You’ve read the self-help books and done everything you can to have the marriage, family, career, and extended relationships that match the perfect life portraits you read about online. My family might tell you that I used to read the Bible like a self-help book. And in some ways, it is, but it is so…
I love this quote about being a true friend… “A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.” ~William Arthur Ward We all need good friends … people who believe in us,…
I woke up this morning with an anxious heart and a long list of calls, emails, and appointments to accomplish. I prayed and asked the Lord to fill me with His peace, but my insides continued to feel like a cage full of mice running to find the exit. I considered Paul’s words… The Lord…
It feels impossible. You don’t know how you’re going to survive, let alone thrive with your broken heart. Who didn’t love you? Your boyfriend? Girlfriend? Parent? Your spouse? Your best friend? Your child? The truth is, life’s relationships are hard, and people can be selfish. Sadly, we can’t make everyone love us. And I’ve come to understand…
Are you patient? What do you do when you need to be patient? How about in traffic? With your kids? When you’re waiting in line or for an appointment? If you’re like me, it depends on the circumstances or your mood. I know if I’m tired or not feeling well, running late, or it’s the fifteenth…
We live together, work together, study together, play together, and worship together. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all get along easily? If people were always pleasant, helpful, and encouraging, appreciative, forgiving, and fun. Sounds like heaven! However, relationships are complicated, and even the people we love the most can drive us crazy at…
Living with the right attitudes is essential for anyone wanting to enjoy a peaceful life. How often do you get to the end of the day, realizing that it would have gone much better if only you or your children, spouse, boss, friend, neighbor, or parent had not been so grumpy, ungrateful, angry, or annoying?…
How would you describe your faith? Would you describe yourself as having really big faith? Recently, I thought about my faith and the content of my prayers. My prayers tend to be short-sighted and focused on my temporary needs. Here are some of Rev’s thoughts… God Wants Us to Have Really Big Faith Our wants…
Are you a heart hoarder? Heart hoarders aren’t focused on faith, hope, and love as they count their blessings. Their hearts are stacked high with things they should have gotten rid of long ago. Things like hurt feelings, failures, frustrations, anxiety, bitterness, impatience, and shame. It’s easy to accumulate clutter that gets in the way…
Have you ever wondered if you’re really living life to the fullest? Rev and I were accused, more than once, of not living life fully. I know you’re dying to know why, aren’t you? Because we were content with what is often considered a very simple life. We were not party-ers. We didn’t have to…
What do you do when you need to pray but you can’t find the words? When your circumstances are so upsetting, and you’re so worried, that, as much as you want to pray … it feels impossible. I remember a time when I was overwhelmed and exhausted, already feeling pushed beyond what I could handle,…
What are you wearing? You know it’s one of the most important things about you. No, I’m not talking about your fashion choices. I’m talking about the attitudes you wear. And I’m pausing to check mine, too. Paul wrote… Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with…
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! No statement in the world holds more truth or importance. You and I deserved punishment. Christ Jesus endured it. The Spirit inspired Paul to write… The wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23a And the Life Application Bible Notes say it like this—”the currency of sin is eternal…
Baskets filled with candy and tiny treasures. Head-to-toe new outfits. And the fragrance of flowers and festive music fills our church sanctuaries. We love to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, but it’s hard to look at all He endured before… He used His servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid…
How would you respond to someone who asked you why you believe the Bible? Years ago, someone asked me on social media… “I’m curious how you discovered God wants us to ask things?” I responded by saying that Jesus invited people to ask questions, a response that sparked a discussion about why I believe the…
Have you ever believed you had all the answers, only to realize you don’t even have all the questions? I think that’s the main thing I’ve learned through my daily Bible Study. I don’t know that I ever believed I had all the answers, but I know that faithfully studying God’s Word has made me…
Toby Mac once said… “I’ll never be a non-stumbler. I’ll be a forgiven stumbler, but never a non-stumbler.” Picture this… You’ve had one of those days when you stumbled so badly that you collapsed into bed, relieved it was over. You want a “do over” because you said things you regret, wasted time you can’t…
What does it mean that you and I have freedom in Christ? What is the connection between Faith and the Fruit of the Spirit? Here’s another one of Rev’s sermon messages, based on a portion of Paul’s letter to the Galatians… So Christ has truly set us free. Galatians 5:1a Rev shared… I could barely…
We want our relationships to be blessed, but too often we wonder… what in the world we could have been thinking. The relationship ended, and we wonder how we could have been so foolish. The signs were there all along. How did we miss them? You and I were created to be close to God and…
Yesterday, Rev and I would have celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary. Over the decades we spent together, we learned that… Having a love story that lasts takes intentional effort; it doesn’t happen by accident. Years ago, I asked him to help me compile a list of things that we believed would bless every marriage, and…
They say if you want to know what people treasure most, look at their calendar and their checkbook or credit card statement. I imagine it’s because we invest most in the things that are most important to us. We spend most of our resources on things we believe necessary to enjoy a life of peace…
