All in Love
The hot pan holders I made serve the purpose of keeping hands from burning when picking up something hot. Ephesians 2:10 tells us God made us for a purpose. Every human being has a God-given purpose. He made us with meaning and a reason to be here.
So, what are we to do with this information?
I have a friend who is gifted with thoughtfulness. Every time I see her, she has a little gift for me.
Have you ever felt unloved?
Genesis 29 unfolds the story of Leah, who was married to a man who loved someone else. God saw Leah in her unloved state and opened her womb. She gave birth to Jacob’s first-born son, Reuben, and declared, “…the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now” (Genesis 29:32).
Siblings… do you have them?
Growing up, there were four of us and everyone was very talkative!
In our younger years, it was chaos… everyone talking at once or arguing!
I loved my siblings, but there were times we were divided.
Sometimes when you first meet someone, you are not sure how this relationship will go.
When I consider my relationship with God, I am shocked by what Scripture reveals about how He first perceived me.
One of my most treasured grandmother memories was when my first grandchild was three years old. I was a substitute teacher for her church missions Kabam class. When I introduced myself to the group as her grandmother, she innocently said, “Tell them how you love me.” She is now is a gifted young musician, writer and scholar. She looks forward to serving orphans and widows on mission trips each summer. Etched in my memory, her innocent statement urges me to tell others about my love story with Christ. The vastness of his individual love is unique for each follower and should be shared. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
A simple truth received is often the “bringer” of God’s miraculous power in the life of anyone!
The depth of the love story in Hosea certainly caught me by surprise when my girlfriends and I studied it in the fall. Prophecy has a way of sneaking up on you like that.
Ah, January—fun fact: “January was named for the Roman god Janus, known as the protector of gates and doorways which symbolize beginnings and endings. Janus is depicted with two faces, one looking into the past, the other with the ability to see into the future” (almanac.com). Time to put on our two faces of Janus this week and dig into the book of Hosea to build some godly wisdom for 2024.
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? To love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37) These kinds of verses haunted me because deep down, I knew my obedience wasn’t fueled by love.
I love to watch the birds as they scurry around the backyard. Some come in flocks, others make their appearance one by one. They seem to have their own personality, and I enjoy watching them interact with each other.
What’s your favorite fragrance? For perfume, mine is an oldie, given as a 16th birthday gift, from a guy I was dating. I still wear Youth Dew even though I’m not quite a “youth” anymore.
I have walked through tough events in recent years. It was a time of loss… the loss of my health, loss of our business, our income, our loss of home and community.
I used to think that God didn’t want me to ask Him to help me with the small things in life because I thought prayer was reserved for only the big things.
My granddaughter introduced me to I Love You to the Moon and Back;* a children’s book so popular that the title has become a common phrase in the American culture!
Rhetoric: “the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech” (online Oxford Languages). Amos is variously praised in the commentaries for his gifted writing. I was intrigued.
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?
Like a cute little fuzzy sheep… I can wander too.
I struggle with distraction… Do you?
There are so many things pulling for my attention.
This is not the first time Jesus filled the nets of the fishermen. On the first occasion Simon Peter was so astounded he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8). It had dawned on him who Jesus really was. Then he, Andrew, James, and John promptly left their nets to fish for men.
“Your mother was my teacher. When I discovered I was pregnant, I transferred to her school. She helped me through a very hard time in my life. It is an honor for me to care for her during this difficult time in hers.”
