choices Archives - VineWords Devotions and More

When Life Gets Too Convenient

The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!” ~Proverbs 26:13 NLT I remember when I first encountered 7-Elevens and how they changed my gas-station world. Prior to their appearance, my young world in the Deep South was filled with gas stations, not convenience stores. In fact, I had no idea what a convenience store was. Gas stations existed for refueling, having the oil checked, having the windshield cleaned, having the … Continue reading →

Shape Sorter

Frowning and biting his lip, my two-year-old grandson shoved the round block into the triangle shape on the lid of the shape sorter bucket. He shoved, twisted, banged, and whined. But nothing would make the round block go through the triangle-shaped opening. Knowing the block was supposed to go into the bucket, he finally took the lid off and threw the block inside. He looked at me and grinned. Watching my grandson try to fill the hole in the bucket … Continue reading →

How to Be Satisfied

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. ~Ephesians 4:16 NLT One chose to stay on the farm; the other chose city life. One was satisfied; the other, well… Learning how to be satisfied isn’t the easiest thing in the world. When my mom was a junior in high school, she chose to … Continue reading →

Clean Up Hurts

Create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ~Psalm 51:10 CSB Clean up hurts sometimes. One weekend, as we entered the sixth year of building our home, I removed nails from tongue-and-groove boards we had salvaged from an old church. After the nails were gone, I began the cleanup by running the boards through the planer. Thick layers of varnish and fifty-year-old paint peeled off, revealing the beautiful pine underneath. As I stuck the last … Continue reading →

An Unobstructed View

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. ~‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬ I once visited a friend’s house. I stood beside them in their backyard on their luxurious patio, which had an unobstructed view of an incredible state park. From where we stood, we had a feast for the eyes, overlooking a huge valley with its … Continue reading →

The Coffee Police

Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. ~Luke 24:31 NLT Sometimes, we try to communicate something to a child, a student, or even an adult, and we get a blank look. The expression that asks, “What language are you speaking?” Others don’t always understand God’s truths the moment we speak them. The coffee police taught me that. I was once a public school teacher. During third-period study hall, I brewed coffee in my back room to enjoy while … Continue reading →

Wash Day

She hath washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. ~Luke 7:44b KJV It was “Wash Day,” and Elise got right to work separating the laundry into piles. Wash Day Elsie loaded the washer and reached for the cleaning agents. She meticulously measured bleach, detergent, and fabric softener and poured each into its respective receptacles. She hit the start button and turned away. Glancing at the remaining piles, she realized the white … Continue reading →

Surprise

When our cats were spayed, the vet told us to let them sleep inside one night before allowing them to return outside. We prepped the laundry room, as we did when they were young kittens, and closed them up for the night. Little did I know a surprise was coming. Fast forward. Two in the morning. My belly wasn’t feeling the greatest, so I got up to sit in the bedroom recliner. After being awake a little while, I heard … Continue reading →

How Did You Get in Here?

We left for school as we do every other day. The boys turned off the lights in each room, and I locked the doors. I drove them to school and went about my day. After school pick-up at the end of the day, we checked the mail and drove the bumpy dirt road to our house. I unlocked the back door, and we all toted our handful of items into the living room. There was movement in the recliner. We … Continue reading →

The Desire

My seven dogs love to be wherever I am. If I let them, they would go everywhere with me in my car. They are forever watching to see what we are doing next or what I may want of them. Or, they are simply content to do nothing if that’s my agenda. Dogs just love being close to their master; that’s their main desire. My two cats, however, only show up when they feel like it or want something. The … Continue reading →

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