Tag Archives: patience

The Pancakes

VineWords Devotions and More

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ~Ephesians 4:2 NIV My granddaughters love the pancakes I make and request them for breakfast whenever they stay overnight, which is frequently. Since I make the batter from scratch, the girls are always anxious to help by fetching ingredients and stirring the mixture. One day, seven-year-old Ade asked if she could try making the batter. Ade is a bit like a hummingbird: never still and always moving … Continue reading →

Count It All Joy

VineWords Devotions and More

Count it all joy, I said to myself as frustration threatened to overtake me. It was my verse for the day, according to an app on my phone. It had been six weeks since my surgery, and the bandage I removed from the suture site revealed I had not healed yet. There was still a small opening that seeped fluid and blood. I breathed deeply, prayed for total healing, and applied a fresh bandage after cleaning the wound with hydrogen … Continue reading →

Waiting on the Fruit

VineWords Devotions and More

Before kids, my husband and I fancied ourselves fruit tree farmers. The year we moved into the woods, we researched apple trees. We learned that the ones we wanted to grow needed two of the same kind of tree close to each other in order to produce apples. On a small hill in the front yard, we found the perfect place, planted two trees, and tried our best to keep them alive. Funny how the Good Idea Fairy works. All … Continue reading →

Keeping Cool

VineWords Devotions and More

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 →

What to Do in the W.A.I.T.

VineWords Devotions and More

If you’re anything like me, sometimes waiting can be very difficult. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick. “And if I’m honest, even though I know God has a greater plan for our lives and His ways are better than anything we could ever imagine, waiting for the things our hearts longs for can at times make us feel like God has forgotten about us and that our dreams may never happen. Yet in faith—we still must wait…

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The Art of Contentment

VineWords Devotions and More

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 →

Diane Virginia: Disciplined Strength

VineWords Devotions and More

“Patience is disciplined strength.” I heard the Lord speak those words into my spirit after I sent the message. I’d like to say I heard right away, but it was days later when I’d tapped back into my prayer life that I heard God’s correction. Because I had strayed from the confines of the Spirit, I needed to repent…and ask a brother’s forgiveness.

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