How blessed are those who show mercy! For they will be shown mercy. ~Matthew 5:7 CEV One of my mom’s favorite expressions of surprise is “Mercy!” Imagine that with a Southern accent. My youngest son, Michael loved to imitate her by repeating it when she visited. My mom always got a kick out of it. Even though my mom is no longer able to drive up to see us–and for now is living in South Texas–Michael will occasionally go around … Continue reading →
Growing up, I loved Easter Sunday. We dressed up in our new dresses, ate candy from our baskets, went to church, and spent the day with family. I grew up hearing the same story every year of Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection. I’m not sure how much it really meant to me until I was out of college. I remember hearing a song called Watch the Lamb by Ray Boltz in the late 1990s. It was an amazing song, which really helped … Continue reading →
After four months of dating, my boyfriend Mike planned a three-day cruise to the Bahamas. There were eight of us, and two rooms (one for the guys and one for the girls). At the end of the evening where we had enjoyed a formal dinner, Mike took me to the top deck overlooking Nassau, the port city of the Bahamas. It was a beautiful star-filled night with the lights of the ship and the city reflecting on the water. As … Continue reading →
And you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. ~Revelation 5:10 ESV Biology was and is my favorite subject. I loved learning about the different plants, animals, cells, and fungi in the world, especially how we as humans fit into it all. This world belongs to our Creator and everything in it He made it with a purpose—except mosquitos….I’m not sure of their purpose other than to feed bats and … Continue reading →
Pentecost or the Feast of Shavuot is celebrated fifty days after Passover and the death of Jesus (Yeshua). In the Christian church, we think of this as the day the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples waiting in the upper room. But the first Pentecost occurred for a different reason. Exodus 19:17-20 tells us the first Pentecost was when God came to Mt. Sinai to meet with the people. God called Moses to the top of the mountain so … Continue reading →
Do you ever find the Bible difficult to understand? The Bible was written over a span of 1500 years by Jewish men who lived in Jewish culture and spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, and sometimes Greek. No wonder we can have trouble. The Bible is filled with Hebrew idioms which are hard for us to understand without their proper context. If I told my Iranian friend, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” she would have no idea what I meant. That’s … Continue reading →
One Sunday, a friend commented that my husband’s coat reminded her of the ’70s. We laughed, agreeing. My husband has taken good care of his coat so it doesn’t look worn at all. Speaking of clothes, when the garments of the priests wore out, the priests tore them and used them for other things because they could throw none of them away. God made these clothes holy. These pieces of cloth were used to wrap around the scrolls of the … Continue reading →
Have you seen the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding? It has been my life. In 1992, I married my Greek husband, Mike (aka Minas). Little did I know what I was getting into. On our wedding day, I had an Egyptian friend bring a pan of his famous baklava to my wedding reception as a gift. Watching all the Greek women surround that pan of baklava, smelling it and holding it to the light as they whispered in Greek, … Continue reading →
The Jewish people were the first evangelists. Just think what would have happened had they not shared the good news of the Messiah. Jesus, named Yeshua in their native Hebrew tongue, may have come first for the Jew, but He came for the entire world. Imagine yourself entering the Temple in biblical times that Jesus [Yeshua] frequented… As you cross the threshold, you come to the square, bronze altar where the priest waits to offer your lamb as a sacrifice. … Continue reading →
