Letting Go of Fear
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”—Psalm 23:4 (ESV) As a young child, my fear of the dark fed my overactive imagination. After I was tucked in bed each night, that fear began to manifest itself in the form of shadowy shapes illuminated by the tiny night light in my bedroom. Looking back now, I can laugh my fear. But, at the time, those childhood fears conjured up evil people just waiting to pounce on me. I’d …
Is Clutter Separating You from God?
“He told them: ‘Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt’”—Luke 9:3 (NIV). I’ve been on a decluttering mission lately. Crammed in a padded window seat in my home office are piles of used, odd-sized mailing envelopes I’d saved through the years. I can’t stand to part with any of them. After all, I need to be recycling, don’t I? After organizing my envelope stash, I riffled through the other items hidden there for safekeeping. When I began to pull out reusable shopping bags, tote bags and gift bags I’d forgotten about, I …
Are you storing up treasures on earth?
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”—Luke 12:34 (NIV). “I had to have it.” This statement made by a 50-year-old man in a recent newspaper article, and the accompanying photo, drew my attention. I’m a headline skimmer. This one definitely intrigued me. What did this man have to have that made news? I shook my head in disbelief when I read the story. This man had gifted himself with a flamethrower for Christmas. He stated, “It’s a Christmas gift from me to me. I saw it and knew I had to have it.” Although he admits …
What does Hope look like to You?
“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” ~ Isaiah 40:31 (NIV). What does hope look like to you? If you’ve been through some tough times this past year, hope may not be something easily grasped. Although 2018 wasn’t a tough year for me, it was a year of changes, of new adventures and of making decisions based on God’s plan for my life. Sound exciting? In some ways it was; in other ways, it has …
Choose to Give Thanks
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”—Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT). We have a standing invitation from our Heavenly Father. After we’ve accepted His Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Lord, we are invited to tell Him of our daily needs. Philippians 4:6 tells us we don’t have to worry about anything. Instead, we are to pray about everything, tell God …
Are You Seeking the Lord’s Purpose?
Too many times we ignore God, seeking our own selfish way, thinking it will be littered with riches and accolades.
What We Can Learn from God’s Creation
Looking up, I couldn’t help laughing as I watched two squirrels engaged in a kung-fu like activity. They weren’t fighting over acorns.
How to Overcome a Stagnate Faith
Some call this experience “stagnant faith.” Stagnant means sluggish, inactive and motionless. Let us not stagnate in our faith.
God’s Unfailing Love for You
It’s true, when we become new creatures in Christ, our sins are forgiven and removed “as far from us as the east is from the west.”