prayer And Pop Tarts

7 December 2009

355921 CommentsFaith%2C+Prayer+And+Pop+Tarts2009-12-07+10%3A00%3A40Mark+Altrogge

I want instant answers to my prayers. Why can’t my prayers be like pop-tarts? Unwrap ‘em, pop ‘em in the toaster, and zingo, answers. I don’t want to have to have patience. In fact, I never pray for patience, because I know that the only way for God to build patience into me is to [...]

Calling All Weaklings

18 November 2009

346214 CommentsCalling+All+Weaklings2009-11-18+10%3A00%3A56Mark+Altrogge

“Whether to [work] or to suffer for our Lord, we must have strength from above, and that strength can come to us only through faith. The remarkable mighty saints of Hebrews 11 accomplished all their feats by a power that was not in them by nature. They were not naturally strong either to do or [...]

Afraid? Dismayed?

21 October 2009

333514 CommentsAfraid%3F++Dismayed%3F2009-10-21+10%3A00%3A24Mark+Altrogge

Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s….Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” (2 CH 20.15, 17) When we face a [...]