I don’t know about you, but this is the time of year when I really need a bit of encouragement. The fun of the holidays is long past, the anticipation of the new year has fallen into a winter routine, the resolutions I believed would be good habits are sporadic at best, and well, it’s…
I used to think that God’s love for me was determined by my behavior. That a better attitude and actions would result in God’s greater love and a better life. Now, while it’s true that living in obedience may prevent some of life’s immediate negative consequences . . . it’s not true that God’s love…
I recently reread Priscilla Shirer’s book – Fervent. This time I added a journal . . . taking notes and writing prayers. I have felt the need to go to battle in my war room more often lately because everywhere I look it seems like the enemy is ramping up his attacks on the people…
Who is the God-Man – Jesus? In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. John 1:1–3 Jesus is the Word made flesh . . . God-Man. 100%…
Have you ever doubted God’s love or His willingness to care for you? Maybe you had a heart’s desire prayer that He didn’t answer as you’d hoped. Maybe one of His followers broke your heart or betrayed you and you blamed God. Maybe life’s circumstances have you in a pit of despair and you feel…
I wonder if it isn’t hard for people to admit their need for a Savior. We are taught from little on to be self-sufficient . . . to find ways to fix what’s wrong and succeed on our own. We are always on the look for ways to supply and satisfy ourselves. How often do…
Do you need hope? It can be hard to feel hopeful when we’re exhausted from carrying life’s burdens. Then we look around and the world is overwhelmed by problems and confusion. I don’t know about you, but I have times when it’s hard for me to look past my momentary feelings and view the future…
Jesus is the greatest gift God has ever given to His creation. Through Jesus the lost are found, the broken are made whole, and the bound are set free. He is able to transform lives, heal broken hearts, and give people a purpose full of hope and promise. The Scripture from Genesis through Revelation gives…
Not long ago as I was scrolling through Pinterest notifications, I noticed a comment critical of the 35,000 Christian sects and denominations. I don’t know if the commenter had the facts right or not but I do know there are plenty of things about which self-proclaimed Christians disagree. You and I can see evidence of…
How is it possible for a group of people to attend the very same event or hear the very same message and share completely different accounts of what they saw or heard? How can something be the truth one day but the exact opposite be cited as truth the next? I have absolutely no patience…
You’ve probably seen the quote before. “Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” ~Ian MacLaren Everyone carries the burden of emotional baggage. Baggage that can so easily turn into fear, anxiety, frustration, anger, or overwhelming sadness. Everyone gets out of bed each morning with a need for enough strength and courage to…
It seems that so many of the people I talk with lately are overwhelmed with feelings of frustration and discouragement. They feel like they’ve been praying for months or longer and their waiting never seems to end. And that’s just addressing the current year’s problems. Many of us have things we’ve prayed about for years…
What do you think of when you hear the words “praise and worship”? Is it something you do on the weekend or the music you sing along to at home or in the car. What if it’s more basic than that? What if praise is simply the expression of worship and worship is… Well, let’s…
Too many lives are being destroyed by the overwhelming power of addiction. Too many families are suffering because of the pain caused by addiction. Addiction is defined as a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance. Researchers speak of two different types of addictions: substance addictions (for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); process addictions (for example, gambling, spending, shopping eating, and…
It seems like everywhere I look, friends and family . . . even complete strangers are overwhelmed by grief. Covid and chaos have caused us to lose loved ones, jobs, and financial security. Isolation and emotional stress has broken relationships, worsened depression, and increased substance abuse. The list of reasons people are grieving is growing…
I want to stop and celebrate the blessing of friends today. Not our list of Facebook friends with whom we share the edited versions of our stories but the close group of people who know our real stories … those stories we keep hidden away from most of the world. I want to celebrate the…
Terrorism, politics, illness, heartbreak, loss, and pandemics… Sometimes this broken world feels like it’s too much … too painful. Too hard. Then I stop and remember Solomon’s words: History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Ecclesiastes 1:9 Nothing’s new. It’s all happened before. No, I’m…
What do you do when life is uncertain and you are struggling with feelings of vulnerability? It’s interesting to be living at a time of collective uncertainty. But the truth is … everyone experiences that vulnerable feeling from time to time. I can’t tell you how often I’ve thought about the words spoken by the…
It’s hard, isn’t it? Delving into the unknown. Waiting and wondering. At the moment, it’s hitting us all. People all over the world are watching and listening … uncertain about what the future will bring. It’s really no different than usual. It’s just that this time we have a common subject. But every day, all…
Our grandson loves math. I get it! I love math, too. We were talking about his love for math the other night and he told me it’s his favorite because it is logical and consistent. Then he said, “Words are harder … with language you have to figure out things like there, their, and they’re….
Do you remember being a child and longing for the freedom you believed you’d finally have once you became an adult? Then you grew up and discovered that you enjoyed way more freedom as a child than you have now. There are more demands on your time, more expectations, more work … more everything. Freedom…
