In His presence is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11) I’m not sure I’ve so closely observed anyone who exudes the truth of this more than my son, Ben. God is Ben’s go to. Even as a little boy, he seemed to have God on his mind so often. He’d come to me with spiritual thoughtsContinue reading “Fullness of Joy”
Tag Archives: live the Word
A note from my daughter…
As I open my news feed to see professing Christians defending and arguing with other Christians about the suggestion that Taylor Swift’s new album is something to stay away from (the lyrics are anti-God), this note from my daughter popped up in my FB memories. It truly put everything in perspective as she began withContinue reading “A note from my daughter…”
Trusting ourselves too much and God too little.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31) God is for us, not against us. I recently heard a pastor say, “Don’t you think if God we’re out to get you, He would have gotten you by now?!” We laugh. We say weContinue reading “Trusting ourselves too much and God too little.”
Her Journal.
She was just twelve when I snapped this picture of her journal. A few years have passed but she’s still seeking God. She’s studying. She is trying to understand. She’s hiding God’s Word in her heart. For years, she’s watched her parents do the same. A while back, she and I were discussing a passageContinue reading “Her Journal.”
Do your friends truly love you? Do you truly love them?
I heard a pastor once say, “You can’t preach peace to those who walk in disobedience.” The truth is, as much as we want others to experience the rivers of peace we know because of Christ; those who insist on walking their own way, in disobedience to the ways of God, will never experience theContinue reading “Do your friends truly love you? Do you truly love them?”
Judas Heart
Judas betrayed Jesus (Matt 26:47). His name is forever linked with betrayal. He sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, and we’ve shaken our heads that he could betray the Son of God for so very little…for so cheap. While I know Jesus was completely in control, came to die, and could have called downContinue reading “Judas Heart”
Failing God with Your Success
The ones who’ve lost so much, the ones who’ve struggled with trials and temptations and ran to God, oh how we love to hear their stories. And then there are the other stories, the ones we hear again and again of those who’ve obtained incredible success in life but fall; and often the story isContinue reading “Failing God with Your Success”
To not do THIS is foolish and dangerous
Yesterday, as I wrote about preparing our hearts for Easter, I shared about overcoming guilt and shame. What an amazingly MERCIFUL God we serve! Indeed, He is so good and faithful to forgive our sins when we confess and turn from them. He even says, He remembers them no more (Heb 8:12) and that causesContinue reading “To not do THIS is foolish and dangerous”
An invitation to reflect and confess and prepare our hearts for Easter
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Cor 3:16-17) If you are a Christian, you (fill in your name)Continue reading “An invitation to reflect and confess and prepare our hearts for Easter”
Hard words as we prepare our hearts for Easter.
He came for the messed up sinner. I think a lot about that as Easter approaches in just a couple of weeks. We love that He ran after the prodigal, ate with the tax collectors and stepped in to prevent the stoning of the woman caught in adultery. We love that He left the 99Continue reading “Hard words as we prepare our hearts for Easter.”
Hard things, but God.
Right now, so many I love are facing what seems like a pile on of hard things. They love Jesus.They seek to follow Him.They are hurting. Really hurting over hard things. But again, and again, I’ve heard each of them talk of their hope. One by one they have each arrived at almost the exactContinue reading “Hard things, but God.”
When you try to follow Jesus and keep messing up!
Do you have trouble following Jesus? Do you ever wonder if you are really a Christian? And how can we tell if we truly love God? John tells us we will love others and keep God’s commands. (1 John 4:20-5:3) And, he tells us, the keeping of God’s commandments won’t seem burdensome (5:3). We willContinue reading “When you try to follow Jesus and keep messing up!”
You can’t kill sin with easy strokes
Stick with me on this one… I once heard a pastor preach about not taking sin seriously and not monkeying around with it. The point was, we have to KILL SIN immediately (the pastor used the illustration of the Prophet Samuel hacking the Amalekite king to death when King Saul had disobeyed God and refusedContinue reading “You can’t kill sin with easy strokes”
Last Days? Do this first…
I can’t read these words and not wonder if we are living in the last days— “But know this, in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors,Continue reading “Last Days? Do this first…”
Has God given us over to a debased mind?
He said his “marriage ended in his mind in 2015” though he was still married when recently taking money for lavish vacations and having his famous affair with Fannie Willis. “Ended in his mind” ? The mom says her preteen girl feels that she is a boy and insists everyone refer to her child asContinue reading “Has God given us over to a debased mind?”
Monday Morning Hope
It’s not all up to you! Feeling burdened and overwhelmed this Monday morning? Remember- We have one job—to trust and obey the One who is powerfully at work in this world. Everything else is His job! Hallelujah! It’s not all up to us! The author of Hebrews explains that Jesus is the perfect priest ofContinue reading “Monday Morning Hope”
Be BOLD in a GOOD way!
I suppose we all have our own list of reasons we fail to talk about Jesus and what the Bible says is true when we could. Maybe we don’t feel prepared. Maybe we leave it up to the preachers. Maybe we hate conflict and want everyone to like us. Maybe we are afraid our businessesContinue reading “Be BOLD in a GOOD way!”
Bigger-than-I-know…and PEACE.
Do I want the things God wants, or do I still want my way just a little bit more? Am I really making EVERY effort to be fruitful in my faith? Inspired by God, Peter said to “make every effort” to possess things like faith, virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness , kindness, and loveContinue reading “Bigger-than-I-know…and PEACE.”
When they call you names…
A while back, a young, full of himself and this world person, called me “”Karen” after I had written something he didn’t like. While he meant it in a derogatory way, I smiled because one of the most godly women I have ever known was named “Karen”. She is with Jesus now, and she wasContinue reading “When they call you names…”
You can’t be NEUTRAL on your FAITH.
You can’t be neutral in your faith. If it impacts you, you should want it to impact those you care about. John Piper went so far as to say, “If you don’t want people to believe what you believe about God, your views of Him are not functionally significant for you.” The fact is, ifContinue reading “You can’t be NEUTRAL on your FAITH.”