We can never go wrong by showing kindness to others. Doing so will make the world a better place, even when our acts of kindness are not appreciated or reciprocated. And doing so will always please our Heavenly Father…
Continue reading →Paul’s plan to Timothy for the church encourages him in a time when he is facing much suffering. It is inevitable. There is no way to get around it. Those who desire to be a registered, proven member of Christ’s army, will suffer. To endure suffering, it is necessary for us to embrace it. We must go through suffering if we want to experience growth and God’s anointing. We will not see oil until the olive is squeezed and pressed to produce that which is already inside. The Lord uses suffering with a purpose for His glory, but the key is not giving up. To endure is to suffer patiently; to experience without giving in; to undergo a tough situation.
Continue reading →Jenna was left grasping for answers. Could she have done something to keep him? No, his eyes had wandered from the start. She knew this, but she thought she could change him, remake him, capture his gaze….
Continue reading →Jesus wants to come through the door that family uses and fellowship with you . . .
Continue reading →Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. ~1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV Most of us are afraid of something, and often times we don’t want to face our fears. The very issues we fear can immobilize us. Oftentimes, what we are terrified of is not that big of a deal, but in our minds it is. The fear may be insignificant, except … Continue reading →
You came to me in a shoe box from Patti’s barn. You were a feral kitten, afraid of your own shadow, and especially of mine. I held you in my lap as Daddy jerked the stick shift over the rough country roads…
Continue reading →When climbing Mount Everest, there are various “oxygen levels” that we have. We could perish if we do not adapt to this new environment. The higher the elevation, the thinner the air is, which can cause suffocation for the climber without the proper equipment and training. No one can climb the mountain without the appropriate gear. Likewise, we can know God provides help in times of spiritual elevation. …
Continue reading →Children have a front row seat in their family theater. They watch our truth, integrity, and love. Or, they watch our lack of those qualities. They watch as we play out the scenes of our life. They watch our behavior at home, and they watch our behavior in public. Are these two scenes consistent with each other? Do we live a different life away from home? …
Continue reading →Why do we make learning so difficult? Watch, no, observe a child noticing a bug, squatting down, focused, reaching out to touch it. Maybe just with a stick. Maybe prodding it with a finger or a toe. But the child…
Continue reading →In the familiar text of Luke 5, Simon Peter has been fishing all night but he catches nothing. Being a fisherman by trade, every night counts. If he doesn’t catch fish, his livelihood diminishes. I can imagine Simon’s frustration as he sits in his boat, scouring an empty net again, cleaning it of debris, seaweed, and mud, but finding not even a single fish. He must have felt like a failure….
Continue reading →I wouldn’t have noticed, except I saw the blood droplets trailing behind where I had mopped. I’ve conditioned myself to continue mopping regardless of difficulties, so I figured I’d deal with the wound later. I had to empty and fill the bucket with water continuously because the dirt and blood quickly changed the clean water dirty. To my detriment, the wound was worse than I thought. I ended up stopping to clean it and place a band-aid on my finger. Only then could I continue. …
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