“What next?” I don’t often start my mornings with such questions on my mind. I often am startled awake before dawn and make a beeline for a programmed coffee pot stirring my senses with steaming hot goodness. My day starts with coffee and prayer. I have a typical spot to settle as I seek the…
A dying art, the handwritten letter is slowly but surely being replaced by emails and texts. I confess, I just am as guilty of letting this age-old practice diminish in my own life; and yet, reading Paul’s letter to his young charge Timothy in my Bible, I am inspired to write a few of my…
Sometimes saying “yes” to God is the most difficult step we take in obedience. Other times it comes easily, and our response is followed by a joy-filled freedom to step out in faith. What do we do when saying yes is a struggle? “No, Lord” is not an option–it’s a contradiction; and yet, if we…
“All a man’s ways seem right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the motives.” Proverbs 16:2 We plan. We prepare. We shoot our visionary arrows into the future and pray they land at least somewhere near the intended target. But God. He sees. He knows where we have been and where we are…
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 “…today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. …
More than beautiful presents wrapped in paper and bows, the gift of Christmas begins with a baby in a manger, swaddled in cloth and sleeping in a manger bed. The gift of Christmas came. Heralded by angels, He entered the world He created, in a stall built for animals; all of creation crying, “Hail the…
My father turned 82 today. Two years ago we found out that he was in Stage 4 kidney failure, and he quickly progressed to end-stage, requiring dialysis to survive. While the damage done to his body cannot be reversed, being hooked up to a machine to rid his body of the toxins has prolonged his…
“…it’s the most wonderful time of the year!” In many ways, Christmas in America begins the day after Thanksgiving. We have barely put away the leftover turkey before our thoughts turn to shopping, Christmas trees and party planning. What should be a time of reflection and continued thanksgiving, turns to hurried accomplishments to be checked…
What if I let go? Of my pride. Of my sin. Of my selfishness. “How happy is the one whose transgression is forgiven.” What if I let go? Of fear, of failure, of the future. “You are my hiding place, You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance.”
“Why do bad things happen to good people?” “If God is good, then why is there so much suffering in the world?” Two very important questions that are often asked by those considering Christianity, these are some of life’s hardest questions. Why would I want to tackle them? Because many in our world are asking,…
I love to read. When I open the cover of a new book, I am filled with a sense of awe–like I am setting out on a new adventure. Turning the page of a book is like opening the door to something yet undiscovered. And then life happens. At some point you have stop, put…
When I was young I hated peas. You can ask my Mom and she will tell you that she still remembers me shuffling peas around my plate for what seemed like an hour, trying to make it look like I had actually eaten some of the green balls of goo. While it never bothered me if…
It’s not complicated, really. These three things that seem to have so little in common bring back a flood of memories. Memories can take us back to places we sometimes need to revisit. Maybe it was a time that you learned a lesson the hard way, or maybe it was just an epiphany moment that…
Another blog on prayer, you say? Truth is, it is an area that I continue to grow in. While I crave the written word, and have learned to converse easily with God, there are times when, if I’m honest, I struggle to know what to say. I know that prayer is a responsibility and a…
Yep. I’m a list maker. There’s just something about crossing something off a list that inspires me to do whatever it takes to completely eradicate whatever it is that’s ON that list! It’s kind of a love/hate relationship, isn’t it? 1. We love making a list. 2. We hate that the list is so long. 3. We love…
