Of all the virtues and lessons we can teach our children as they grow, there is one important parenting tool we have at our disposal. For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.James 2:26 I was in the pew on a recent Sunday morning, following…
We can have our own plans all set and tidy in our minds, but sometimes God has something different–but better. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) I thought it was all settled. Why shouldn’t I? We had made this important decision several years ago. And…
Early in our tenure at a church my husband and I were members of, a woman told me that people didn’t like her after about three to four years. A few years ago, a friend told me they’ve observed that there seems to be a three to four-year church honeymoon period. Many people leave a…
With so much uncertainty and social pressures in today’s world, creating a peaceful haven is a necessity to make a safe space for our children. “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.” (Jeremiah 29:5) My maternal grandmother was the hardest working woman I’ve ever known. Her entire adult life was…
When we go through heartache, we can cling to God and trust that He has us and the entire situation in His hands. “I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Revelation 3:8 ESV Laying in bed, I felt like a failure…
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56:3-4 NIV We were greeted by the cats in the yard as we walked toward her home. Once we pet the kitties we went into the…
“Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of time, because the days are evil.“(Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV) “If you have never missed a plane, you are spending way too much of your life in airports.” That’s my friend Catherine’s counsel and, as someone who knows what it’s like…
Being too close to our own spiritual lives can mean we miss blind spots that need addressing. “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” Psalms 119:18 (KJV) John Newton, the author of the famous hymn Amazing Grace, became the captain of a slave-trade ship a year after his…
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 (ESV) I remember vividly a few years ago when I was introduced to a concept called grounding in a counseling session. I was recalling…
If there was one word to describe our lives today it might be uncertainty. We are uncertain about the potential of full-scale wars, economic upheaval, political divisions, racial unrest, school shootings, protest mobs, immigration crises, and the never-ending possibility of a new virus. Big issues which cause angst. Closer to home we don’t know about…
We can let our expectations get out of hand and become unreasonable in our attitudes. Or, you can bring beauty to your life and home. Being consumed by our expectations can bring unrest and make us unreasonable. But we can set them aside to bring beauty to our lives. Each year our family hosts a…
When you’re faced with unexpected circumstances, how can you respond in a way that is God-honoring and helpful? You know what it’s like. You have this vision of how you believe things will (or should) go. It’s a lovely vision–neat and tidy. But as things begin to unfold, they aren’t what you imagined and it’s…
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.Mark 1:35 What does it really mean to be alone? Getting alone is getting harder and harder in our culture. There is a constant noise that surrounds us and it…
Trusting in God’s character spreads across every aspect of our lives — including how we choose to live. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (ESV) Lately, I’ve been studying…
Sometimes we have seasons when we pull away or aren’t very intentional about drawing close—but we can still find our way back to God. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8 ESV The warm water poured down over my head, as my brain relaxed and soaked in the reset…
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