Martin Wiles is a multi-published author, pastor, freelance editor, and English teacher. His most recent book is Don’t Just Live . . . Really Live (Ambassador International). He is the Director of VineWords: Devotions and More, the Managing Editor for Christian Devotions, and the founder of the internationally recognized devotion site, Love Lines from God, www.lovelinesfromgod.com. He is a member of the Christian PEN and has served on faculty for the Asheville Christian Writer’s Conference. He has also been published in numerous other publications. Martin has authored A Whisper in the Wood: Quiet Escapes in a Noisy World (Ambassador International), Grits & Grace & God and Grits, Gumbo, and Going to Church (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas), Morning By Morning, Morning Serenity, and Grace Greater Than Sin (America Star Books), Don’t Just live…Really Live (Ambassador International). He is a contributing author to Penned from the Heart (Son-Rise Publications), and Rise (Chaplain Publishing). He is the co-editor and contributing author to the devotional series Love Knots: Stories of Faith, Family, and Friendships (VineWords Publishing). Martin is a regular contributor to Christian Devotions, PCC Daily Devotions, Theology Mix, Inspire a Fire, VineWords: Devotions and More and is a regular columnist for the Dorchester County Eagle Record, the Orangeburg County Times and Democrat, the Greenwood County Index Journal, and the Kilgore News Herald. He has also been published in Christian Living in the Mature Years, Mature Living, Open Windows, Proclaim, The Secret Place, The Word in Season, Upper Room, Light from the Word, Reach Out Columbia, Mustard Seed Ministries, Journey Christian Newspaper, Common Ground Herald, The Quiet Hour, Power for Living, Halo Magazine, Joyful Living Magazine, Christian Broadcasting Network, Sharing, Today’s Christian Living, These Days, Plum Tree Tavern, Eskimo Pie, The Scarlet Leaf Review, Creation Illustrated, LIVE, Purpose Magazine, Stand Firm, The Banner, Relevant, and Lutheran Digest. Martin is the husband of one, the father of two, and the Pop for six grandboys—soon to be seven. He resides in Greenwood, South Carolina.
Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a leader and go back to Egypt!” ~Numbers 14:4 NLT Making a list and checking it twice—or three or four times—enhances productivity. I’m the king of list-making. I’ve been making lists since I was young and never outgrew the practice. Since I have a good memory, jotting down things is probably unnecessary, but I feel more confident when I do. I jot down what I plan to accomplish weekly on my calendar—of which … Continue reading →
Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. ~Ephesians 4:16 NLT Sixteen was a special number, but not because I had a sweet sixteen party. When I performed the calculation, I had belonged to sixteen churches. Like any other child who doesn’t have a choice about where they attend church, as a preacher’s kid, I didn’t either. And since my dad didn’t stay at any one place long, I had been in five churches by the time I … Continue reading →
These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. ~1 Timothy 4:2 NLT Why I set one, I’m not sure. Hearing the alarm was something I never did. Alarm clocks. I’ve had them all—from wind-up to battery-operated to electric. When I first bought an alarm clock or what kind it was, I don’t remember, but I do recall the wind-up one with two large bells on top. I bought that one because I loved hearing a clock tick, … Continue reading →
Deserting the desert is the easy way out. My greatest lessons came where I didn’t want to dwell. Although I’ve never visited a desert, I’ve seen pictures. A desert is a geographical place that receives less than ten inches of rainfall annually. Sticking closely to the definition, Antarctica is the world’s largest desert, and the second is the Arctic Desert. But we usually associate the desert with heat. According to that definition, the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa would be … Continue reading →
Only two remained. I would soon see God in the seasons. As I sat on my old antique porch glider, I watched as two hummingbirds fought over the lone feeder, hanging just outside my den window. Just a few days before, I had cleaned all my feeders but only put one back in the backyard. And just a few weeks before, a dozen hummingbirds had created a war zone in the back and side yards as they vied for nectar … Continue reading →
A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them. ~Proverbs 15:18 NLT “I’d like to take ya’ll to lunch. Would that be okay?” I had no idea I was about to get a lesson in keeping cool. When the email invitation arrived, I felt excitement creep over me. I enjoyed our In-Service day since I needed time to catch up on grading papers and do a few other writing projects. But since we only had a few parent-teacher conferences scheduled, … Continue reading →
Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins. ~Acts 3:19 NLT As I turned the corner and squinted at the gate numbers, I knew I wasn’t finished lugging luggage. My wife and I and another couple were on our way to Nova Scotia, Canada, for mission work. With an hour layover in Chicago, we imagined we’d have time to catch our breath before our last leg of the flight. The terminal … Continue reading →
I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. ~Romans 12:1 NLT I tried to tell him Jeremiah wasn’t a bullfrog, but he wouldn’t listen. One of Three Dog Night’s more famous songs—that wasn’t supposed to be—was “Joy to the World.” What made it famous was the opening line: “Jeremiah was a bullfrog.” As a child of the … Continue reading →
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. ~Revelation 21:4 NLT We fought to swallow the lumps in our throats and blinked away the tears. Then, we proceeded with saying goodbye. Our daughter had always been my run-away bride. No man had been able to tame her. Some had come close—one even close enough to give her two children—but in the … Continue reading →
I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. ~Philippians 4:11 NKJV Four months and several medications later, my wife finally discovered the art of contentment. A casual walk around a local college’s track with our grandson brought on what she hadn’t been troubled with in quite some time: PVCs (premature ventricular contractions). A visit to the doctor and an EKG revealed numerous PVCs. The doctor issued several options: take medicine, have an ablation, implant a pacemaker, or … Continue reading →
