It’s a little thing really. Every evening, I set up our coffee maker so its ready to brew our favorite blend the following morning. Today’s filter goes in the trash, the glass carafe’ is filled and poured into the water reservoir, and four tablespoons of coffee beans are ground… And that’s when it happens. From wherever…
Have you taken the Philippians’ Challenge? It began for me like this… You know the feeling. You can’t put your finger on it. In general, things are pretty good. You’re not dealing with a major life crisis, but you feel like you’re a cartoon character who walks around with a personal storm cloud hanging over…
Last week, I told you that I have opinions … lots of them. I’m also a Sanguine talker. Combine those facts you might assume that it’s taken me a long time and more than one bloody tongue to learn that I don’t need to share my views on everything with everyone. And you’d be right! Something…
It’s easy to find marriage advice when you need it. There are countless books, blog posts and articles full of helpful tips to strengthen and improve spousal relationships. The thing is … following helpful tips and suggestions can bless your marriage but the most important thing you can do for your marriage is—PRAY! Why? Because…
Jesus said: “If you love me, obey my commandments.” John 14:15 Maybe, like me, you think … I love Jesus, I want to obey Him. The other day a couple of questions came to mind that I’d never thought about before… What are Jesus’ commandments? Are they different from the original 10 Commandments in the Old…
I’m so glad you’re here for week three of The Countdown to #1 Series. This is post #6 among my most popular posts. You want your children to be confident and successful. You want them to go into the world and fulfill their God-given purpose with passion and enthusiasm. You do all you can to…
Have you read Marva’s post – Why is Friendship Important in a Disconnected World, yet? No! Well, you need to… I absolutely love the way she starts: “Friends. Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em. Is that your view of friendship? Many times we want the benefit of friendships but don’t want the hassle…
I finished reading the Old Testament this week. Each time I work my way through the books of the Law, the historical books, the Psalms, and the prophets … I am overwhelmed with gratitude that the Lord of the universe wants us to know Him. Really KNOW Him! And now, I’m settling in and sitting…
It’s been years, but I can still picture them well. They were members of our small church in St. Louis. For my story today, I’m going to call them members A and B. Member A – A was a slightly built man with a wisp of silver hair. He had a huge smile and a…
And they lived happily ever after. You read the stories as a little girl. The ones that ended with the beautiful wedding and those six words that stuck in our hearts and filled our dreams. Walk down the aisle and your good to go. Right?! Maybe. Maybe not. Marriage is full of blessings but it also…
What do you do on those exhausted days when the last thing you want to do is deal with anyone? Nope, you just can’t people today! Most days are full of people. You have your family, they’re your HAVE TO people. Your coworkers. The people with whom you do ministry and the random people you…
Family! Marriage. Parenting. It seems the closer the relationship the more complicated the living. From the moment we walk down the aisle and say our “I dos” the challenges of balancing expectations and reality put stressors on the love we’ve just declared to our families and friends. That’s why I’m thrilled to share this post…
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:29–31 On…
I thought about sharing all my favorites from the week first but decided I’m too excited … so, I’m just going to spill my exciting news right away! It’s been on my heart the last several months to try to find a way to help bloggers connect and make friends. I hear from so many…
It was 1973. Rev was out making calls with an elder of our church as part of his seminary assignments. They were driving between visits when this older friend and mentor turned to my dear man and asked, “Do you tithe?” Now, you have to know our income was very small even for the time….
For many of us in America, Thanksgiving is rich in traditions. We enjoy must-have recipes as we gather for table time that ends way too quickly and maybe it’s all become so familiar that we’re missing out on making our celebrations and meaningful as they might be. What if a few small adjustments in your…
The alarm rang at 4:30 that Thursday morning although we didn’t need it, neither of us had slept much. We were both trying to be upbeat and hopeful for the other as Rev went through the ritual of washing his upper body with special soaps in preparation. It’s funny. I remember that day and those…
“I tell you, love your enemies.” Seriously! Did Jesus really mean love? An enemy is defined as someone who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another. And Jesus wants us to love them. Really?! He didn’t leave us wondering what He meant by the word “love.” He went…
Worry, anxiety, envy, anger, frustration, discouragement, self-pity, etc. Stinkin’ thinkin’! Negative attitude affecting thoughts that ruin our days and hurt our relationships. But it’s just part of life, isn’t it? Since sin entered the Garden, there have been examples of negativity leading to serious problems. Most of us have seen the quote: “Watch your thoughts,…
As we entered into a time of confession and repentance in our worship service yesterday morning, our pastor encouraged each of us to repent of the sin of silence. He said that too many of us have been silent for too long when it comes to calling out hatred around the world, in our nation,…
Are your children getting nervous about starting the new school year? Classes begin in our area next week. With one grandson starting first grade and the other third, I’ve been thinking back on their parent’s years in school. Add my own as a teacher. Whew! That’s a lot of hours spent in the classroom! Did…
