Encouragement
How Will They Know?
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV Day breaks, and I roll out of bed. The house is still dark as…
Dead in Christ?
Are you a dead man walking? My girls and I are studying leaves in Botany this week. It’s more fascinating than you’d think! For instance, in the fall, when leaves exchange their bright greens for autumn hues of red, orange, and yellow…those colors are actually the true color those leaves were all along. The chlorophyll…
Unrecognizable
So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” — Ruth 1:19 NIV I love the story that unfolds in the book of Ruth. A love story for the romantic at…
Holding on Loosely
I’m someone who likes to make plans. I like to know when I’m doing something, how long it will take, and what’s coming next. I don’t like surprises. But one thing this bout with cancer has taught me is to hold on to my plans with a loose grip. James 4:13-15 says, Now listen, you…
Open Our Eyes Lord
Recently, my son was hospitalized with subclinical status seizures. He was given medication to stop the seizures and put on a continuous EEG recording. His doctor asked me to press a button each time he appeared to be having a seizure so they could review that particular part of the EEG more closely. For almost an…
Hope
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” What an inspirational verse! And we need it right now. A lot of things are happening in our country that are scary and make us fearful for the…
Gran Torino: A Lesson in Character & Spiritual Arc
I went to see Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino last night and woke up thinking about it this morning. That’s when I know a movie or book has touched me forever, changed me for life. When I can’t stop thinking about the story and I can’t get the characters out of my mind. When I picked…
Why, Lord?
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2 NIV I glide down the highway, the taste of Diet Coke and potato chips lingering. My thoughts are louder than the radio, so I turn the music…
What are you passionate about?
Your husband? Hopefully. Your kids? Yes. God. YES! What about the stuff you do in your daily life? Can you honestly say you’re following your passions? This is a quote from Debbie Macomber’s book Knit Together. If you haven’t read it, you should. I highly recommend it. It’s about Debbie’s journey to becoming a NY…
On Transparency With Self
Okay, so we talked about being honest with God and being honest with others–not easy things to do–but before we can do that we have to be honest with our self–maybe the hardest of all. Why is it so hard to be honest with our self? To see our self as we truly are? Pride.…