He Makes All Things Work Together for Our Good
Can I be real with you? Today has not gone as planned … at all. We had a delayed start in our day and missed our morning devotion together. Then, we received news we didn’t care to hear. There were sour faces, foul attitudes, and hard conversations to navigate through … all before noon! Honestly, I was not happy. In fact, I was ready to just call the day over and tell everyone to crawl under the covers in hopes that we would each have a reset. But I felt prompted to pause our day and have devotion instead. I
Who You Are
I was on the floor of my prayer closet this week, and it was pitch black. I was there in need of a personal breakthrough. Worship music was playing quietly, and I was reminded of God’s faithfulness. “Even when I don’t see it, You’re working, Even when I don’t feel it, You’re working, You never stop working...” As the tune filled my heart, I began to think of all the ways God has shown His sovereign will over my life. I like books. I can sit in a library for hours. I like studying. But I’m not a genius.
The Battle Is His
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in 2 Chronicles 20. In this chapter we read how the enemies of Israel had come to wage war against King Jehoshaphat of Judah. The people brought the bad news to the King...a vast army was coming towards them and they were ready to fight. But King Jehoshaphat did not panic. Instead he wisely brought together the people of Judah and sought the Lord in this matter. He called on the God of his ancestors….gave him glory for what He had already done…., and reminded him of his promise to
A Godly Example
For as long as I can remember, my mom loves to sing. Whether she’s cooking, sitting in the car, or during our family devotions, she can be heard singing a worship song … good times, bad times, all the time. I caught that at an early age and thought it was worth copying. I enjoyed it so much that I have even sung duets with my mom during programs at our church. (I’d share the video with you friends, but it was the late 80s … ‘nough said!) My mom has taught me countless lessons over the years, both spoken
Hunter or Protector?
Last Sunday morning, in the rush of getting ready for church, I made 2 pieces of toast and left them on the counter. After I had spread the requested pumpkin spice cream cheese on them, I left them sitting side by side, a few inches apart on the kitchen counter. I ran off to help my daughter with her hair, and when I came back, my dog was sitting a few feet away from the counter, just staring at these two pieces of bread that I had left unattended. I stopped and watched him as he was silently stalking my
Kingdom Citizens
So, who are you voting for? Just kidding. I know who I’m voting for and you know who you are voting for … so, we’ll leave that right there. We all have our reasons why we feel our particular candidate is the better choice. Maybe we like their platform or even their personality. We may prefer their plan for the economy and the pandemic. As Christians, we may even choose the person we believe aligns more closely with Kingdom values. (By the way, I’ve heard that argument for both sides.) But here’s a fact - if you and I aren’t
#parentinggoals
My boys may look alike and share a common love for God and basketball, but don’t let that fool you...they are VERY different. One is structured, the other is free spirited. One likes people but appreciates his ’alone time,’ the other thrives around people and could be around them 24/7. One takes quite awhile to fix his hair, the other combs it on his way out the door. I think you get my point. So, in raising these very different young men, there certainly isn’t a one size fits all guide to parenting...but thankfully, there are Biblical principles that apply
My Words
The other night I had a strange dream. I was in the process of taking a turn on a busy road, and instead of taking a left turn, as I originally intended, I took a right turn. I went on my way just fine, but when I looked back I saw that my last second change had caused a major accident with two other cars. In my dream, I saw that both cars ended up being totaled, and the occupant of one of the cars was someone that I knew. Everyone was okay, but I was embarrassed and ashamed that
Pray for Yourself
As soon as the Fall of 2019 rolled around, I knew this was it. Within a year, my baby would graduate from high school and leave for college. Just thinking about it put a lump in my throat, butterflies in my stomach and filled my heart with anxiety. ‘I gotta get a grip,’ I thought. I want to enjoy this season and savor all the ‘last moments.’ I DID NOT want a year filled with dread. So every time I prayed for my son and his future, I felt prompted to pray for myself too. “God, I don’t want to
Fasting Testimonial
All right, kids, settle in, it's testimony time... Our church recently completed a 40 day fast. It started in August as a 21 day fast. We decided to participate as a family. The kids were starting a new school year at a new school, and they were starting virtually instead of in person. I know most families are dealing with similar issues so you all know how stressful it can be. We were fasting and praying for a smooth transition for all of us. We were also praying about the sale of our previous home. It went on the market
