Change

We have a senior English bulldog, Albert.  Oftentimes we will let him into our yard using the back door.  He can turn right or left on our deck, depending on where he wants to go.  One day my husband had blocked off the right turn to do some work there. This completely rocked Albert’s world.  “What is this highly offensive blockade and what on earth is it doing in my territory?”   He was completely put off.  Keep in mind, he could have turned left, gone around, and had acc

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Monday

Tomorrow is Monday. Even though I enjoy my job, when I think of Monday, my first

thought is usually, “Ugh.”

There are quite a few Bible verses about working hard, but there are two that really get me through the workday. I really like this verse in Proverbs about working to become good at your job: Proverbs 22:29 (GW) Do you see a person who is efficient in his work? He will serve kings. He will not serve unknown people.

Even though I can get a case of the Mondays from time t

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Shalom

Someone used the word miasma in a sentence.  I had never heard this word before and needed to look it up.  The way they used it meant an oppressive or unpleasant atmosphere which surrounds or emanates from something.  I honestly felt a little disheartened that this word even existed so I started looking for words that would have an opposite meaning.

As I searched, words like pure, clean, and restorative came up.   I finally landed on a word from the Bible that satisfied me.

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It Would Have Been Enough

A Psalm of This David

O Lord, my God,

The years have settled upon my shoulders,

and I feel them in the morning before my feet touch the floor.

My bones speak of battles my tongue no longer remembers.

My hands bear the marks of labor,

and my heart bears the weight of sorrows

that only You have fully seen.

There are wounds that age does not erase.

I remember the ache of being left behind,

the quiet questions of a child

who searched the horizon for a mother’s embrace.

I remember wonde

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Patience & Encouragement

So those of us who have a strong [faith] must be patient with the weaknesses of those whose [faith] is not so strong. We must not think only of ourselves. We should all be concerned about our neighbor and the good things that will build his faith. Romans 15:1-2 (GW)

Do the small things matter?  Should I correct someone’s grammar or ask them to chew with their mouth closed?  (Of course, this does not apply to children!)  I try to think about the long-term effects of my actio

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Be Still

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10 NIV

Most of us live in a world that moves faster than the human heart was ever meant to travel, carrying burdens we were never designed to bear alone. Our days fill quickly. Conversations become hurried and thin, reduced to fragments between distractions. Notifications interrupt our rhythms until, over time, they begin to shape them. We move from responsibility to responsibility with the quiet assumption that if God desires

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The Pursuit

Have you ever gone somewhere with a friend and said you would follow them in your car? And by follow, you simply meant you were behind them and would be there in a little while? Or you are on social media and choose to “follow” an account? 

There is something so casual about following your friend to a mutual location, meaning you would get there when you arrived. Or, by following an account on social media, you will check in whenever convenient. Neither is pressing or too c

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Reading the Board Differently

There is an old story, often repeated in Christian circles, about a painting sometimes called Checkmate. The work is by Friedrich Moritz August Retzsch, though its original title was The Chess Players. It depicts a young man seated at a chessboard across from a dark and ominous opponent, and the scene has long been read as an image of spiritual conflict, of a soul cornered and apparently near defeat. Over time, a story became attached to the painting, most often involving

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Coffee Pops Up

There is a coffee app on my phone that pops up from time to time to let me know their business is near me. No matter where I go in this country, it lets me know when one of their locations is nearby and suggests I order my favorite drink. 

This got me thinking about how God is always near us and does some of the kindest things to let us know He is close; He listens and loves us. This verse sums it up: Psalm 46:5 (NIV) “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her

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Waiting

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary: and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31. (KJV)

When we are waiting on God for an answer or direction, sometimes our destination or what we need to do next is unclear. In times of uncertainty, it is important to know that waiting on God is not being idle. This is a time to be people of action! While we are waiting for our answer, w

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Waterfalls and Cat Litter

I was doing chores this weekend, and in the middle of vacuuming, I started wondering how much time I have spent in my life doing mundane things. Maybe that thought should be frustrating, but then I remembered this verse;

Psalm 42:7 (NIV)

Deep calls to deep

in the roar of your waterfalls;

All your waves and breakers

have swept over me.

I absolutely love this verse. It reminds me that I have a spirit-bond with the King of the Universe. The author of creation, the Alpha and Omega,

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The Little Engine

Have you read the story, The Little Engine That Could? It’s a beloved children’s story of a small train who believed he could do the impossible. Other trains with more power refused the task because they didn’t think they would succeed. 

The Little Engine agreed to pull a much larger, heavier train with many cars attached up a hill. As he worked his way to the top, he kept reciting, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” Eventually, The Little Engine reached the top

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Standing Strong

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their h

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Mirrors

I see signs of aging as I look in the mirror, and I am forced to come to terms with the fact that I don’t look the same as I did when I was 18. I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self to appreciate what I had, but, unfortunately, I don’t know if I was ever truly happy with how I looked in the moment. That dissatisfaction seems so silly to me now, I straightened my curly hair and my friends with straight hair curled theirs! I dieted and worked out and worrie

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Guard Duty

Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 (GW)

Starting very early in life we seek approval. It feels good to have someone look at you or what you have done and say, "Nice job” or “Well done!" Our flesh wants to feel validated and that is not always a bad thing. It motivates us to keep moving forward and strive to be good stewards over the gifts we have been given.

What happens when you are about to make a decision

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