God Will Never Forget You, Never
“Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you”—Isaiah 49:15 (NASB). My youngest son recently called to ask if I remembered a former student of mine. He’d run into the young man at a local business. I’d also taught this former student’s parents and worked with his grandparents, who were also teachers. How could I forget this young man? My son even remembered how ornery he’d been in school. The young man hadn’t forgotten me, either. He asked my son to tell …
Spread the Light of Jesus in the New Year
“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”—John 1:4-5 (NIV). Stars twinkled in the sky, providing illumination for the late-night and pre-dawn hour walks around my front yard. My dog was confined to a crate for more than six weeks. I couldn’t allow him to roam around my fenced-in back yard to do his business. Along with the light from the stars, my neighbors’ Christmas lights lit up our street. I didn’t need a flashlight to brighten my path. Although those 42 …
Love Was Born in a Bethlehem Stable
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”—Isaiah 9:6 (ESV). When a baby is born, we celebrate. Parents count toes and fingers. Are they all there? I wonder if Mary was concerned about that. Keeping her Son warm and protected from the dirty straw was probably at the top of her list. She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes. Luke 2:7 says, “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him …
Do Healing Miracles Still Happen Today?
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”—Matthew 19:26 (NIV). Watching my four-year-old dog trying to move his back legs so he could stand, I was heartbroken. He couldn’t even wag his tail. I was beside myself, fearing he’d end up having to be euthanized. I didn’t think I could handle losing another dog after losing my 15-year-old Chiweenie to cancer in 2015. I made a veterinarian appointment for Harley. As the vet examined him, she didn’t offer much hope. Since Harley is part dachshund (just like my other Chiweenie), he has inherited the breed’s tendency …
Distracted by Dust and Other Mundane Things
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, …
Where are Your Steps Leading?
“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps”—Proverbs 16:9 (NLT). Using a step counter to monitor the miles I walk each week helps me to stay on track with my plans to stay healthy. To log 25 miles a week, I must walk 50,000 steps from Monday morning to the following Sunday evening. I never realized how many steps I logged each day doing the following: cleaning the house, taking a break from writing to add a load of laundry to the washer and then the dryer, or walking out to get my mail. Numerous other household …
Give Thanks to the Lord for Spilled Milk
“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds”—Psalm 9:1 (NIV). Did you know giving thanks is not a spontaneous emotion? It’s a habit we need to develop, according to an article by Pastor Rick McDaniel. After reading the article, I contemplated the above statement and I had to agree with him. I’d never considered that giving thanks wasn’t an automatic response. Think about a recent reaction you might have had, let’s say, to spilled milk. I used to get upset when one of my children—when they were younger—turned a …
Listening for God’s Voice
The Lord called Samuel a third time; he got up, went to Eli, and said, “You called me, and here I am.” Then Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy, so he said to him, “Go back to bed; and if he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. The Lord came and stood there, and called as he had before, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak; your servant is listening”—1 Samuel 3:8-10(GNT). Making a point in a recent sermon, our pastor said, “Our listening to God’s …
Don’t Let Your Hearts be Troubled
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me”—John 14:1 (NLT). Waking up to an overcast sky recently, I smiled in spite of the gloomy weather. When I thank God for a cloudy day, I always say, “God, while the sun is not shining, your Son always shines upon us. Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer, the lover of my soul.” Fluffing up my pillow for a few more minutes in my warm bed, I recalled a recent conversation with one of my best friends. Her heart was troubled by …