Tag Archives: VineWords: Devotions and More

Time to Examine and Turn

VineWords Devotions and More

I thought about my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies. ~Psalm 119:59 NKJV Cleaning has always been therapeutic for me. Unfortunately, my kitchen countertops are speckled granite, often concealing the grime that’s in plain sight. Each evening, I adjust the lighting and stoop to see if I missed any crumbs. I usually find some in a corner or in plain sight, visible if I look carefully enough. One morning, as I cleaned and inspected, I realized that I … Continue reading →

Those Daggum Yellow Flies

VineWords Devotions and More

The sky showed pink swooshes peeking over the eastern treetops. Wild birds chattered, and the chickens echoed with crows’ caws. Our two cats met me on the top step, ready for early morning scratches. And Amos, our small dog, raced around the yard trailing scents in every direction. It was a beautiful morning for a walk around the front field. Even though the dewy grass quickly soaked through my shoes, making my socks squish when I stepped, I overlooked the … Continue reading →

Proximity Brings Blessings

VineWords Devotions and More

The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit. ~Jeremiah 17:7-8 CSB I planted a fast-growing, easily tended tree near the edge of my yard, confident it would quickly take root and shoot … Continue reading →

Father’s Voice

VineWords Devotions and More

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ~John 10:27 KJV A little boy moved to a new neighborhood. He looked for friends, found some, and played all day long. As dinner time approached, his father looked for him and called his name. The boy heard his father calling and told his friends he had to go home. His father’s voice was deep and bass, and he could hear him quite easily. The Voice The … Continue reading →

When We Don’t Know What to Do

VineWords Devotions and More

Sometimes I don’t know what to do when I don’t know what to do about a problem or situation. My mind wraps around the problem and looks at it from every angle, trying to wrangle up a solution. But when I try to solve a predicament I’ve become obsessed with, I leave little room for God to work. No resolution comes. When I heard a sermon on this subject recently, I took notes as fast as I could. God has … Continue reading →

Glancing at Others but Gazing at Jesus

VineWords Devotions and More

Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord,  and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this … Continue reading →

Through the Fire

VineWords Devotions and More

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. ~1 … Continue reading →

A New Family

VineWords Devotions and More

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families. ~Psalm 68:5-6 NIV After my horse Frank’s mother died, he was very lonely. He needed a new family. Frank and his mother had spent ten years together and formed their own family unit. Now, she was gone, and he was alone. He moped about for weeks and seemed to lose all interest in life. When let out of the … Continue reading →

Cheer Up the Lonely

VineWords Devotions and More

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. ~James 1:27 NLT Their faces told their stories. Some had adapted well, but loneliness ate at others. Some resided there because family members didn’t want to care for them. Doing so would have inconvenienced their lives. Others had outlived all their family members and had none to care for them. And still … Continue reading →

Rocks in My Pockets

VineWords Devotions and More

Carrying My Children’s Rocks I remember my kids giving me things to hold for them when they were little—among them, rocks. They would find little rocks they thought were special. Whenever I unloaded the rocks in my pockets and the other treasures they’d entrusted to me, I smiled. These provided little glimpses into their hearts, things I got to carry to make their lives more joyful or the journey less of a struggle for them. Handling Responsibilities As they got older, though, … Continue reading →