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…
Grab your journal and get ready to pray and plan in ways that will help you make tomorrow a great day! 10 Questions that will Make Tomorrow Better 1. What was today’s greatest blessing? Make a list of things for which you’re thankful and praise God! 2. Where did I miss the mark? List the…
I started this post several months ago when I was all fired up about a comment I read on Facebook followed by an article posted on Hello Christian. Respect is taught at home. If your kid is a disrespectful little *#%!, it’s your fault. Not society’s. Not music. Not video games. Yours! (uncredited quote on…
You’re upset. You know you’re right and they’re wrong. The people who make the decisions are taking things in the wrong direction. These people can be the decision makers for the country, at work, at church, in your neighborhood . . . you may even feel this struggle at home. So, what are you supposed to…
Have you ever gotten down on your knees and washed someone’s feet? No, I’m not talking about your three-year-old’s muddy little toes after an afternoon of puddle jumping . . . but the foot washing of all ages and sizes. Years ago, I attended a service with my son and daughter-in-love at the church where…
There are two events that took place early in Holy Week used to justify anger. After all, if Jesus expressed righteous anger, then it’s okay for you and me, too . . . right? The following accounts are found in Mark 11: Jesus Cursed a Fig Tree The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus…
