There is nothing like talking to a friend and hearing her words echo something God is producing in your own life. It is so validating and confirms that God is at work–not that I should need confirmation, but sometimes, I really do. I spoke with a friend about some difficult circumstances in her life, specifically her child’s health. I told her the verse that is my, “Truth I’...
“Until you give up the idea that happiness is somewhere else, it will never be where you are.” Jim Carrey I got suckered into reading this on social media a few weeks ago, and it hasn’t left my mind since. I was looking for a laugh (I mean, it’s by Jim Carrey, after all), but instead got this little nugget to ponder. What is my happiness anchored to? Most days, I haplessl...
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore, I will hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:21-24 God’s mercies — His compassionate love and complete forgiveness — toward ...
I don’t know what to say. And, sometimes, that’s for the best… …because it’s in those moments that I’m prone to listen, and watch, and yield. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understand...
I think sometimes we get so set on living a life free of guilt, consequence, and pain, that we don’t allow ourselves the grace to mess up And maybe we even get it into our thoughts that God doesn’t allow for mess-ups either, so we live in fear of being zapped for stepping out of line. Well, guess what. It’s ok to mess up. It’s ok to make a wrong choice. There is a huge ...
When the boys were little, we learned pretty quickly to gauge our reaction. If they wiped out on their bike or scraped their knee on the sidewalk, they quickly looked to us to figure out how hurt they were. If we freaked out, they freaked out. If we stayed calm, they’d…well…still freak out, but they calmed more quickly. Do you ever do that? Fake peace to calm a situation or...
It is impossible to find your stride and develop routines when everything every day feels so disheveled and chaotic. School just got started back, but every day is a new scenario. Work is still a daily TV reality show. Church is just not…church (fellowship and social distance just don’t jive). In this stage of the game, it is easy to feel like you don’t have much to give. And I d...
No matter how many times I tell myself that it’s ok to say “no,” I inevitably recite an exhaustive — yet highly impressive — list of excuses. This is especially true for spiritual decisions. Whether it’s stepping out of leadership, giving up my turn in the nursery, or leaving the church entirely, I just can’t rest in the single declarative word — n...
One of the many appeals to making the city to country transition was fruit trees. We were so excited. I envisioned eating fruit straight off the vine, fresh-baked pies, jams, and sauces. We’ve lived on the farm for 15 years, and I have yet to make a pie and have eaten very few apples straight from the vine. Why? The trees had not been pruned in years (still haven’t). Vines wined their ...
“I’d rather be in the boat with Jesus than on the shore without Him.” Dr. David Jeremiah It seems like a simple, straightforward statement that every believer should be confident to make. Yet, when I consider what “in the boat” could mean…would I? Would I rather be in the boat on the turbulent waters of change with Jesus? What about the turbulent waters of can...
“Jacqueline, dear, do not speak unless you can improve the silence.” (Movie Quote) I love this line. Even though it was spoken adversely in the movie, there is so much wisdom in these words and such great advice for us as Christ Followers. Yes, we are called to take a stand for the hope we have in Christ, but sometimes, the best way to do that is to be silent and let God work in the...
The most consistent part of my life is my ability to blunder. Mostly little things, but I do manage some doozies. Nothing I really feel the need to confess right now, but, stay tuned, you never know where this thing might end up!! It’s pretty easy to share the little things. At least they’re usually good for a laugh. But the big things…those we hide in the deepest part of our psy...
I love flowers. I’ve tried a few beds, but they don’t last long in my care. Although, we do have a patch of greenery right beside our house. It’s a cheaters garden really because it was there when we bought the house and just grows on its own. The only maintenance I do is pull weeds from time to time. Although…I can’t always distinguish a weed from a flower. Some we...
Most spiritual development books I’ve read take a matter-of-fact approach and read more like a staunch “how to” than an engaging novel. The Divine Adventure is different! Pulling teachable moments from her own experiences, Rebecca embellishes the scene, drawing us in as she seamlessly weaves in Biblical truth amid the beauty of her prose. FAVORITE QUOTE: “When ...
Faith is a foundation word for our Christian heritage. It’s the catalysis grace needs for salvation (Ephesians 2:8), and without out it, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Great Faith can bring healing, like the woman with the bleeding issue (Mark 5:34), and small amounts can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not...
There is a place in the Appalachian Mountains that my family and I go to frequently. One of my sons works there right now. There are several different routes you can take to get there. One has a very winding road called “The Tail of the Dragon.” It is an 11-mile stretch of road with 318 curves. The first time I drove it, it was by accident. The curves were so vast that the road fell of...
I met a dear friend at a writer’s conference a few years back. She was a free spirit and such an inspiration to my very locked down spirit. I was envious of her ability to just relax and enjoy. She made public speaking look so easy and effortless. She was a natural. As I toiled and prayed and worried and over-prepared for my presentation, Angie kept saying, “I’m just showinR...
When my husband had a motorcycle, and I would ride behind him, he was forever coaching me to lean with him into the curve — yet, everything within me screamed counter-balance! But all my counter-balance did was make his job of keeping us upright more difficult. What eventually worked for me was not to lean right or left but to lean in. When I leaned into him, it centered us and made riding...
As a year begins, I typically have a focus word or an area of spiritual growth that I feel burdened to work on. Things like prayer, compassion, rooted and grounded, discipline… I didn’t this year…until yesterday. Satisfied. That’s my word. It’s the longing of my soul. I need to be satisfied…content….quieted…settled into who I am in Christ and in how that identity is carried o...
“The closer to God you draw, the greater will be your disdain for sin.” Dr. Richard Blackaby It’s easy to play the excuses game and feel justified in sin, especially for a minor sin. “I’m not harming anyone, right?” How about the comparison game? “My sin isn’t as bad as ____________. At least I’ve never __________. “ What I’m actual...
Rest is one of those things we know we need but never get enough. No matter how much I sleep or how long I “unwind,” I still feel exhausted. But, if you’re like me, you think rest is just downtime or sleep, but apparently, sleep is just one part of the rest requirement. I’ve been reading the book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity b...
The question asked was, “What’s missing from today’s Christian culture?” No one answered. I’m not sure if it’s because none of us had an answer, or we were just afraid to say it. How would you answer this question? Me? I would say that we’re missing some, “Do unto others” and “love thy neighbor,” and “least of these” kin...
We have so many methods for music and news that we don’t rely on radios anymore. At least not the “boombox” type we used to carry around in the ’80s. Yes, I am boombox old, lol. But God… God used a well-placed boombox to call a man named Ronnie out of the darkness of addiction and remind him that he is still valued, he is still loved, and He is not forgotten. H...
“You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind, our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:5-6 It is my opinion that one of the worst smel...
The movie Evan Almighty takes the story of Noah and gives it a bit of a modern twist. It is a controversial movie among Christians. The portrayal of God and Noah isn’t true to Biblical form; however, there are some great teachable points. One of my favorites is when Morgan Freeman, who portrayed God, poses the question, “When we pray for something, does God simply give it to us or prov...
