I’m not a fan of cold weather, but one thing I love about a cold winter night is the stillness and peace. It’s hard to find a moment of either at this time of year. Between shopping, wrapping, cooking, church and school activities, holiday get-togethers, and random unexpected appointments … oh my, stillness and peace…
Everyone has them. These are the hard questions that are difficult to answer. Inquiries that most people answer easily but that you find personally painful. Questions like… The Christmas season is called the most wonderful time of the year, but many find that these inquiring conversation starters are painful reminders of someone or something they lost or long…
How’s your soul? Would you say you have a healthy joy-filled soul? Rev. George Whitefield wrote… “I was delivered from the burden that had so heavily suppressed me. The spirit of mourning was taken from me, and I knew what it was to truly rejoice in God my Savior.” That’s the message of Jesus. The…
Do you ever have trouble expressing your emotions? Is it hard for you to share your feelings when your heart hurts? It can be especially hard to deal with sadness during the holidays. There seems to be the unspoken message that we’re all supposed to be filled with peace, joy, and twinkle lights. But many…
Jesus said… So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him. Matthew 7:11 But what does it mean that God gives good gifts? We know it’s not like making a list of things we want…
Everyone has at least one relative who makes the holidays difficult for everyone else. Jesus told us, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” That includes “love your family.” Sometimes the most difficult people to love are the ones to whom we’re related. Most Americans will gather with their families later today or tomorrow to…
I recently received the following comment on a post about SEEKing God through Bible TRUTH and prayer… “Seeking an imaginary deity is reaching for a state of delusion.” A few months ago, the same individual left this… “Reading what ancient charlatans invented is a waste of time. You will learn nothing.” His attitude is nothing…
I used to read the Bible in bits and pieces. But then, nineteen years ago, I read it from beginning to end and discovered the continuity of God’s love letter to people. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have faith but that’s when I truly began to love God through His Word. Sitting…
Promises are only as good as the integrity of the one who makes them and they only become powerful promises if the recipient confidently trusts that integrity. David wrote… For Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps His promises; He is gracious in all He does. Psalm 145:13 Because of the…
I did a quick internet search for Thanksgiving photos and couldn’t find one that didn’t include a holiday feast or pumpkins, gourds, and colorful falling leaves. How do you traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving at your house? I love traditional Thanksgiving meals as much as the next person. I have a stuffing recipe made with brioche bread,…
I wonder how often we pray powerful words of gratitude around the Thanksgiving table and stop as soon as the family leaves and our overbooked schedules return. Imagine how our lives would change if we made Thanksgiving linger beyond the 4th Thursday in November to every day of the year. Paul wrote… Be thankful in…
Happy World Kindness Day! Did you know if you want to be happy it’s good to be kind? I love watching videos of Random Acts of Kindness. Have you ever noticed they always end with a smile? The participants in the video are smiling and they make us smile too. If we only watch the…
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~William Arthur Ward Did you know that grateful living can make you healthier? I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. Medical professionals have known the connection between our minds and bodies for years. An article from the Mayo…
How much do you worry about the future? Are you able to live without fear? Several years ago, one of the characters on a show I was watching said… “It’s not the unknown I’m afraid of, it’s the known unknown.” That’s true! Isn’t it? We’re not afraid of things we’ve never heard of. We’re frightened of…
I had another post written for today when I realized it’s the morning after the U.S. Presidential election. So, I’m saving that one for another day because the Lord has prompted me to share something else. Many of us voted yesterday and did so with strong feelings about the outcome. With that in mind, assuming…
Election Day is right around the corner. Many have voted already and more will vote on Tuesday. It feels like America’s future and faith are on the ballot because God’s children know that a nation’s future and faith are closely connected. David wrote… Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:12 Why?…
Do you live life to the fullest? Have you ever thought about it? I have. Why, you might ask? Because there were times when Rev and I were thought to have been missing out on full life living. I’ll bet you’d love to know why. We thought it might be because we were content just…
What does it mean that God works all things for good in our lives? Everyone has times when life feels anything but “good.” And yet, this verse gets quoted often as one of God’s promises. How can God be working for good when our circumstances are miserable? Paul wrote… We know that God makes all…
Rev and I were born just four days apart. This week, I will celebrate our birthdays without him for the first time in fifty-five years. Firsts are hard! It’s been eight and a half months and they say the first year is the hardest. I know about the stages of grief. I’ve read books and…
How well do you handle change? Changes come in all shapes and sizes. We grow, learn, mature, relocate, age, win, and lose. Some changes are exciting and others knock us off our feet. But one thing is certain … change is inevitable! When Rev and I were married we moved to St. Louis, an 11-hour…
The Bible tells us that we can find freedom in Jesus but have you ever wondered what that means and how it feels? 1. What does it really mean to have freedom in Jesus? The kind of freedom Jesus gives flows out of God’s love… This is how God loved the world: He gave His…
