The Blazing Center

Every Which Way But Loose

21 September 2009

315513 CommentsEvery+Which+Way+But+Loose2009-09-21+10%3A00%3A33Mark+Altrogge

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” (IS 41.13) It is the Lord Jesus Christ himself who holds your right hand, if you’re a believer. He tells us three times as if to pound it into [...]

Lift Up Your Eyes

14 September 2009

31122 CommentsLift+Up+Your+Eyes2009-09-14+10%3A00%3A40Mark+Altrogge

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center estimates that there are 10 to the 21st power number of stars in space. That’s a 10 with 21 zeros following it. They can only estimate because the Hubble telescope can’t see all the stars that exist. Depending on who you read, within the part of the universe we can [...]

Overcoming The Paralysis of Indecision

22 July 2009

28218 CommentsOvercoming+The+Paralysis+of+Indecision2009-07-22+10%3A00%3A18Mark+Altrogge

Sometimes discovering God’s will seems like searching for the Holy Grail. We pray. We get counsel. We ponder, draw mind maps, write pros and cons, and are still unsure. Afraid we’ll make a wrong turn, we sit in the car in life’s driveway, paralyzed by indecision. Good thing Proverbs 3:5-6 is taped to the visor: [...]

A Nudge From The Shepherd’s Staff

24 June 2009

26036 CommentsA+Nudge+From+The+Shepherd%27s+Staff2009-06-24+10%3A00%3A48Mark+Altrogge

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me (PS 23.4). In college I watched the movie Wait Until Dark, a spine-tingler about a blind woman terrorized in her home by a murderer. In [...]

In The Nick Of Time

18 May 2009

23885 CommentsIn+The+Nick+Of+Time2009-05-18+10%3A00%3A24Mark+Altrogge

Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for [...]

That Thing You Did

8 April 2009

22072 CommentsThat+Thing+You+Did2009-04-08+11%3A00%3A58Mark+Altrogge

She hung her head in shame as she made her way toward the offering box, hoping no one would notice her. The temple treasury was crowded with richly robed people, and she was embarrassed at her own pitiful rags. The wealthy worshipers were dropping huge offerings in the box, and onlookers jaws were dropping at [...]

Lamest Prayer Ever

4 December 2008

14428 CommentsLamest+Prayer+Ever2008-12-04+10%3A00%3A23Stephen+Altrogge

How would you respond if someone you knew prayed like this: Lord, if you give me that sweet job in marketing, and hook me up with a new car with sweet rims, and let me get married, and let me live a long, prosperous, and mostly happy life, then I’ll follow you. My guess is [...]

The Prayer Of A Pimply-Faced 14 Year Old

15 July 2008

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Sarah would have been 12 years old at the time. We had the privilege of watching her one week a month to help her single mom, Kathie, home school Sarah. Sarah and my daughter Beth had a love/hate relationship, being best friends yet mortal enemies at the same time. While Sarah and Beth quarreled over [...]

That Thing You Did

11 December 2007

2096 CommentsThat+Thing+You+Did2007-12-11+13%3A00%3A00Mark+Altrogge

She hung her head in shame as she made her way toward the offering box, hoping no one would notice her. The temple treasury was crowded with richly robed people, and she was embarrassed at her own pitiful rags. The wealthy worshipers were dropping huge offerings in the box, and onlookers jaws were dropping at [...]

Did God Forget my Mom?

7 December 2007

20626 CommentsDid+God+Forget+my+Mom%3F2007-12-07+13%3A00%3A00Mark+Altrogge

But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark (Genesis 8:1). It had been raining for 150 days and Noah & company were drifting on a featureless sea. For five dreary months they had been cooped up in the ark with no word from God. [...]