I tend to think of praise and worship as synonyms … which can too often mean that I hear the sounds of music when I imagine doing either one. But… Praise is simply defined as: an expression of warm approval or admiration. Worship is defined as: the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for…
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. James 1:2 This is how Jesus’ half brother, James, began his letter to Christian Jews who had scattered to other parts of the Mediterranean world because of persecution. Can you imagine? Other translations say… Consider it nothing…
Even if you are not personally suffering at the moment … you can’t turn on the news or scroll through social media without seeing it all around you. So many of us are feeling the heaviness of suffering … either our own or the empathetic burden we carry for one another. But God… Oh, how…
The other night, I realized how badly I need some good news … whisperings of hope. My heart is heavy from all the sadness and the constant drip drip drip of gloom and doom forecasts of the future. Martin Luther wrote.. “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” It’s funny. I…
I have to admit, I’m confused and nothing makes sense! Almost every news report, ad, tweet, and post seems to have an agenda. It’s hard to know what to believe when contradicting points of view all claim to be “fact-based” truth. One thing I know for sure is that nothing feels normal and no one…
15 years ago today, I was curled up at the foot of our bed … I cried until my tears ran dry. I pleaded and prayed … asking God to change hearts and change the situation. I hoped with faith that it would be days, weeks, even months, but not years. I longed for the…
If you feel like something is missing right now, you’re not alone. I think most of us feel like we’re experiencing an unending cycle of missing out. We’re missing… time with loved ones. going to school. going to work and having a steady income. weddings, graduations, birthdays, and group celebrations. coffee and visiting with friends….
Are you satisfied? Especially right now, when we’re not doing so many of the things we’re used to doing. No matter how hard we try … we just can’t seem to find satisfaction. So, I wonder… Are you satisfied? The dictionary defines being satisfied as being content or having peace. Does that help? Are you…
It’s hard to think about the reality of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. I’ll never forget the first time I watched the movie, The Passion of the Christ. I’d read the Bible and knew the account well but it was always easier to imagine the scene through cleaned up artwork and Sunday School…
Anne Graham Lotz wrote… Why did Jesus have to die? If there was any other way to offer us forgiveness of sin, to reconcile us to God, to give us eternal life, and to open Heaven for us when we die, God would have found it. He never would have sent Jesus to die on the…
I sometimes try to picture how it must have looked… The Philistines camped on one side and the Israelites on the other. The enemy army had a giant—Goliath … the Bible describes him like this: He was over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds…
It only took one terrifyingly turbulent flight to convince me that staying on the ground was better than being in the air. So much better that it took years before I was willing to go anywhere that required air travel. But flying was just one of my many fears. As a child, I was afraid of…
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…
How would you define the word “truth?” I always hate when the dictionary defines a word by using a variation of the word. Truth is: the quality or state of being true. that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality. a fact or belief that is accepted as truth. Of course, that…
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…
Recently, someone asked me what my blog is about and after saying, “It’s about living at the intersection of faith and life,” Then I hesitated. I didn’t know what to say next. What is my blog about and why do I write day after day? I decided that’s a question I should be able to…
I’m a good student … someone who has always believed that information helps me achieve my goals and helps my relationships. So, whenever we faced a challenge in our marriage or family, I went searching for information that would “fix” the problem. I’ve read countless self-help books … books on personality types and love languages…
I believe every couple believes their wedding day is just the first day of decades of marital bliss. They’ve found their soulmate … the person who “completes” them and they just know this is the start of their happily ever after. Then the honeymoon ends and reality hits. Paul wrote the following about marriage… Submit…
Is it hard for you to be honest with God? Do you struggle to pour out feelings of impatience or frustration? Are you able to tell Him when you’re losing hope because your problem persists and you wonder if things will ever change even though you’ve prayed and prayed and prayed? I love that God…
If you watch the news … the world is a mess and it’s only getting worse. Maybe you are doing okay personally or maybe you’re not. But even when you and I are fed, housed, and healthy … we always seem to have concerns to lay before the Lord in prayer. Some big, some small,…
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….
