Hope for our Hearts

Today would be my Dad’s 95th birthday. This is the second one without him here. He loved birthdays, and family, and being the center (and life) of the party. To say our family misses him is an understatement. My Dad taught me so many things, but one thing stands out to me in this yearContinue reading “Hope for our Hearts”

Go ahead, write in your Bible. Leave a Legacy.

My niece, AC, loves the Word. She takes notes. She asks questions, but let me tell you something else she does… Routinely, she says, “wait a minute” and she will go, and pick up her dad’s Bible. She looks to see if he has underlined, circled, or written anything in the passage she is reading.Continue reading “Go ahead, write in your Bible. Leave a Legacy.”

Hard days? Long for REST?

I don’t have answers to life’s questions. God knows I have many, many questions. I long for Him.I want to understand Him.I want to follow Him. But, if I am honest, I also want life to be stable, predictable and easy. When hard days come, I want to immediately see what God is doing andContinue reading “Hard days? Long for REST?”

Keep on. For those you love and those you may never meet.

Ministry is hard. There has been more than once I’ve wanted to stop sharing about Jesus, and pull away, and just love those who are easy to love and believe what I believe about the faith and the Word. Recently, I’ve been tossing and turning with thoughts of escaping to a desert island, because, asContinue reading “Keep on. For those you love and those you may never meet.”

His better way for our humble hearts

It was certainly no accident that Jesus was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah when he stood up to read in his hometown synagogue that day. (Luke 4:16) It was supernatural. Can you imagine hearing the voice of the Promised One reading these words? “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,Because He hasContinue reading “His better way for our humble hearts”

If all I have is all you desire, I surrender all.

It’s so hard sometimes following Christ. So many times, I’ve wanted the easy road. I’ve wanted to stick my head in the sand and just go with the flow. Walk away.Avoid the conflict.Just keep my mouth shut. Except I can’t. I trust God more than I trust me. I believe Him. I believe His WordContinue reading “If all I have is all you desire, I surrender all.”

Oh, that God would do it again!

I woke up thinking about a conversation my brother, my son-in-law and I had about the great revival movements of God. We had resolved there is NOTHING that might keep God from doing it again. My brother then mentioned how the spark that started the greatest revivals in history had been that of LAY PEOPLEContinue reading “Oh, that God would do it again!”

In the midst of trouble, sit down.

This week, as I have counted my blessings, I’ve found myself counting again something as a blessing I didn’t think I ever would. Several years ago, our family faced what felt like a true enemy in another flesh and blood person. It all seemed to begin right after we shared our faith with this person,Continue reading “In the midst of trouble, sit down.”

Wait. What?

Do you need hope to face tomorrow? Then focus on your sin for a moment. Here’s why —If we don’t understand the depths of our sin, we won’t understand the great love of our Savior enough to be able to confidently trust Him with our tomorrows.Let me explain… Luke tells us, the Pharisees and lawyersContinue reading “Wait. What?”

Are the hard days worth it?

If I’m honest, some days I wonder if the really hard days are worth it. I’ve uttered, more than once, when the trouble around me feels deep, “Oh Lord, won’t you just come on and get us.” But then, as He does so often, at just the right time, right when I need it, GodContinue reading “Are the hard days worth it?”

For those wrestling to understand…

Jacob wrestled with God. That’s too much for my mind to even conceive. Except, I’m wrestling. Not in the physical sense, but certainly in that I’m trying to understand what God is doing through some exhaustingly hard things in my life and in this world. I know it’s true that God routinely does things weContinue reading “For those wrestling to understand…”

When hope seems hidden…

Those who are of the faith, sometimes feel hopeless. Sometimes,circumstances,are so very bad,we even despair of life. We don’t think we can go on. We might not tell our closest friend, but we have even wished we could die. And it’s not because we are feeling so spiritual, just hoping to be in Heaven, it’sContinue reading “When hope seems hidden…”

Hope. But not in the way they were thinking.

I wonder about that morning after Jesus had rode in on the donkey, after the crowd had cheered and waved palm branches…I wonder, did He look around at His disciples? I wonder, as the disciples still celebrated over breakfast, did he wonder if they remembered what He had told them just a few days before?Continue reading “Hope. But not in the way they were thinking.”

Hard days? Hold on…

Jesus takes Peter, James and John up on a mountaintop to pray. And then this happens… “As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease whichContinue reading “Hard days? Hold on…”

The study is ending —but we’ve got a Savior to keep seeking as we need Him every moment!

Oh my goodness! I don’t want my study of First John to end. Oh, I’m sure the Lord will bring me back to this living, breathing, part of the Bible. He has so much more to teach me. But once again, I’ve come to the close of a book of the Bible with an increasedContinue reading “The study is ending —but we’ve got a Savior to keep seeking as we need Him every moment!”

You are an OVERCOMER if you BELIEVE this…

And YOU are an overcomer…if you are born of God, if you believe— “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5) InContinue reading “You are an OVERCOMER if you BELIEVE this…”

Hold on-even when you don’t understand!

As Christian’s, there is something we have to do that is incredibly hard to do. We have to be okay with not understanding everything. I’ve talked with so many people, in just the past week, who are walking through incredibly hard things, or dealing with situations that just make no earthly sense. Something devastating hasContinue reading “Hold on-even when you don’t understand!”

Truth. Not just a wishful hope!

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) ❤️ It’s not you “will” overcome them. You HAVE overcome! This isn’t a motivational speech. It’s truth! It’s a done deal.It’s certain.It’s finished. Not because of youContinue reading “Truth. Not just a wishful hope!”

Don’t be quiet

Christians around the world, in Syria and Congo right now, are being slaughtered. We should pray and we should remember. We should make our voices heard. It’s easy to sit here on my couch, coffee in hand and read these words in 2 Timothy from my pretty Bible, and miss the profound depth of them.Continue reading “Don’t be quiet”

One thing that can help you with fear…

I’m sick of seeing the enemy rob us of so many good things God has planned for us because of fear. The enemy really uses that. But here’s one thing I’ve learned that has disarmed him time and time again in my life: When I hear the enemy telling me all the bad things thatContinue reading “One thing that can help you with fear…”