Prayer and the Lessons We Can Learn
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”—James 5:16(NIV). “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” This quote from Mother Teresa led me to reflect on my own prayer life. I’ve been struggling for months, actually over a year, with an unanswered prayer. When I say struggling, I don’t mean wrestling with God’s lack of response to my pleas. I’ve heard that still, small voice saying, “Be patient. Wait on me.” The Holy Spirit’s reply to my prayer …
Let’s Fix Our Thoughts on what is True
“Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about”—Philippians 4:8(TLB). When I started college in 1971, I never planned to pursue a journalism career. After taking a beginning reporting class as an elective, I was hooked. I’ve always been curious, nosy you might interpret. After graduation, I didn’t use my journalism degree to work for a newspaper. Instead, I chose a teaching career in 1975, and tried to instill …
Hear God’s Voice by being Intentional
“Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left”—Isaiah 30:21(NLT). “I still can’t hear you,” I replied when my son repeated a question for the third time. “Hang on a second,” I said as I put my phone on speaker. “Now, I can hear you better.” For almost a month, I’ve been fighting a losing battle with my allergies. Normally, my allergies are calm this time of year. But the excessive rain we’ve had has contributed to swollen eyes, congestion and …
Race to the Finish Line with Perseverance
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith”—Hebrews 12:1-2(NIV). In my early 40s, I began competing in 5K races. I never considered myself an athlete. But, I’ve always had a competitive edge, less so since I’ve grown spiritually. I’ve learned it’s not about who wins but doing my best with my God-given gifts. During the four years I raced competitively, my time steadily improved. At first, it was about beating others in my age bracket to the finish line. I won some trophies and medals, …
We Were Created by God to be Creative
“So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”—Genesis 1:27(NLT). Watching the various birds that visit my feeders throughout the different seasons reminds me of our Creator God. I’m always amazed at the variety in their color, size and shape, even among the same species. For example, right now, I can see beautiful orioles outside my home office window, dining at a feeder made by my neighbor. The feeder has an overhanging roof to protect the two small plastic containers nestled in the round holes. Each …
Contentment Can Be Found in God’s Plan
“But godliness with contentment is great gain—1 Timothy 6:6(NIV). Growing up in the lazy, humid days of a Louisiana summer, we found ways to entertain ourselves outside. We didn’t have air conditioning—just attic fans. We didn’t spend our time indoors with our noses glued to a black and white TV screen. From dawn to dusk, we were riding our bicycles up and down the sidewalks. We’d filch some of our mother’s wooden clothespins, and with an incomplete deck of playing cards, we’d attach them to our bike’s spokes to rev up the sound of wheels whirring across the concrete. But …
Reflections on God’s Grace, Hope and Peace
“Therefore, since we have been made righteous through his faithfulness, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand through him, and we boast in the hope of God’s glory”—Romans 5:1-2 (CEB). Rarely am I outside at 5:30 a.m. But, the whining of my ailing dog roused me from a deep sleep recently. Normally, I would just let him outside to go do his business. However, he’s recuperating from a back injury, requiring me to assist him onto his favorite chair or to carry him up the …
God Can Do a New Thing in Your Life
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”—Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV). Stepping outside in the waning daylight, the flickering of fireflies in the evening breeze summoned memories of growing up in southwestern Louisiana. A pleasant recollection, treasured and stored in my memory banks, left me yearning for simpler times and a simpler life. I treasure those times spent with my sister and neighborhood friends. In the summer, we’d grab empty Mason …
Praying for Others is a Privilege
“Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God’s people”—Ephesians 6:18 (CEV). Waiting to checkout at the grocery store recently, I noticed an older woman—probably in her 80s—in line behind me. Leaning on her cart, she was nursing what I assumed was a broken wrist. She looked up to see me watching her. I smiled. She acknowledged mine with one of her own. Lifting up her wrist, she said, “I did something silly for an old woman. I wasn’t paying attention and caught my foot on a loose brick. I stumbled, fell and …