Did You Know You’re God’s Masterpiece?
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago”— Ephesians 2:10 (NLT). Until a neighbor posted the following on social media, I’d planned to toss the small wood scraps from a project still under construction in my backyard: With spring coming and people cleaning, getting rid of things and sprucing up, I wanted to see if anyone ends up wanting to toss empty paint cans, furniture you want to get rid of or any wood items. I would love to take them off …
Fear Not For God is With Us
“Yea, 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 (NKJV). As my dog and I huddled underneath a makeshift tornado shelter in my bedroom, I was listening for weather updates on my cell phone. Meteorologists were releasing tornado warnings for our area of northeastern Oklahoma. Yes, in February, we were experiencing wicked weather. Since experiencing a May tornado hitting one of my previous houses in 2016, I knew to prepare, thanks to the warnings. Harley and I rode …
Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”—Matthew 25:23 (NIV). It wasn’t like any funeral service I’d ever attended. Instead, it was a celebration of a friend’s life—a life well-lived. I can only imagine when she met Jesus face-to-face. Standing there to greet her, I’m sure Jesus was smiling. Then, those words we all hope to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” During the celebration of Terri’s life, there were tears and laughter as six …
There’s Hope for the Brokenhearted
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit”—Psalm 34:18 (ESV). For more than five months, one of our church members was ill. Despite the loss of two teenage grandsons, she was a spirit-filled joyful woman. She gladly volunteered at church and in our community, and those who knew Terri were richly blessed by the love and care she showed those around her. Since Terri became ill, I stayed in touch through text messages. Through her next-door neighbor and Terri’s replies to my inquiries about her health, I knew she was struggling. She was waiting to …
Knowing the One Who Always Keeps His Word
“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”—Genesis 3:5(NIV). We all know people who have broken their promises. If you follow politics, you know it happens more times than we can count. But we all fall short because we, too, are promise breakers. Just like Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan in the garden, we all fall prey to our human condition. Knowing we’ve given in to our selfish desires, we lose the peace that comes from obeying God. In Adam and Eve’s …
This World is Not Our Home
“For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven”—Hebrews 13:14 (TLB). A Christmas gift I received from my youngest son has led me to ponder life—my life to be exact. Unwrapping the present, I discovered a book titled tell me your life story, Nana, which put a smile on my face. The subtitle reads A Grandmother’s Guided Journal and Memory Keepsake Book. Since I will be celebrating my 70th birthday later this year, the timing is perfect. Who knows how many more years I’ll be in this world? Yes, God does, but …
Lessons Learned From a Gingerbread House
“God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me— my whole life one long, obedient response. Guide me down the road of your commandments; I love traveling this freeway! Give me an appetite for your words of wisdom, and not for piling up loot”—Psalm 119:33-35 (MSG). It took four tries before my four-year-old granddaughter and I could get the walls of our gingerbread house to remain standing. It should have been an easy task but the instructions were lacking in detail. And I’m no carpenter—even with …
Let There Be Peace on Earth
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests”— Luke 2:14 (NIV). In 1944, Jill Jackson attempted suicide, but she didn’t succeed. Later, in an interview aired on National Public Radio, Humankind, Jackson talked about her background and what led her to write the song, “Let There be Peace on Earth.” “When I attempted suicide and I didn’t succeed,” she said, “I knew for the first time unconditional love—which God is. You are totally loved, totally accepted, just the way you are. In that moment I was not allowed to die, …
When Love Came Down at Christmas
“Do everything in love”—1 Corinthians 16:14 (NIV). One of the things I love about this time of the year is the music, including the hymns and the contemporary versions of those songs. It’s interesting to read the stories of the songwriters and what inspired the lyrics they wrote. “Love Came Down at Christmas” is one of my favorite hymns. Written by Christina Georgina Rossetti in 1885, the lyrics capture the essence of Christmas in one word—love. One of the most well-known scriptures is John 3:16. “ For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that …