Why do we change our screen covers? Have you ever thought about that? Whether it be on your phone or your computer desktop, many of us update and replace the images on a regular basis. I’m one of the them. And I’ll be the first to tell you why… I change my screen covers because it evokes an emotion. In ...
Until recently I had never given much thought to the word echo. I knew what it meant –basically an echo is a sound heard again (a repetition if you would) of an original sound. In a large room or a canyon, you can shout and hear the echo of your voice bounce back to you. This was always fun to ...
Who doesn’t like to get gifts? I have occasionally been the person who has had a hard time receiving gifts, but that’s not to say I don’t like getting them. What I mean is, we often feel undeserving. But it’s fun to open presents, no matter who (or what age) we are. And this is what makes Ephesians 4:7-8 so exciting! “But ...
You know the scripture. We all know it… and quote it. “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…” (2 Corinthians 12:9). And I’m grateful for this truth. Especially after a recent eye-opening revelation. I had to make a difficult phone call to step down from volunteering from something in our community. And honestly, I ...
This was a question I received recently. Without knowing anything else, the question alone broke my heart because I was reminded how I once felt when I believed the same thing. I was young in my faith (but old enough to have extreme guilt) when God rescued me from the heavy weight that daily rested upon my heart. I didn’t ...
I was born on February 13, 1969 — so if you do the math, this is the big 5-0, a birthday most would dread. I’ve chosen to embrace it. As a friend of mine said, wisdom and revelation come with age; so, why wouldn’t we be excited to learn more about God and grow closer to Him every year? I ...
I have a good friend who is going through a trial. As she shared some of the detail with me, I asked how she was handling the obvious thoughts of fear. She said, “Well, I’m quoting a lot of scripture.” “That’s good,” I said, “But it won’t run the dog off.” And she looked at me with the same face ...
Probably one of the most difficult instructions in the Bible is “…walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul encouraged the believers with this truth, “It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going” (2 Cor. 5:7, Message). The point is: Every Christian must walk by faith. ...
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 We’ve been addressing the troublesome question: Is God in control of everything? Let’s be clear what we’re talking about… Everything is a BIG word. It describes the total of all things. Yet when we look at our world, and compare what we see with scripture and our understanding of our Good God, ...
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 I asked this question in last week’s post, and came to the conclusion that no, God is not in control of everything that happens. Jesus Himself helps substantiate this in His teachings. For example, let’s look at the Parable of the Wedding: And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables ...
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 You hear this sometimes… when a tragedy has happened, or something is unexplainable: “Well, you know God has a reason… He’s in control of everything that happens…” Is He? If this is true, then why did Jesus tell His disciples how to pray? If God is in control of everything, why do ...
I don’t know what your routine is, but mine looks a little like this: 1. Up early between 5:00 and 6:00 every morning2. Fix a cup of coffee3. Find my glasses (so I can focus)4. Sit in my favorite chair with my Bible and iPad5. Pray6. Read my Bible and/or study book7. Write Simple, huh? That’s what I thought, until ...
Have you ever played a real game of pinball? Not the virtual kind on a computer or xBox, but the stand-up, hold the sides of the table, real pinball? Or maybe stood on the side and watched someone play …? The player starts the game by pulling a lever back that sends a silver ball souring through an obstacle course ...
In 2010, we learned first-hand the importance of knowing and praying God’s Word over your situation. In fact, I believe it’s what saved our son’s life. When he was given a 50/50 chance of survival after receiving 2nd and 3rd degree burns while trapped in an upside-down truck, it was God’s Word that rescued us all. First, His Word was ...
Ok, so I have to confess, I enjoy watching certain competition TV shows (not most, just some). One of my past favorites was DesignStar on HGTV. It was clean television and I was intrigued with how they came up with and implemented their design ideas. But one thing I noticed is that every season had at least one person (if not more) who ...
Have you ever wished you could go back and change something? I’m certain you have. Who hasn’t? Whether small or large, regrets can be discouraging. “If only I could go back and change [such and such], but I can’t…” This is what I recently told the Lord after seeing something more clearly– something I wish I’d handled differently in the ...
How do people live without God? I recently encountered this on two very different levels. My husband and I were asked to minister to a family going through a crisis. When we arrived, it was quickly apparent that most of these were (for a lack of better words) empty. They had no desire for God and therefore the very air ...
I was recently visiting with a respected minister friend of mine and the subject of righteousness came up. He said, “I think Malachi 4:2 is the best righteousness scripture in the whole Bible. You know what it says, right?” Well, at the moment, no. I drew a blank. Then he said, “But to you who fear My name the Sun ...