“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it can’t have. Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always “me first,” doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end… We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it …
Paralyzed
When my husband was temporarily paralyzed from a stroke, I got paralyzed too – by fear. Although hubby’s paralysis left and it’s never recurred, my paralysis tries to come back on occasion. Can anyone relate? Oh beloved, fear is the ultimate “paralyzer”. It will grab you and keep you from moving forward. It will tie you to the bed of sorrow and cause you to remain immobile and unmovable. But our God is a forward God. His momentum is to compel us to live a forward facing, continually moving in the Spirit life. No one is ever meant to succumb …
The Wind
My husband grew up riding his motorcycle in the wind. It is almost always blowing out in West Texas. So when we traveled out west and into New Mexico and Arizona, it was not a problem for him. Not so for me. It was crazy. We’d be so leaned over in the wind that when a semi passed us we seemed to shoot straight up and then back down as the wind returned when the truck went by. I had two choices – I had to lean with Danny into the wind or be completely miserable. Don’t ask how many …
Remember The Recipe
We’ve all done it at one time or another. Forgotten an ingredient in a recipe or mixed an unnecessary element or even whipped it all up wrong. I remember a sponge cake my niece and I made together when we were just kids. We ended up with a flat block of something far removed from sponge cake. All because we didn’t follow the directions. God speaks to my heart. Successful outcomes happen when My people follow My directions. Any concoction of ingredients added to or taken away from My Word spells failure for My Word stands alone and has all …
IF – And It Is So!
When we said our vows so many years ago none of them included the word if. When we birthed three babies we never included in our adoration of those babies the word if. Those words have never come up in all these years of conversation. My husband is my soul mate – it’s just so. Our kids are our kids – it’s just so. Yet IF is in Scripture! Was God giving a caveat to His Word? Was He holding back? Oh beloved, God speaks volumes in a two-letter word this morning! He speaks to you! He wants to stop …
You’re Dead And Yet Alive
We came home from the conference we attended and between washing clothes and napping we watched two old westerns. High noon was one of them. Kane, the just resigned as sheriff and married a Quaker, knew he needed to stand up to the man who was returning from prison on the noon train. His efforts to round up a posse at the tavern, and then the church, are met with fear and hostility. Some townspeople, worried that a gunfight would damage the town’s reputation, urge Kane to avoid the confrontation entirely. Others are Miller’s friends, and resent that Kane cleaned …
Whole Heart Living
While looking for a particular photo I came across one of two of my grandsons who are brothers. They were sitting at my piano and one was obviously singing with all his heart. The other one was fiercely playing the piano with total abandon. They were enjoying themselves thoroughly. What makes for the best life and the most fun? Wild abandonment and releasing anything that wants to hold you back. The Word contains phrases like “with all your heart” from the Old to the New Testament. There must be something to that phrase. Oh beloved, don’t you want to just …
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 …
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. …
Your Savior, Your Encouragement
When I first heard the word encouragement, I thought, sure, I can write about that; “Easy peasy” as our 4-year old grandson says. I mean, who doesn’t love to be encouraged and to be an encourager? But, as I sit here listening to God speak to my heart about that word, I hear something a little different than I thought I would. In what areas do we really need encouragement? I know I need no encouragement to sin. Sin is the old pair of shoes that I trip over each day; I thought I had …
Real Freedom
Confession time. My parents traveled a lot, even when I was a teenager. Several times they left me at home because I had school and work. One time they went with another couple and left my mom’s car at home. One night I decided I’d go for a ride. I got in the car and started out the drive, went down to the end of the street and out on the highway. As I rounded the first curve I realized I was really doing a dumb thing – dangerous, no driver’s license and more. I prayed. “Oh God, if you’ll …
To Divorce or Not To Divorce (Part 1)
(This blog post is based on my personal story with the understanding that every story is unique. We may not share the same opinion and that’s ok. It’s a long one, so hold tight!) I’ll never forget the day I met {him}. It was the fall of 2009, a beautiful sunny day, and my phone dinged as I walked across campus to class. I had winked at him on an online dating website and lo and behold, he winked back! If you’ve never experienced online dating, you don’t know what a thrill it is to get attention from someone with …