Baby steps are so cute!
Little pudgy feet, wobbly, trying to move forward… step by step.
But think about spiritual steps… of the baby… of the mature.
As I think about what mine looks like, what about you?
All in Spiritual Growth
Grow Up
Am I growing?
This is a good question to ask yourself.
Just like a flower growing up tall in the bright sunshine… in Jesus I grow too.
But are you?
Let Your Words Be Few
Once my daughter and a friend of hers got into a little disagreement. As I asked the girls what the problem was, each girl began telling her side of the story . . . simultaneously. When they realized that neither was backing down, each girl spoke louder and louder. My son was standing right beside me, and his observation was, "That's too many words!" I laughed and had to agree.
To Grow or Not to Grow
One of my favorite things to do is watch my two kids compete in the sports they love. Over the years, I have watched MANY seasons of various sports. I very rarely missed a game or meet of any kind. Of course, I’m their biggest fan!
Quiet and Still
I have to admit, I don’t really like a quiet house. If I am alone, I’ll turn on the TV for some background noise. When fixing dinner or cleaning up, I like to watch or listen to something. I immediately sense the urge to turn on a little HGTV, etc. Even in the car, I am listening to something. Not that this is wrong, but I have allowed this to become a habit for me.
Little Miss Worry
When I was a child, there was a “Mr. Men” and “Little Miss” book series written by Roger Hargreaves. The characters in the stories had dominant personality traits that either caused them problems or showed another character how to engage in the positive quality. Everyone learned something through the moral lessons of these stories. I have noticed that they have made a reappearance in the form of memes.
Waiting before God
I am so glad that God did not call me to be an Old Testament prophet. But I am grateful that the Lord gives us glimpses into the vulnerability and human-ness of these great men and women of faith. I’ve recently been intrigued by the prophet Habakkuk. His name means “One who wrestles or embraces”, and we see him wresting with God in the first chapter of the book named after him, asking questions that are familiar to us: “How long, Lord?” and “Why?”.
Sandcastles
When my grandchildren were little, we vacationed one summer at the beach. During that week I rediscovered the simple joy of building sandcastles.
The Transformation
Several years ago my cousin and his wife bought a fifty-year-old ranch style home. In spite of its dated interior, they loved the house and envisioned what it could become.
Stand Firm
Last year was one of the most difficult years of my life while enduring ongoing and worsening health issues surrounding my beloved husband and brother. Several months before the medical journeys began, God led me to a Bible study on spiritual warfare. I tried to wiggle my way out of it, but my Savior knew I was on the threshold of experiencing new types of brokenness and vulnerability—new enemy territory.
The Great Shepherd
Micah carries on the shepherd theme. By implication Israel will no longer be abandoned (5:3). In the meantime, the Good Shepherd not only lay down His life for us, for the sheep (John 10:11). The God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, (wishes to) equip you with everything good for doing his will, and…work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 13:20).
In But Not Of
I have friends who like to scuba dive. They put on their equipment and plunge into a different world under the sea. The sea isn’t an environment suited to man naturally. However, with the right equipment, it is possible to breathe and explore fascinating things God has created. As these friends scuba dive, they are “in” the sea, but they are certainly not “of” the sea.
Not Our Sin, Let God Win
Do you find as women we take on the sins of the world? We tend to play the game of “What Ifs?” What if I had done this differently? What if I had said that correctly? What if I had been a better person, would someone still have rejected or abused me?
The Score at Halftime
Wow! Gideon’s 300 men soundly routed the Midianites. Amazing what God can do with the man He calls in the strength He gives him. To God be the glory! And the enemy stayed far away from the people of God for as long as Gideon lived: During Gideon’s lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years (8:28).
Prized and Dearly Loved
Do you want some encouragement today?
Hang in there… through any testing or temptation happening.
Look at this promise…
A Teachable Spirit
The young man sitting across the table confided, “When I was twenty-five, I thought I knew everything and was bullet proof. Nothing could hurt me, and no one could teach me anything. In the past few years I’ve discovered neither of those was true.”
Joy is Strength
Do you seek joy? I do.
I mean the joy that is blessing and happiness in life.
Then don’t miss this truth…
Look to Jesus
One of my favorite movies is “Wonder” based on the book by R. J. Palacio. The story is about a fifth-grade boy born with extreme facial differences. He is ashamed of his appearance and shunned by peers. He hides his face under an astronaut’s helmet with a tinted shield. Cruelty erupts. Lessons in kindness and healthy ways of relating to diversity emerge throughout the story.
How Well Do You Multitask?
We used to think we could get more done by multitasking, but the latest research shows this to be false. According to numerous studies, multitasking causes more errors than focusing on a single task.
Return to Gilgal
Joshua and the Israelites were marching into the Promised Land and were, therefore, engaged in battle against the Canaanites. Repeatedly, they witnessed God’s power working on their behalf as they defeated their enemies in the south. Their enemies in the north were yet to be defeated. But instead of marching northward, Joshua led the Israelites back to Gilgal.