<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Meandering Thoughts]]></title><description><![CDATA[Meandering Thoughts]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:39:56 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Suggested Book List]]></title><description><![CDATA[I thought I would share a few short, simple but intelligent books which have made a significant impact on how I view life, church and God. The list is not exhaustive by any means, but these books have been a resource for reflection over the years. I am sure the list will grow. If lending a book out and not having it returned is a sign of a good book, then several of these books are very good. (I've lost Shattered Dreams  3 x's, the same holds true for A Skeleton in God's Closet ,  which is...]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/gary-s-book-list</link><guid isPermaLink="false">694f290bf34ba20b37f2c758</guid><pubDate>Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:32:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/109702687f5c4c38986333623d19b652.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Merriman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Weight of Saturday - Michelle Merriman]]></title><description><![CDATA[Saturday. It's the day after Good Friday, the day before Easter. To us, it often feels like the day of preparation to get everything done before we celebrate Easter and have all our responsibilities at church, plan the family meal, and Egg Hunts for our kids. It often feels like a “nothing day” as far as the Easter story goes. Nothing was happening. Jesus was dead. He was in the grave. We know the outcome of the story, so we go on with life. As though it was that simple. It was not like that....]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/the-weight-of-saturday-michelle-merriman</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d15f1acc46c6bc6b9fb32e</guid><category><![CDATA[Written by Michelle]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 20:40:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/230f23_397d9ca0e5be494fb43ea492b112aa32~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michelle Merriman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Did God Pour His Wrath Out on Jesus?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Well, it is that time of year again when I find myself cringing as I listen to many sermons on the death of Christ. The blistering wrath of God and fiery damnation, smoldering away as we dangle like a spider precariously perched over the fires of hell. But wait, in comes Jesus, and God the Father turns his bowl of retribution and divine anger over every sin committed in the world, that which he has been storing up, against the innocent lamb of God. This perfect Jesus becomes the “substitute...]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/did-god-poor-his-wrath-out-on-jesus</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d15ec1f7044e6cf7adf3b4</guid><pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 18:58:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/230f23_244b2c8e35ee49ad82114e5adf4f464c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Merriman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Forgiveness #2: Navigating the Road to Reconciliation: Forgiveness as Two-Dimensional]]></title><description><![CDATA[Are you ready to dive in? Trust me, this is a ride! When we find ourselves trapped in a cycle of hurt, we often feel like we are running our own show, attempting to be the judge and executioner for those who have wronged us. To find true freedom, we must adopt a "two-dimensional" understanding of forgiveness that distinguishes between our relationship with God (vertical) and our relationship with others (horizontal). Walking the road to wholeness, forgiveness, and reconciliation involves a...]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/forgiveness-2-navigating-the-road-to-reconciliation-forgiveness-as-two-dimensional</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69af6982053d59350a14ee79</guid><category><![CDATA[Forgiveness]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:38:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/230f23_b45e200278a44a6e917aa22169e2d37a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Merriman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Forgiveness #1: The Soul’s Struggle—Why Forgiveness is Like Eating Squash]]></title><description><![CDATA[I am taking a break from my series of posts on The Mind of Christ  to focus on a related issue that definitely affects our minds—one that I have been working on and continue to work through: Forgiveness . I hope some of my processing and the resources I list at the end will be helpful for others. This first post is just to pique your interest. I pretty much guarantee you that the second post will challenge some common misconceptions. Blessings! “Eat Your Squash” In our fast-paced modern...]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/forgiveness-1-the-soul-s-struggle-why-forgiveness-is-like-eating-squash</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ab5ff4b5dd0587334a44f4</guid><category><![CDATA[Forgiveness]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/230f23_94ea9279947a4467a36a3960fa8c35fa~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Merriman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Want it All!! - By Michelle Merriman]]></title><description><![CDATA[That statement can come across as greedy or money hungry. If we heard a child say, “I want it all,” we would think they were spoiled and needed correction. Under the condition of a threat, it sounds like someone better hand it all over or someone’s life would be on the line. Yet none of those are the ways that I mean it. I want it all! I truly mean that! I want ALL that God has for me. I want ALL that God has for my family. I want ALL that God has for my community. I am not using this term in...]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/i-want-it-all-by-michelle-merriman</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699ba21acfa5020e41bd229c</guid><category><![CDATA[Written by Michelle]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 01:06:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/230f23_3d2b43ce83cd4c60a5648133ef1aed5c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Michelle Merriman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Developing the Mind of Christ (#2)]]></title><description><![CDATA[My brother-in-law texted me the other day and said, “I haven’t seen any meandering thoughts lately.” Truth be told, I have not felt like I have any thoughts worth expressing publicly. Oh, I have had a lot of thoughts, and they have certainly meandered all over the place, but most are not fit for consumption. Then, while I was driving to a job, I had this thought: “Perhaps this is the best time for me to write more on the mind of Christ. Not because I have it all figured out, nor because...]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/developing-the-mind-of-christ-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6987b4a68b33c17297bf3c82</guid><category><![CDATA[Developing the Mind of Christ]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 23:15:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/230f23_b4a75b32018f4abd9563d975f383974a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Merriman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Developing the Mind of Christ (#1)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus   I recently went to breakfast at IHOP to celebrate my father-in-law’s birthday, and I was once again reminded that I am a product of the 80s. All the songs on the speakers were from the 80s and 90s, and, against my will, I habitually found myself singing right along with the songs. Of course, my son thought I was strange and didn't hesitate to let me know it. Coupled with this experience, I was on my phone, and an old...]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/developing-the-mind-of-christ-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69640906f5c800c9665378d7</guid><category><![CDATA[Developing the Mind of Christ]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 11 Jan 2026 21:41:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_555f622d65537669487673~mv2_d_5184_3456_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Merriman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[On Teaching and Learning]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let me say at the outset that this probably won't be one of my most interesting or eloquent blogs, but in this season of my life, these are the thoughts foremost in my mind. I hope, to some degree, that if you read until the end, you will find some encouragement in your role as both a teacher and a learner. I once read a book in college by Bruce Wilkinson called The Seven Laws of the Learner . Wilkinson made the case that teaching isn't just about dispensing content or information, but it is...]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/on-teaching-and-learning</link><guid isPermaLink="false">694eee5ce596739bb33c128a</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2025 20:22:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f11f1d_f2bbdc942acb4fa19a9558035fa85074~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Merriman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Beautiful Feet]]></title><description><![CDATA[Isaiah 52:7 - " How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news  (εὐαγγελιζομένου in the LXX), who publishes peace  (εἰρήνης), who brings good news of happiness  (ἀγαθά), who publishes salvation  (σωτηρίαν), who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns (βασιλεύσει).'” I have been reflecting upon this passage, and it is so marvelous. The feet of the evangelist, the bringer of the good news about God, the victorious King who reigns, working salvation for His people by His power...]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/beautiful-feet</link><guid isPermaLink="false">694ef0947e3f33384f869388</guid><pubDate>Sun, 08 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/01968a39bad84894bcef03390f1c7ae2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Merriman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[On Faith]]></title><description><![CDATA[Faith is one of those tricky subjects for me. When it comes to faith, I often find the focus/object of my attention and affections misguided. I suppose it is no small surprise give that I am inclined toward egocentrism and that such a self-centered focus is consistently reinforced by what is often propped up as modern examples of what it means to be a successful Christian. I am not a very good example to be sure. I do not speak loudly with confident assertions about what God will do. I am...]]></description><link>https://meanderingthoughtsgm.wixsite.com/blog/post/on-faith</link><guid isPermaLink="false">694ef135c3b646e68286ccab</guid><pubDate>Thu, 14 Mar 2019 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/392a2f9dc3f6411dbdb01fcb8dc8a60f.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Gary Merriman</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>