Like those giant trees, I want to think my faith in Christ is steady and firm.
Then… here comes a storm. Will I be tossed about by the wind?
What about you? How easily could you be uprooted?
Laughter
Sarah laughed but it was laughter of doubt, as if to say… “Ha, that is not happening!”
Has God ever told you something that seemed laughable?
Searching for Joy
Are you searching for joy?
Me too.
Surrendering Now!
In my plans for big events this year, my husband and I wanted a vacation for his 60th birthday.
But God made it clear that His will for my husband was that he was to have surgery to remove cancer from his body on his birthday.
The Rock
It was obvious from far back in line that my five-year-old pig-tailed girl had not had a good day. As I waited for the teacher to put her in my car, I could see that she was deflated, alone and sad. By the time we pulled out of the school parking lot, she was sobbing. “I had to sit on the rock, Mama,” she cried.
What Makes You Feel Special?
As a child, I felt special every time I took a bath at my Granny’s house.
At that time, Granny only had one bathroom. The tub, sink and toilet were probably 30 years old. The water pressure wasn’t that great, but I didn’t care about any of those things.
What Do I See?
As I sat in Sunday School, I heard my husband read this scripture. The words jumped out. I was guilty even as he spoke the words. And I’m one of the teachers.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Three different types of behavior but each stamped with the same label: hypocrite. And hypocrisy, bottom line, is pretending to be something you aren’t.
Pour It Out
Have you ever had one of those friends that you know will always understand? She’s the kind of person who will listen, support and offer the best advice? You know what you share will be kept private, so you don’t have to self-edit as you “vent” to her.
Opportunity
As we drove away, my children went on and on. “Mom, I’ve never seen you so friendly!” While this wasn’t necessarily encouraging, I also wondered what had come over me. For some reason the young woman working the drive-thru looked like she needed encouragement. I asked her a few questions and realized she was new to town. Would she like to attend church with us? The answer was yes!
Take it to Heart
But God is faithful. He promised to send a final prophet to awaken the hearts of His people. According to Constable: “Whether the original Elijah will appear before the day of the LORD, or if an Elijah-like figure, similar to John the Baptist, will appear, remains to be seen.”* We rest assured that God has it under control.
The Sun of Righteousness
For a year and a half my husband and I lived in a remote mining town in northern British Columbia. We loved the changes in the seasons; but when the winter months came to that place, the lack of direct sunlight took us by surprise. The sun never rose above the surrounding mountains. Cabin fever is a well-known syndrome in the far north, high doses of vitamin D the answer.
His Treasured Possession
Then—Malachi’s words cut to the core of those who feared the LORD. Having come to their senses and repented of any personal falling away, they got together to talk it over. The Hebrew suggests this was not just one meeting, but occurred regularly and nurtured their faith. I cannot help but think they spent a lot of time speaking about the goodness of God in their lives—they honored His name!
Who—Me, LORD?
In Malachi’s day reverence for the Lord had hit rock bottom once again. God knew there was only one way to make His message plain and clear. He had to shift the focus of His people off themselves and the world, back on Him.
Out of the Ditch
It seems fear of the Lord has me in its grip for 2024. Let’s spend the week seeing what the book of Malachi has to say about a fearful attitude. How in the world do we live in the fear of the Lord?
The Gift of Memory
The scent of Pine stirred childhood memories of visiting my father’s “office,” a portable building beside the railroad tracks. Mondays through Fridays he loaded freshly cut Pine timber for shipping to a paper mill miles away. The scents and sounds of that busy spot returned as I watched a storm-damaged Pine tree transform into piles of sawdust and debris.
When Plans Change
Conversations with high school classmates, fifty years later, covered the myriad of changes we had each experienced. Laughter at long-ago antics peppered the conversation mixed with the sobering realities of what we had all endured.
Jesus Loves the Little Children
The filing cabinet housed an extensive collection of Bible story pictures for teaching children. My fingers touched then gently, encouraging my childhood memories to slowly resurface. I could almost hear the words of my teachers who held them while telling those amazing stories.
When My Heart Burns
“Mommie, my heart hurts. I think it’s Jesus kicking it because He wants in!” my granddaughter announced on the way to school. Did she feel preschool anxiety or had God created an opportunity for a spiritual conversation?
Hope, a Complex Emotion
It is almost a universal tradition. It seems that we all feel compelled to make a wish before blowing out the candles on our birthday cake. This birthday wishing is a lot like some of my hoping--like hoping for a sunny day for a picnic or a soccer game win for my grandchild