Waking up this morning to central heat is wonderful. We have a fireplace and we can use it. But modern conveniences are such a gift. Oh beloved it’s so cold outside. But we have much to be thankful for. From the heat in our homes to the cats in our driveways we are blessed. But we don’t take anything for granted do we? We wake up thankful! Thankful for God’s gifts to us. Thankful for the ability to use those gifts. Thankful even for the opportunities to work so that we can give to the Lord, pay our bills and …
Out Of The Shallows
Not long ago I dreamed that we took visiting friends to the lake. When we arrived at the lodge we could see a bit of water that wasn’t very deep and lots of people swimming. They were not very impressed. “Is this all there is?” I told them the area we were at was just the tip of the iceberg. If they’d get out in the water and look beyond the swimming area, they’d see the expanse of the beautiful lake and be amazed. Oh beloved, truth is we often don’t go beyond the swimming area do we? We are …
Heavy Burdens
We bought a dresser over the weekend. It is one of the heaviest pieces of furniture I’ve ever seen. But where we bought it was like a treasure shop to me. Everywhere I looked I saw things I liked. There was even a huge old kettle like the one that used to sit on the stove at an aunt’s house. I told the woman that she might be my new best friend! Although that dresser was so heavy it could hardly be moved, my husband and that little woman moved it out of the storage building, across the yard and …
Breaking Barriers
On this day headlines are something that really caught my eye this morning. The first from October 11, 1947 was about Chuck Yeager, who became the first person to pass the speed of sound while flying the experimental Bell X-1 plane at an altitude of about 43,000 feet, going 700 miles an hour. As kids we all heard planes making a sonic boom. Now you don’t get to hear about it anymore because noise abatement regulations halted supersonic flight (by civil aircraft) over U.S. land. Oh beloved, I hear the Lord speaking to my heart this morning. As believers are …
Searching The Headlines
The headline reads “After decades of searching Mark Twain’s signature was found inside a famous cave”. The authorities go on to declare that they are 99% sure it’s authentic. Imagine spending decades searching the walls of a cave. Not hieroglyphs or petroglyphs from thousands of years ago but a kid’s signature. Maybe. Oh beloved, what have you been searching for? For some of you it’s been indeed decades. Are you hoping that it will make a difference in your life – this thing you are searching for? God wants you to know this morning that He is the Searcher – …
Confidence Out of Mishaps
My mom had incredible confidence. Her entire life was a series of one mishap or another mixed with amazing and unprecedented blessings. I think her confidence arose from never focusing on the mishaps but rather showcasing the good things that came her way. She was industrious and worked into her 70’s. When she had cancer at the end of her life I asked God why. She didn’t. I wanted to know why the woman of faith I knew had to endure that mess after all her life endurance. She never questioned. She just kept going. Are you like me? You …
Ageless In The Kingdom
I hope I’m not the only one who ever feels like you’d like to go back and do things over, do things better or get to do some things more. I like to think I’ve done good but the memories are so precious I want to return to them especially for longer. There was a picture of our Stella that showed up on my memories list. It was of her still in NICU and her Popaw was there visiting. It reminded me how much I wanted to just quit work and help take care of babies because it was a …
Don’t Let Your Peace Be Disturbed
We roomed during the conference with some very good friends at a local motel. The accommodations were great and very quiet, all except for the last night. Homecoming meant teenagers had a room next to us. Since they were so very loud we made two calls to the front desk. At the second call the night manager said to us “Yes ma’am we are aware of the situation and officers are here. Please be patient we are taking care of it.” The officer is taking care of it. We could have knocked on the neighbors door and complained in person. …
He Is With You Always
My oldest nephew and his sweetie went on a ski trip. Her words at the end of the trip went like this, “What was I thinking? That I could take up two slim sticks, and slide real fast down a mountain and not have problems?” That’s after her injury was looked at again by a physician at home. Don’t we often have the same attitude of our walk with God? “What was I thinking? I accepted Christ and thought I could just slide through life and right into heaven’s doors. No problems?” Oh beloved, this walk of faith is not …
Childlike Wonder
I think what I like most about Christmas is that it opens our hearts to childlike wonder. Christmas is definitely for children especially. After all it centers around Christ who was born a babe in a manger. I am glad to be like a kid again with fun and enjoyment of decorating, wrapping and preparing. But I am also glad that Jesus is no longer a babe in a manger. Oh beloved! Emmanuel has come and God is with us! Our risen King! He was resurrected into power and gives us all of Himself to celebrate every single day! Most kings …
You Are A Gift
I saw a funny Christmas graphic recently that I saved and sent to a couple of friends who are having issues. It read “Gonna go lay under the tree to remind my family that I am a gift”. If my hubby caught me laying under the tree he’d wonder what had happened to me! But the truth is – we all need an attitude adjustment. We are a gift. Every single one of us. Oh beloved, Christmas is the perfect time to adjust our attitudes. For some reason, even though the season is wild and wonderful, we often focus on …
The Word is – Loved
When I began writing devotionals God spoke to my heart. Choose your platform well He said. That will be what you are known for. I said “I choose LOVE”. Hence all my devotionals call the readers Oh Beloved! When you’re at your wits’ end – You are loved When you don’t know what you will do – You are loved When you have been rejected – You are loved When marriage falters, health fails, friends fail, church falls flat, people become distant, money gets short, when others misunderstand, when prayers aren’t answered, when life happens Oh beloved, You are loved. …
