Everyone has at least one relative who makes holiday gatherings with the family less than Hallmark perfect. Be honest, you had someone come to mind, didn’t you? Families in the U.S. are preparing to gather next week to celebrate and remember the year’s blessings. Most of us will celebrate by eating too much and carrying on…
It’s a little thing really. Every evening, I set up our coffee maker so its ready to brew our favorite blend the following morning. Today’s filter goes in the trash, the glass carafe’ is filled and poured into the water reservoir, and four tablespoons of coffee beans are ground… And that’s when it happens. From wherever…
Meister Eckhardt, a German theologian from the 13th Century once said, “If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” If you’re like me, your thank you prayers are less frequent than your “please fix, heal, help, and provide, etc.” prayers. It’s so easy to set aside all God has done…
Rev recently shared an article from Prevention Magazine with me titled, The Healing Power of Gratitude by Jennifer King Lindley. It begins… “Call it Vitamin G: research shows that being grateful has a deep and lasting impact on your body. Learn how to put it to work for your health. Lindley quotes Dr. David DeSteno:…
On Monday, I invited you to take the Philippians’ Challenge: Take a fast from the news and from your Twitter feed until after the mid-term elections. Grab a journal and make a list of things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable each day. Invite your family to have good news conversations at…
Have you taken the Philippians’ Challenge? It began for me like this… You know the feeling. You can’t put your finger on it. In general, things are pretty good. You’re not dealing with a major life crisis, but you feel like you’re a cartoon character who walks around with a personal storm cloud hanging over…
I’ve had two times in my life when I found myself in situations that appeared hopeless. They were times when God’s “no” to my perceived “need” seemed like more than I could endure. The first time, I whined and stomped my feet like a spoiled child and then I listened to the lies of this…
I was about five years old when my parents convinced me to ride a Ferris Wheel. As the car inched upward … I stopped breathing as the grip of fear overwhelmed me! My dad frantically waved at the ride operator, screaming at him to stop the giant rotating hoop and let us off after only one…
Last week, I told you that I have opinions … lots of them. I’m also a Sanguine talker. Combine those facts you might assume that it’s taken me a long time and more than one bloody tongue to learn that I don’t need to share my views on everything with everyone. And you’d be right! Something…
I don’t know if you ever find yourself in this situation but if you’re a faith writer, like me, I’m guessing you do… Earlier this week, I wrote, You Need to Speak Truth, Life, and Victory, and I was all set to move on with a new post idea today. But the idea I had just…
I’ve been down off the mountain literally and figuratively for a little over a week. Last weekend, I flew to Denver to spend a few days with beautiful blogger friends that I affectionately call, “My People.” They are friends, encouragers, cheerleaders, and prayer warriors. In a short 48 hours, we laughed until our abs hurt, cried big…
I was afraid and I hated it! I knew I had a need to reject fear but felt helpless to change… We went years without traveling far because I was too afraid to get on an airplane. Praise God, I just returned from spending last weekend in Denver with beautiful friends. I failed to set…
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love …” ~Marcus Aurelius I want to LIVE until I die! I want to embrace today with joy and enthusiasm and boldly live it like the gift it is! I think most of us want…
It’s easy to find marriage advice when you need it. There are countless books, blog posts and articles full of helpful tips to strengthen and improve spousal relationships. The thing is … following helpful tips and suggestions can bless your marriage but the most important thing you can do for your marriage is—PRAY! Why? Because…
I want to know the truth. No. Truth is so important to me, it feels more like a need than a want. I have learned however that my need to know the truth can be challenging in a world where truth is commonly believed to be relative. Where what’s true for me isn’t necessarily true…
Absolute truth is defined as … truth that lasts. It was true in the past and it will be true in the future. It is not influenced by the opinions of people or by fluctuating circumstances. It is not invented by culture or religion and it will always BE truth whether people believe it or…
As I worked on Monday’s post, Jesus’ Commandments and Why You Need to Know Them, I can honestly tell you I found myself squirming a little. Let me explain… I think it’s possible when you and I use the original Ten Commandments as our guide for right and wrong, to come to the conclusion that…
Jesus said: “If you love me, obey my commandments.” John 14:15 Maybe, like me, you think … I love Jesus, I want to obey Him. The other day a couple of questions came to mind that I’d never thought about before… What are Jesus’ commandments? Are they different from the original 10 Commandments in the Old…
When I’m in the middle of a crisis and I need God’s strength and peace, it’s easy for me to cry out and ask God to intervene in my chaos and help me through. But I’m learning something important… When I stop at the beginning of a crisis and remember all the ways God has…
I can relive that morning in my head like it happened yesterday… I shuffled out of the bedroom hoping to retrieve a cup of coffee to sip while I got ready for church. As I entered our family room, I found Rev propped up on the couch with ashen skin and blue lips. (I’d only…
Too many lives are destroyed by the overwhelming power of addiction. Too many families crumble because of the pain caused by addiction. Addiction is defined as a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance. Some researchers speak of two types of addictions: substance addictions (for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); and process addictions (for example, gambling, spending, shopping eating, and sexual activity). Diagnosis…
