Almost a month ago, before things got super busy, and before I started memorizing the book of John, I started this post on the encouragement found in 2 Samuel 22:36b The NASB just says, “Your help makes me great,” which is already an inspiring thought! A few other translations say, “You stoop down to make… Read More Gentle Jesus
Lonely crow up in the tree, He’s as high as he can be. He looks around from left to right, And enjoys his view from this great height. One with his branch, he sways to and fro, So very few worries does he know. But suddenly with his watchful eye, Threatening danger he does spy!… Read More Free to Fly
Have you ever had someone in your life who hurt you, wounded you deeply with their words and actions, betrayed you, abused you in some way? You feel you need to stay away from them as much as possible, just to protect yourself from the negative vibes that they dump on you whenever you’re around… Read More How to Pray for those who have hurt you
Have you ever felt like some people are extremely hard to love? I’m guessing most of you can think of at least one person like that (if not, just give it a few years!) Several days ago, I started reading a really good book by Max Lucado called A Love Worth Giving, and already a few… Read More Steps toward Love
The Lamppost and the Sapling – A Lesson in Flexibility The wind is blowing hard today – Oh, oh, how it blows! The lamp post rigid, tall and straight Is strong, and that he knows. But inside he groans constantly; As vibrations disrupt his repose. “Oh, oh, I wish this wind would cease!” He grumbles… Read More The Lamppost and the Sapling
Do you love anyone? I’m guessing your answer is “yes!” But how well do you love them? If we look at God’s love as the perfect example of how we can love well, we see: “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not… Read More Antithesis of Love – 1 Corinthians 13
Do you know how to get gold out of a gold mine? I don’t know all the technological advances of how it is done today, but the short answer is, We dig for it. We go down deep. We take a light and search carefully and diligently, hoping not to… Read More Finding the Gold in Others
Flippantly I skip up to the foot of a cross. I look up; yeah some guy died for me. flippantly I think, that’s nice, yeah he died for my sins; I believe it and I’m glad. Can we just skirt around the subject now? Or maybe we could teleport from this side to the other?… Read More What Kind of Love…?
It was another one of those days… …you know, where you do a bunch of dumb stuff? I mean, tell me; how many times a day is normal to send a text to the wrong person? And when you go to the bank, cash a check, and take the money to a business to pay… Read More Laugh Out Loud! Seriously!
1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Sometimes I’ve wondered what “love covers a multitude of sins” means. I thought of the snow covering all of the brown deadness in the winter, and covering junk piles, and dead branches on the… Read More Love Beautifies
I don’t have it all together. There I said it. My teenage daughter has taken to asking me if I have my keys before she will even close the door of my car, because I have locked the keys in the car more than one or two times. Before we leave to go somewhere she… Read More Having it all together is overrated
I remember when my son was a baby, his favorite toys were those with buttons to push; he would push the button, and the toy would do something or say something. He loved it that he could cause something to happen, something exciting! Now I see a whole culture of children and adults constantly pushing… Read More Push buttons, Power Sources, and Prayer
I remember playing this game when I was a child. Did you ever play it? One person was “it”. She got to give the commands: “Red Light!” And everyone had to stop. “Green Light!” And everyone got to go again. The first person that reached the person who was “it” got to be “it”, and… Read More Red Light! Green Light!
Memories are connected to smells, both the good ones and bad ones. The smell of salt water near the ocean, The smell of a cool breeze after a hot summer day, The smell of an attic or basement, The smell of rain, The smell of pine at Christmas. Or, you open the door and take… Read More Smells Permeate
I remember when I was 13 years old, mowing the grass in the front yard at my parents’ house. I was just becoming very aware of myself, and I hoped that the neighbors across the street noticed what a good girl I was. I also remember as a teenager being in the chapel at camp.… Read More Glory to Whom?
This story took place in March of 1992. After being delayed at the pharmacy and starting off late in the car for my college class, I thought, “I feel stressed out; I need something to laugh about.” I had driven about four blocks when I suddenly discovered that my cola was spilling all over my… Read More Daffodils in trials
“I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1 NASB) Wa-wa-wait a minute! Back up a second! What did that say? Praise. Continually? You mean I can’t yell at my kids when they make me mad? Praise. Continually. You mean I can’t insult that driver that… Read More Praise is beautiful on you
1. In a general sense, there is only one obstacle to having an intimate relationship with God. That one obstacle is sin, which can be any form of disobedience to God. It has plagued the human race since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. But what makes us go there? 2. … Read More Obstacles to having an intimate relationship with God
A few years ago, our women’s Bible study class did a charity yard sale at my house. On Thursday night, one of the ladies and I were making the signs using brand new markers she had bought. Suddenly, one of the markers started leaking! Black ink splattered onto the vinyl tablecloth and the vinyl tile… Read More Broken, Splattered Mess
It has been said that in God’s eyes, the way up is down. In other words, before we can be exalted in God’s kingdom, we must first humble ourselves. When we try to manipulate people and situations to exalt ourselves instead of going about it in God’s way and in God’s timing, it will eventually… Read More On Wasps and Neb’s Advice
