When is the last time you thanked God for His gift of mercy? In my last post, I shared my favorite definitions for God’s mercy and grace in my life… God’s Grace is – God giving me what I don’t deserve.God’s Mercy is – God not giving me what I do deserve. The American Heritage Dictionary…
People who trust and follow Jesus use the word “grace” often. We’re told that “grace” is an essential part of faith but what exactly is grace? The Dictionary defines grace: Miriam Webster Dictionary – “the unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification.” The Oxford Dictionary – “the free and unmerited favour of…
Rev recently shared the following section from the book, Life Support by Robert Whitlow, with me: And the Holy Spirit moved across Alexia Lindale’s heart. It was a divine moment — a delayed response to the faith-filled prayers of an Ohio farm wife who had quietly walked in the upstairs bedroom where her dark-haired granddaughter…
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the way we talk to each other. Maybe it’s because of what I see as I scroll through social media. I’ve received comments like: A belief in god is the antithesis of all that it is to be human. Prefabricated prayers are offensive to God. Religion divides the…
We are connected to more people than at any other time in history and yet, more people say they struggle with feelings of anxiety, stress, loneliness, sadness, and low self-esteem than ever before. So, let me ask… How are you doing in the fight against loneliness? I want you to know today that you are…
It is especially hard to wait for a much-needed prayer to be answered. Yet, God promises to give strength and hope daily even when the wait is long. #Waiting #BibleStudy #Faith #Prayer #Blessings
I used to wake our children up by singing – “Rise and shine and give God the glory! Children of the Lord!” They loved it when they were little . . . not so much when they were teens. This morning I awakened with the words of Isaiah 60:1 running through my mind… Arise, shine,…
On a scale of 1 to 10 – if 1 = perfect peace and 10 = all-consuming anxiety… How are you doing? I want to be around 1 or 2 but if I’m being honest . . . I often run somewhere above 5. We live in a hurry—late for everything, behind on payments, racing…
Everyone loves a compliment or a good pat on the back but what if that compliment is just flattery? Flattery is defined as: Excessive or insincere praise. You know I had to turn to God’s Word to learn what He has to say about it. And I found that Jesus’ half-brother Jude wrote: These people…
If asked, could you define your core values? Okay, maybe we should start by explaining what the phrase”core values” means. Core values are the fundamental beliefs that help people and organizations make decisions and focus on goals. Knowing our core values can help us make choices, manage our time more effectively, and balance our careers,…
Do you know people who have tunnel vision . . . focused on a single objective or point of view? Do you have tunnel vision? I asked myself a few questions lately wondering if I ever refuse to look at the perspective God wants for me because of my stubborn narrow focus. * How often…
What thoughts float through your mind whenever the subject of the Commandments comes up? Are you guilty? Uncomfortable? Disinterested? Proud? Do you believe there are a couple that are antiquated and just don’t apply anymore? Do you ever mentally run through the list and think, “Hmm, I’m doing a pretty good job?” Whatever your reaction…
As my fingers start to move across the keyboard, my eyes fill with tears but there’s a smile on my face. That’s what happens when I think about my mom. It’s been 14 years since I’ve been able to celebrate Mother’s Day with her, and I still miss her like crazy. My mom, like so many, was…
Just the thought of Mother’s Day can produce a whole range of feelings. The emotions of Mother’s Day can be thrilling and heartbreaking! So, maybe like me – you’re already anticipating the annual all-over-the-place highs and lows. I’ve experienced motherhood as a biological mother, an adoptive mother, a foster mother, a mother-in-law, and a substitute…
There’s a Twitter user who seems to take pleasure in challenging followers of Jesus and the Bible. This individual often replies to faith posts with comments like… “Faith is believing something without sufficient evidence. Faith is pretending to know things you don’t know.” Is that right? Is faith belief without evidence? This is how the…
Do you trust easily? For many, it all depends on the extent to which they’ve been disappointed and betrayed in the past. Trust is defined as confident reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, and promise of a person or thing. Trust relies on consistent reliability! Many of you shared Proverbs 3:5–6 as your favorite verses….
Years ago when our son was little, I’d take him to the mall to burn off the fidgets on days he couldn’t run around outside. I can still remember one particular visit like it happened yesterday… We were enjoying our time together when he looked up at me and said, “Wait right here Mommy, I’ll be right back.”…
I’ve been wondering about the difference between faith and faithfulness. Faith is believing in someone or something. Faithfulness is consistently acting on that faith. We can have faith that we have the best job in the world but if we don’t faithfully fulfill the tasks of that job we probably won’t have it very long….
It’s important for us to focus on God’s perfect and unfailing love . . . to remember that He is gracious and merciful watching over His children with care and compassion. David wrote: You, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Psalm…
Do you ever feel like the darkness is winning? Sexuality is confused, misused, and abused. Wars and rumors of wars lead our newscasts unless there’s a more titillating scandal to report. Respect for those in leadership seems to be the exception, not the norm. Addiction has filtered into every segment of society. Babies continue to…
Rev and I are celebrating our 50th Anniversary on Friday, March 11th. I can’t believe it! Time really does fly when you’re having fun! I know I don’t feel old enough to have been married that long. To celebrate, I thought it might be fun to focus on the #50 all week. Today, I’d like…
