God’s Unequaled Compassion
My daughter is grieving over the death of a friend who took her own life. Death is hard, but even more so when despair leads to an end no one expected. My daughter and I talk frequently, and “How are you doing?” is a question I repeatedly ask.
Pagan Land or Not?
Ever felt like you had experienced banishment to a pagan land? I did when we moved to South Texas. Even though our daughter, son-in-law, and grandson lived in Houston, I did not relish moving there. My husband’s new job required the move so I did not really have a choice.
Leaving Room for the Variable
My husband and I help with baptism on Sunday mornings. As the first service finished up, I carefully counted out the towels for the the second service and stacked them up neatly.
Praise the Lord
I love to watch a woman in our neighborhood when she goes for an exercise walk. She does not simply walk. I think I would describe it more as a dance. She does it with great enthusiasm and seemingly little care as to what others observing her might think. Her enjoyment of her activity is quite evident and inspiring.
I’m Allowed
When my youngest grandson does not want to do something I would like for him to do, he responds with: “I’m not allowed to do that!” Quickly, I remind him he IS allowed to obey his grandmother because she loves him and would not ask him to do anything harmful.
I Can Appliqué, or Can I?
When my daughter decided to decorate her new baby’s room in Hyland cows, my sister-in-law sent me a pattern to do an appliqué of one on the sewing machine. She thought using the leftover scraps from the baby quilt I had done made a great idea. She even supplied me with a YouTube video about how to do it.
Listen
My oldest daughter loves her drama class. She enjoys the spotlight, developing her character, and entertaining the audience. One of the most important lessons she has learned in drama class is to pay careful attention to the vision the director is trying to achieve from the cast. If one fails to pay attention then the whole production could go wrong. In essence, many are affected, cues for lines are missed, timing is all wrong and the mood the director is trying to achieve is blurred. Paying attention is critical to the overall success of the play.
Living Water
The story of the Samaritan woman has popped up many times in my life lately. Whether in a sermon, study, or on the radio—The Woman at the Well has continued to knock on the door to my heart.
A Good Example
Amid the feverish unpacking of boxes I heard the chime of the doorbell. When I opened the front door I discovered our teenage neighbor standing there with cookies, flowers, and a card in her hands.
The Toughest Words You Will Ever Love
It is hard to read these words of Jesus without a Halloween-like movie scene coming to mind. And since most of us fret over the occasional splinter, we can’t imagine that submitting to a voluntary amputation as much of a solution to anything.
An Unexpected Adventure
Nestled in the middle of the Psalms are three verses that describe the blessed life of a believer. The psalmist begins by describing a believer’s heart. Blessed are those….who have set their hearts on pilgrimage (Psalm 84:5). In other words, blessed are those who have a longing in their souls and a determination in their minds to journey through life with Jesus.
Wild Alarms
While driving out of my neighborhood recently, a fire truck passed me in emergency mode--sirens and lights pulsing. I quickly realized a three alarm fire was occurring when two more trucks zoomed by me.
Calm My Fear
As I write this devotion, I am praying the words of our scripture fervently. Our family is facing a situation about which I have many questions, but I am trusting God to calm my fears.
When our Hearts Shine
I have a treasure, and so does every other person who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Paul addresses this treasure in 2 Corinthians. He calls it God’s light! He further explains that it’s the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Walk with God
I can do the math! The Bible says that Enoch lived 65 years, then became a father and walked with God 300 years. Altogether Enoch lived 365 years (Genesis 5:21-23). Like Enoch, raising wee ones certainly drove me to my knees and necessitated a daily walk with Him. The Bible has so little to say about Enoch, but we can see from his place in history that he lacked many faith-building benefits that we enjoy.
The Mirror
I awoke from my nap in a panic. I was going to be late to rehearsal. I ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My mascara was smeared, my lipstick was gone, and one earring was apparently left on my pillow. What did I do? I started making these things right! I began a repair project!
God Whispers – An Old Raggedy Ann Doll
I am a very sentimental person. One item that is very dear to me is a Raggedy Ann doll. It was a birthday present from my dad when I turned four. I loved Raggedy Ann as a child. My room even had Raggedy Ann drapes, until I got too cool for the drapes. But not the doll.