Grace surrounds us. On the most ordinary days and in the most ordinary ways, the Lord is pouring out His grace. We think of grace as that which forgave our sin and made our salvation possible. That is true. God’s grace was among the forces at work when He provided Jesus as Redeemer and Savior. […]
LESSONS FROM MY PUPPY
I tend to learn from the everyday, common things that are around me, and I’ve been spending lots of quality time with our miniature schnauzer puppy. Zoe will be four months old in a few days, and she’s been with us almost two of the four. She is a pretty smart little puppy and has […]
WORLD CHANGERS
I was reading in Matthew today and in chapter 11 Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven forcefully advancing (NLT). The Bible I’m using is the New Spirit-Filled Life Bible (NLT) with commentary by Jack Hayford. In his notes titled Kingdom Dynamics he says this: “Jesus defines the ‘violence’ of His Kingdom’s expansion by defining […]
Meet Zoe
Wow, what a change at our house! After being without a dog for five years, we now have Zoe. She has definitely changed up the routine around here. This first picture was taken the day we brought her home, but she is growing fast. She will end up somewhere between 12 and 15 pounds probably […]
REFLECTIONS
I love the end of the year. We’ve celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas, gathered, eaten good food, laughed, played, hugged, and eaten again. It has been a good year, a really good year. I relish the chance to remember the blessings. I also love looking forward to the new year that’s almost here. What are the […]
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
Christmas is approaching! I love this season…lights, music, movies, concerts, snow, cold, comfort, families gathered, traditions observed, and even the craziness of getting it all done. But my favorite moments are the quiet ones…the times when I look at a manger scene and am struck all over again with the vastness and scope of God’s […]
FACING ADVERSITY
Father, it’s hard sometimes to not be fearful when we wonder what the future holds. How will we face the trials that may come? We have been used to comfort and ease, and we do not easily let that go. There are many possible pitfalls, and it’s easy to go into self-protection mode. What […]
MORE THAN ONE THING IS TRUE
I’m struggling, Lord, to understand what You say about healing. Some passages seem to say that we should expect healing and health as part of Your provision. Other passages indicate that suffering, hardship, even illness may be brought, or at least allowed by You, and if we are not healed, we should accept and receive […]
Time and Eternity
Time marches on, and we feel the weight of it day by day. It is the same in each season of life. The pressures of the day may feel like they will never end, but the years fly by with alarming speed. Just about the time we think our babies will never sleep through […]
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Show me Your shepherd heart, Father. Help me to remember that I am a sheep, both individually, and as a part of Your flock. You have promised shepherds after Your own heart for Your people. How will we recognize them and not be led astray? Any shepherd that I call to lead My people will […]
His Unfolding Grace 