It can be hard to accurately express our feelings in words, especially when we’re struggling. It’s the time of year when we hear the words ‘hope’ and ‘joy’ more often. Although we want to enjoy both, many of us face the holidays thinking about loved ones we miss every day—people who are absent due to…
Does the idea of living with perfect peace consistently feel like it’s just beyond your reach? On our own, it is! But with God’s help, it’s not only possible—it’s promised. Isaiah wrote… You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! Isaiah 26:3 We’re not promised a perfectly…
It’s the perfect time of the year to SEEK the Lord intentionally, to take Jesus’ words to heart and apply them to our lives… Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Matthew 6:33 (CSB) Every faith journey begins with a heart that responds to…
When is the last time you paused to “be still?” The definitions of being “still” are: Based on those definitions, I’m not great! At this time of the year, being “still” can feel impossible. But what if this is the very season when we need it most? God prompted David to write… “Be still, and…
How proficient are you at staying focused and living one day at a time? I have to admit it depends on the day. It’s a goal I’m working towards. Yes, I’ve read Jesus’ words thousands of times… “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”…
Paul made a final appeal to people of faith in Rome. One that we should continue to take to heart and apply to life. He pleaded with them to watch out for people who distort God’s truth & divide us.
How would you like to become fearless? If you’re like me, with all the awful what-if possibilities in the world … living without fear of the future can feel impossible. I often think about the disciples and the times Scripture tells us they struggled with fear. John honestly shared one of those times in the…
Are you someone who believes it’s important to prepare in advance? Are you ready for the days ahead? Are you patting yourself on the back because your organizing skills have enabled you to enjoy a calm and relaxing week? No! Me either. I admit I can get so busy preparing for the physical celebration of Christmas…
Who’s the person with whom you’d most like to spend an afternoon? Are they full of joy? I’m guessing you didn’t choose the grumpiest most miserable person you know. I’m not talking about your grieving friend or the person who’s going through a difficult struggle. I’m thinking about the consistently cranky one. Nope! Most of us want…
Did you know having a positive attitude is essential for you to experience and enjoy peace? Grumpy people who are easily angered rarely have consistent peace. But even when we know it’s important to have a positive attitude, do we know what it takes to experience it? That connection between positivity and peace made me…
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…
When you need strength to act in faith, you need confidence in the One you believe is true and trustworthy. It breaks my heart when I get a comment from someone who tries to convince me that the Bible is fictional and anyone who believes its “fables” is foolish. I typically reply by telling them…
How much is enough? What do you need to be satisfied? Are you satisfied with your relationships? Your finances? Your car? House? Wardrobe? Vacations? Are you satisfied or do you believe the old saying… Enough is always just a little bit more. How many times have you thought… I hate to admit it but I…
Last Friday’s prayer post gave us 5 verses to prayerfully start the day with hope and today we’re focusing on our evening prayers… I’ve learned that as thankful as I am for the blessing of a fresh start each morning and hopeful about the day ahead, I’m well aware at the end of the day…
How much time do you spend remembering? I still remember the Sunday morning Rev began our Bible Class by looking at me and asking… “Do you remember…” Before he had time to finish the question, I quipped, “I don’t know, did I cry?” The group burst into laughter as they knew me well … I’m…
We call it Independence Day … the day we remember that living free in America is a blessing. I’ve shared the story before of my wrong answer to a newscaster who caught me on the street and asked me about the historical reason for celebrating the 4th of July. I completely forgot everything I’d learned…
If feeling out of control and afraid were sports, I’d have Olympic medals. It’s not surprising. Worry is fear’s counterpart and I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t challenged by fear. Have you noticed most things we fear and worry about are initiated by feelings of helplessness? We feel the need…
Last time, we focused on a list of questions to ask weekly, that will help us reach our goals. But it’s been a while since we’ve talked about the blessings of setting life goals. C. S. Lewis wrote… “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Tony Robbins…
Do you have a list of helpful questions you ask yourself as you prepare for the coming week? Do you ever get to the end of the week – knowing you wanted to make changes only to realize you frustratingly repeated several self-sabotaging bad habits? Maybe you want to get a new job, exercise regularly,…
What do you value most? Is there something or someone you believe you can’t live without? Do you struggle with idol worship? There’s a verse in Exodus 20 that tends to be overlooked. Most of us have the 10 Commandments memorized but the most common list omits the second part of the first one. “You…
What does it take for you to live your self-worth? Every advertisement wants us to believe we’re not enough. You and I can’t look at our phones, open our laptops, or walk into any store without being bombarded with ads that tell us we need to purchase their products because without them we’re not ……
