It was 1973. Rev was out making calls with an elder of our church as part of his seminary assignments. They were driving between visits when this older friend and mentor turned to my dear man and asked, “Do you tithe?” Now, you have to know our income was very small even for the time….
Do you ever need to stop for a moment and remind yourself — it’s not about me? Yeah, me too! Today was one of those days. I have to admit as I prepared to write this all I could think was, “I got nothin’!” I can’t tell you how many words have been typed and…
Holiday travel has started. Families are climbing into cars and boarding planes to travel across the country to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends. And yes, the cooking has begun too. The turkeys are defrosting in the frig as side-dishes and desserts are being prepared and popped into the freezer. If you’re like me, there…
Do you ever feel like you’re dragging around a weight? That’s how I started this week. My body ached and my thoughts were a swamp of past and present struggles. It was time to go to war! I don’t often pray out loud, but on this day I needed to hear the cries of my…
For many of us in America, Thanksgiving is rich in traditions. We enjoy must-have recipes as we gather for table time that ends way too quickly and maybe it’s all become so familiar that we’re missing out on making our celebrations and meaningful as they might be. What if a few small adjustments in your…
This is awesome! Did you know that being grateful is so good for you … you might want to consider making gratitude a priority purely for selfish reasons! Seriously, it’s that beneficial! 10 Reasons Why Being Grateful is Good for You 1. Being grateful will make you happier. You and I get to choose … thankful…
I can still remember the feeling like it happened yesterday. I desperately needed to pray but the cries of my heart were making it impossible for me to put my needs into words. I called Rev and sobbed, “I need you to come and pray with me.” And my partner in prayer as well as…
As I’ve talked with you and read through your comments the last few weeks one truth continues to stand out… THE BATTLE IS REAL! The enemy is working overtime to discourage and silence God’s children. He’s using taunts like: Your efforts are fruitless. Look how you failed in the past, how can God use you….
As I walked upstairs the other night, Rev was rewatching the Ohio State vs Penn State football game. We’d watched it live but he just couldn’t get enough, saying “I think it’s, even more, fun watching it again.” Now, if you’re a Penn State fan, I want you to know we think your team is…
I wonder if you’re feeling it too. The enemy seems to be working overtime to discourage and disable the work of God’s children. I shared with a small group of friends last week that I was feeling discouraged and sad and I didn’t know why. My life is good but I had the blahs. Now,…
Yes, I’m aging. And although I can try to ignore it much of the time on a day like today when my number goes up another digit – well, it’s hard to let it go. Don’t get me wrong… I’m thankful for every year and continually amazed by all the ways God has blessed me…
It’s been said that friends know the “real” you. They love you in spite of your past and walk with you as you grow into your future. They’re honest with you when you need it and able to sit saying nothing at all when words won’t help. Friends are precious gifts that make life better….
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people were easier? If every parent, child, sibling, spouse, neighbor, and friend could get along blissfully? But we don’t. Relationships are messy! And unfortunately, some end in brokenness. Everyone I know has had at least one relationship end unpleasantly and many that had ended painfully leaving heart scars behind. Because……
I guess that’s why I wanted to write about relationships this year. Relationships are necessary messy blessings. God made us to live connected. God said, “It’s not good for the Man to be alone; I’ll make him a helper, a companion.” Genesis 2:18 (MSG) Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together. Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NCV) And we know it’s true. We…
If you’re like me, you’ve been blessed with some really wonderful friendships. And well, you’ve also experienced some that were far less than wonderful. That’s life, isn’t it? Some friendships start easily and feel like you’ve known each other forever and others require more effort but are oh – so – worth it! And sadly,…
I’m sure you’re like me, in that some days you’re just not sure you’re strong enough to get out of bed and face the day. Maybe it’s physical limitations caused by pain or illness. Maybe it’s emotional. The thought of dealing with a person or problem feels overwhelming and makes you want to pull the…
It’s been a hard week. I’ve been sad. My heart hurts. Memories. What-ifs. What should have been. All thoughts I’ve surrender over and over again but then there are weeks like this one when a date on the calendar makes it harder. So, I’ve done more crying out this week. I’ve pleaded and asked God…
If you didn’t actually speak words telling someone you’re a Christian, would they be able to tell just by watching that you’re a follower of Jesus and being changed by God? I’m not asking if you tell them which church you attend or if you invite them to join you next Sunday, I’m inviting you…
One of my favorite things is giving and receiving encouragement. There is nothing like a good “atta baby” pat on the back. But there’s a fine line between encouragement and flattery, so today I’m challenging myself with the question… Are you a flatterer or a helpful encourager? I started with a web search. Flattery is…
For the last few weeks, I’ve felt the Lord nudging me to write verses and prayers post about anger. I kept trying to push the thought aside. It’s just so much more fun to write about hope and give you a feel-good pep talk. But it seemed each time I prayed about what I should…
Do you ever struggle with thoughts that feel like they’re on the spin cycle of your washing machine? Some negative discouraging and self-defeating sentence that plays again and again? Even though we know how influential our thoughts are over every part of our lives … it’s a challenge to stay focused on true, honorable, right,…
