One of the things I found myself doing was randomly scrolling Facebook. If only I could burn calories with the miles my thumbs have scrolled. I started seeing negative post after negative post and it put me in even more of a funk than I was in already! Have you ever been offended by something someone posted on social media? Maybe it was about you, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was political or racial or an injustice going on in the world. Maybe it was a little more personal and you understood what Taylor Swift meant when she said, “Haters …
God’s Presence Unwrapped
Wrapping presents is one of my favorite things to do. I get a lot of joy out of thinking about the reaction each person will have over the gift picked especially for them. Sometimes I get busy wrapping and forget whose gift is whose. I’ve even been known to unwrap something to see what it is. At any rate wrapping a gift is fun. But watching each loved one unwrap those gifts is absolutely joyful! Oh beloved, God has already given you the best gift anyone could have. He has given you the gift of Salvation. This gift tops all …
Assurance
When Danny was suddenly ill the first thing I thought was how could I live without him? That thought wasn’t about the money. It was about his presence. Forty four years of relationship was so quickly reduced to a pivotal moment. Sure he’s got life insurance. But I want him! As he has been recovering it’s been quite miraculous. And yet I cling to every moment as it has become even dearer to me. Snoring is even comforting. I may have a little problem even being away from him. He’s independent though so he will help me with that! Lol …
Jesus Died For Me
Twenty-five years ago, a timid young woman sat in her Sunday school class listening to her teacher’s lesson. During the lesson she slipped out the door and hurriedly went to find her pastor. This young lady realized without a shadow of a doubt that the Holy Spirit was speaking to her heart – she was not saved. She thought back to a time when she was thirteen and supposedly prayed a sinner’s prayer. She didn’t know what she was doing. Now she knew she wanted to know Jesus and have a personal relationship with Him. That young lady was …
The Cross-Mercy, Plan, Purpose and Grace
Paul was persecuting Christians, and God wanted him to stop. When light flooded from heaven and blinded the Jew, he obeyed, and his sight was restored. At that moment, Paul experienced God’s mercy. The converted Pharisee immediately went to work. He stopped murdering Christians and began proclaiming God’s grace, winning new converts all across the Roman Empire. God’s plan was in full motion. Paul led an adventurous life as a missionary. He understood the need to fulfill his duty at any cost and tried to live in a way that would encourage others to have a relationship with God. …
At the Cross-Clothed in Grace
Many years ago, my husband, Larry, and I bought the old family home from his sister. There was just one condition. His elderly grandmother came with the house. It was fine with us. Mrs. Jennie Bennett, in her eighties at the time, had a sweet temperament, and was surprisingly able to maintain it when two adults, three teenagers, and a kitten seized the house. She was gracious when I took over the kitchen. She was even more gracious complimenting the meals I prepared. I couldn’t cook macaroni and cheese like she did, or so my husband said. Once in …
At the Cross-God’s Perfect Provisions
If you are my sibling-in-Christ, then I know you had a meeting with God at the cross. With mercy, he stripped off the dirty, ugly, often tattered and worn-out life clothes, and as Psalm 103 says, he removed those rags as far as the east is from the west. At that moment, you became clean. And vulnerable. I can’t speak for you, but I know I don’t do clean well. By the end of the day, I will have evidence of everything I’ve eaten and a lot of what I’ve said, all over me. And vulnerable? When I find myself …
In His Word
Have you ever thought about how a Bible verse becomes popular? I Have. Did you know that there are 23,145 verses in the Old Testament and 7,957 verses in the New Testament, making a grand total of 31,102 verses in the entire Bible? Each is just as important as the next or God would not have included them in His book. Some verses are more popular than others i.e., John 3:16, Philippians 4:13, Genesis 1:1, I John 1:1 are just a few. On occasion someone will make a t-shirt with a verse printed on the front or on the …
God Has More Grace Waiting for You
Paul said, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through [Christ] who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV) The art of being content is a very difficult lesson to learn. Very few people are really content for longer than a few hours at a time. By that I mean you will say you are content and have all you need then …
Abundant Grace
Okay, I admit it – I am a people observer. My cousin, Stephen Smith, is a professional photographer and lives in Alaska one day he posted this to his Facebook page and I was immediately drawn to the sign the man is holding. It is a piece of cardboard with the following written in Magic Marker – “Need 13¢”. I began going through a gauntlet of questions in my mind and kept asking why just 13¢? The photo was taken in Alaska and that amount of money will not go very far in today’s economy. Driving around town on …
Jesus Is The Way
Your spiritual journey begins when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Your journey begins with a relationship. He is Your Guide. Remember, you have never been this way before! You need a guide. You need to get to know your guide so you can trust Him and follow Him. Has there ever been a time when you encountered Jesus Christ and acknowledged Him as your personal Lord and Savior? For me – on my 31st birthday, sitting at my kitchen table, all alone studying my Sunday School lesson. God impressed on me that the only …