Luana Ehrlich's Blog, page 12

What You Are NOT

During a recent interview about Titus Ray, the main character in my Christian fiction series, I was asked to describe some of his personality traits. Bydoing so, I came up with some attributes, which point out what Titus is not: He is not an extrovert. He is not a scholar. He is not a family man.

By pinpointing what a person is NOT, a picture emerges about what a person is. The apostle John does this in the Gospel of John. Hesays, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came a...

Tomorrow’s The Day!

Goodbye, 2015. Hello, 2016.

Tomorrow, January 1st, is a day of promise. To many, it holds the enticing thought of a brand new start, a day to wipe the slate clean, to begin anew.

January 1st could rightly be renamed The Day of Hope.

We hope to lose weight, get more sleep, eat healthy. We hope to be more productive, not procrastinate, get organized. We hope to get a better job, earn more money, buy a new house.

But, so much of what we hope for tomorrow will just be wishful thinking.

There’s...

Had Any Surprises Lately?

Christmas is a season of the year when we think about surprises—parents surprising their children, children surprising their parents, friends surprising each other—but God is a God of surprises throughout the year.

God reveals Himself in Scripture as a God who loves surprises. Throughout the Old Testament, God manifestsHimself in surprising ways, He chooses surprising people, He acts in surprising circumstances.

God Manifests Himself in Surprising Ways:

A burning bush A whirlwind A bunch of...

Now It Gets Personal!

There are so many ways to read the Bible. You can read it like great literature, read it for academic purposes, read it to understand a culture, read it to gain a sense of morality, or, of course, read it for a myriad of spiritual reasons—to know GOD, to know His Son, Jesus, to know the working of His Spirit.

I’ve discovered the best way to read the Bible is to make it personal, to view the message of God’s Word as personal,andto understand the words as written for me—personally. How’s that f...

This Shouldn’t Work, But It Does

If you’ve spent any time at all on any of the social media sites, you’ve come across something called “best hacks” or “unbelievable hacks.” These are usually discoveries people have made to make life easier. Whether it’s simply a description or a full-fledged video, each discovery uses a tagline to get your attention. My favorite is “this shouldn’t work, but it does.”

Here’s my own “best hack” for having a meaningful, God-glorifying, devotional moment. And yes, “this shouldn’t work, but it do...

Abounding–It’s Not About Basketball

I’m not a big fan of basketball—nor do I plan to become one. As it stands right now, I’m barely able to keep up with the game of football, which is the one sport I do love. However,I do know the basics of basketball and most of the terms used in the game.

In basketball, to rebound is to gain possession of the ball after it bounces off the backboard or after an unsuccessful shot. The player grabs the ball for himself and either takes a shot or passes it off to another player.

I thought of the...

Some Sorta Funny Stuff

It’s not often I burst out laughing when reading the Bible, but in my daily Bible study the other morning I did.

I was reading through the book of Job, where three of Job’s “friends” hadjustfinished telling him the reason he’d lost his family, his belongings, andhis healthwas because he’d sinned against God. Their speeches had been lofty, couched in flowery, poetic language and, evidently, Job had been patiently listening to them for hours, even though he knew he was innocent of any wrongdoin...

I Don’t Love You

The words, “I don’t love you,” have to be the most hurtful words ever spoken. As human beings, we are born with the desire to be loved. Whether it’s romantic love, family love, brotherly love or even self love, God gave us the desire to be loved and to love God, others, and ourselves.

Lovecomes from God. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.”(1 John 4:7).

Because human love is so flawed by sin, none of us can ever love ourselves or another human being perfectly. In...

Who Has The Most Credibility?

Credibility. Politicians fake it. Pundits announce it. Actors crave it. Businesses sell it. However, when it comes right down to it, no one does credibility like God does credibility.

I was just about to finish up an interview with a book website about my Titus Ray Thriller series, when I was asked, “What are your credentials to write this series?” The question stumped me for a minute. Were they asking about my experience as a writer? Were they questioning my knowledge of the subject? Were t...

You’re Full Of It!

It’s easy to fall into the trap of focusing on our failures or weaknesses, especially when it comes to our relationship with God. If you read the Bible on a regular basis, hear sermons, or sing Christian songs, you’ll constantly be confronted with yourinability to live up to the person God created you to be. We all“fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

While it’s true every individual born since Adam (except for the God-man, Jesus)comes into the world filled to the brim and running ov...