“Hold your horses!” Though I did not understand the phrase, I did know Mother intended me to settle-down-and-be-patient. I still struggle with patience, but God does not. It is part of His essence as well as His Son’s and His Holy Spirit’s.
“Who Knows?”
I was 23 when tragedy struck our family. My mom lost a courageous battle with cancer. I found myself despondent and somewhat lost. I learned a valuable life lesson from God’s Word that can be summed up in 2 words: Who Knows?
Don’t Trade in the Moment What You Want Most
Awhile back while watching THE BIBLE miniseries I was shocked and awakened when I realized the impact one person could make in history. Another astounding realization (that I could unfortunately relate to) was how often a person traded in a moment what they really needed the most.
Pay Attention!
Recently on a short drive between adjoining towns in Texas, I became lost. The crazy thing was I had the directions in my hand. How did I get lost with directions in my hand?
Living With What’s Left
From the beginning of time, the enemy of our souls has worked to get our attention on what we don’t have. Take Eve for example…of all the wonderful things available to her in the Garden of Eden, the enemy caused her to focus on the one tree that was not available to her.
God is “able to” but What if He Chooses “not to”…
I watched my mom lose her battle with a wretched disease and yet watched, at the same time, the miracle of life growing inside me.
Level Ground
My daughter and I decided to go on a spontaneous trip to Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg, Texas this summer. Fortunately for us, a cloudy sky led to much cooler temperatures than normal for June.
Help, I Have a Hole in My Heart!
I watched my friend, Virginia, as she greeted friends at Sid’s funeral. He had suffered a stroke and fought a futile battle for life for several months. How difficult it was for a wife to watch as her husband suffered. Now he was gone.
Help, I'm Falling!
“Mrs.___, have you fallen lately?” Young people have yet to encounter that question. My husband and I have. We laugh when we share the experience because as a couple we average about three or four falls a year. We fall off ladders, in flower beds, down stairs, and sometimes for no reason. Welcome to the world of seniors.
Help, I'm a Mess!
“I can’t find anything after I put it away. I know I need to organize, but I just don’t know where to start. I want to invite friends over, but my house is such a mess. I want less clutter, but I just can’t figure out how to get started.” Sound familiar?
Help, I'm Drowning!
“Lucas, get your soccer shoes from the utility room. Katie, the half-time snack is in the refrigerator. Sean, come here so Mom can button your jacket.”
Waves of Joy
I’ve had migraines for as long as I can remember. My mom and I have a running joke that “it’s not really a migraine until your brain’s having a baby!”
The Good Lion
I wonder what it was like to be a recently freed Israelite slave preparing to receive God’s law in the wilderness. Can you picture the scene? Camped at the base of Mount Sinai in the middle of the desert, waiting anxiously to meet your Deliverer?
Fearless Love
When I was growing up, I was haunted by verses like John 14:21: He who has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. What is His command?
Don’t Go In The Gutter!
Suppose I decided to go bowling with a friend who wanted to play the game without the gutter guards. If you knew how bad of a bowler I am, you’d know I’d start sweating! Do you know the first thing that would start going through my mind? “Whatever you do, DON’T go in the gutter!”
Other Holiness
One of my seminary professors once described holiness simply as “other:” meaning that if you took the sum total of all your past experiences and drew a circle around them… Holiness would be in an entirely separate circle.
Waiting
“I love waiting!” said no one, ever. Can you think of a time when you prayed for something that meant a lot to you—I’m talking fervent prayer—and waiting for an answer seemed to drag on? Did you get impatient? Did you lose faith and take matters into your own hands?
Rest
Rest: (v.) to stop using something so that it can be made strong again. 1
When I felt the Lord pressing on me to share on rest, I was initially stumped for words. I prayed, opened my laptop, read Psalm 62, prayed again.
Pumpkin Time
Groggy and moving slowly, I open the back door to let our dogs out. It’s a bright, spring morning—green grass, warm sun accompanied by a light breeze, flowers sprouting (I feel compelled to mention the weeds I’ve looked at every morning this week and failed to pull). This is a favorite time for so many people! Even from Solomon, we hear praise that winter is past (Song of Solomon 2:11).
Expert
Do you consider yourself an expert at something? Perhaps “expert” doesn’t fit well. How about skilled, professional, or you know without a shadow of doubt that you have authority in a particular area? Reflect on the trials you have experienced to become better; concentrate on the amount of time—months, years, decades—it took you to fully grasp and understand.