Jewel’s pace quickened as their excitement could be seen from miles away. Her parents guided her into the house and up to her room. In the corner they had placed a beautiful wooden mirror, The Mirror of Authority. The gift was beautiful with its carved edges and clear, clean glass; but as she stepped in front of the mirror she was confused. What were these lines on her new mirror? Why had her parents drawn them?
Read MoreTough times can be many different things: health issues, money problems, relationship problems, and marital problems. All of these problems can leave us overwhelmed! What do we do when we have one of these problems? Do we try and solve them ourselves? Usually if we do, we only make them worse. We need to go to the best problem solver we have, our Lord Jesus!
Read MoreOne of my favorite possessions is my little peach tree in my back yard. Some of you, who know me, are nodding your heads up and down and smiling, as you have an extensive collection of pictures that I have sent you of my tree as it has grown over the years. Proud mammas always share pictures of their babies! My oldest son took special interest in my little tree. He helped me pick out the best spot to plant it, helped me dig the hole, and dutifully read the instructions tag about how to care for the tree. He even volunteered to water it every day for me.
Read MoreI remember my brother having a toy snake...you know the rubber ones that little boys like to use to scare people. Well, my younger brother had one, and I was terrified of it. I don't recall that he had it long, but I do recall that particular day, he had it out. I was petrified. I remember being uncontrollable, and standing in a corner in the living room, screaming at the top of my lungs because he had touched me with it. My mother tried to get me to calm down, and explained there was nothing of which to be afraid. I wouldn't listen, or stop screaming! I would not be consoled.
Read MoreGuess what happened all week? Tons of flies rested on our screen door just waiting for it to open and shut. Unless we made an exit at lightning speed, the flies just zoomed in. One evening at bedtime, an incredible number of buzzing, black flies had accumulated inside the RV! They were on the ceiling, the furniture, and everywhere! I was not going to sleep with them inside, so we got out the vacuum cleaner! Using the hose, we turned the situation into a game and began counting. We sucked up almost 100 flies!!!
Read MoreI am speaking of that “secret place” in our heart that we don’t even want to go to. In the song ‘The Secret Place’ we sing about that place we don’t want anyone to know about. We forget God knows us even better than we know ourselves.
Read MoreActively seek God by praying together and for each other daily. Dedicate a specific time to pray together, away from the kids and the distractions of daily living.
Read MoreTreat her like you would treat any other church members. Don't lay expectations on her to lead a group or be super involved in certain areas that you may think is "typical". Please do NOT compare her to your previous Pastor's Wife. She, just like YOU, is a work in progress. She, just like you, is uniquely created by God to serve in ways she has been gifted, and according to her season of life. Give her space to figure this out. Once she figures it out, and she will, cheer her on like crazy, and encourage her, like you would want to be encouraged! Absolutely no extra pressure.
Read MoreDoes your garden need some weeding? We have this promise in I John 1:9, “But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Through the power of our Comforter, the Holy Spirit, we can have the victory that God wants us to have. And then we will honor our Saviour with fruit that reflects His character!
Read More“In circumstances as dark as these... It becomes us as men and Christians to reflect that while every prudent measure should be taken to wart off impending judgements.”
Read MoreI began to realize that in life it can become easy to turn on “cruise control” and go through life doing our routines without thought of purpose. Dishes need washed, papers stack up, laundry piles need sorted, groceries need bought, family needs cared for, Sunday School lessons need studied, etc…
Read MoreWe give and take when it is convenient for us as well as beneficial. We forget about expecting nothing in return. We forget about simply doing. Giving and receiving must be for me and only me.
Read MoreWomen in the Bible can offer us deep meaning and teach us! These women can teach us so much about-facing brokenness and hopelessness with courage even TODAY! They probably do not show up in VBS songs, or many Sunday School lessons. These women even today can teach us to live courageously, through difficult or even dangerous situations!
Read MorePatience…. My least favorite word of all time. So many “well meaning” people have tried to be an “encouragement” to me over the years by saying things like, “God will bring you just the right man, you just have to be patient” or “God will show you what He wants for your future, you just have to be patient”.
Read MoreIn the hustle and bustle of life today, it's easy to get caught up in whirlwinds of tasks and responsibilities that constantly demand attention. We find ourselves running from one thing to another, sometimes barely taking a moment to transition properly. However, amidst the chaos and busyness that can easily overtake our lives, there is a timeless truth that our Lord Jesus shared with us, speaking directly from His loving heart: "Come apart and rest a little while."
Read MoreThere was an old saying about trusting all one’s goods to one ship. It was replaced with the phrase “Don't put all your eggs in one basket,” which is a proverb or idiom first recorded in 1710, that means you should not risk everything or depend entirely on a single thing or course of action. It advises against investing all your resources, time, or efforts in a single venture, as it leaves you vulnerable to failure or loss. If you gather all your eggs in a single basket, there is a potential danger of dropping the basket and losing everything you have worked diligently to obtain. In contrast, the proverb advises considering different options and distributing your eggs across multiple baskets, so you don’t find yourself in a desperate situation if one of your endeavors fails.
Read MoreWebster’s dictionary defines special as the following:
special
1: distinguished by some unusual quality
2: held in particular esteem
3: readily distinguishable from others of the same category : being other than the usual
4: designed for a particular purpose or occasion
Those definitions sound like a description of a Christian. Read again.
Their, Joy, their contentment was the key that unloosed their chains. HE WAS ENOUGH FOR THEM! He was everything they needed. There wasn’t a material possession that they lacked because their contentment was in the ONE who delighted in them!
I desperately needed a flesh and blood friend; a person with skin on. I knew I had my wonderful Heavenly father, and I decided to never leave Him nor forsake Him nor blame Him no matter how bad my life seemed to me. But God also gives us a need for humans. During the whole ugly, crushing, debilitating process; I needed a friend. I was so very confused, devastated, and broken: I needed a friend!
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