The world is a tough place sometimes. We have good days and many blessings, to be sure, especially living as Christians in the United States. But we don’t have to look far to see a darker side of life around the world and here as well. Poverty, abuse, disaster, tragedy, corruption, violence, and sin are […]
PROMISES
We were recently on a trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park with Kelli’s family. Neither of us had ever been there before, and it was beautiful. We saw lots of wildlife, especially buffalo, and the scenery was not only amazing, but restorative. Seeing God’s beautiful creation always brings such wonder and […]
THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT
The hem of His garment…the slightest touch of faith has the power to heal and restore all that is broken in us. But how do we approach Him? We see Him working on behalf of others. Their needs seem greater than our own; should we even bother Him? Do we come to Him with a […]
A FAMILIAR STATE OF AFFAIRS
The Gospels quote Jesus as saying, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me.” Selfish is such a familiar word. It has been around since Adam and Eve first tasted the fruit. We’ve known about selfish for as long as […]
WHEN THE NORTH WIND BLOWS
Here in Iowa we know about wind. Almost every day the wind is a substantial component of our weather, at least during the daylight hours. Overnight it may settle down, but during the day you better plan on holding onto whatever is in your hands. We don’t get too excited about how hard it blows […]
FRESH WIND
There’s a song by Keith Staten titled “Such Joy”, and there’s a line in the song that goes like this: “There’s a joy no bounds can hold when the Spirit blows a fresh wind through my soul.” I love that. Lord, blow a fresh wind through my soul. Open the windows, all the entry points […]
WIND OF THE SPIRIT
We’ve had rain; now we have wind, an amazing and powerful force. We hear it. We feel it. We see its effects. The wind blows, but we cannot know where it blows from or where it blows to… …So is everyone who is born of Me, the Holy Spirit. My presence in the life of […]
It’s Done!
Our kitchen remodel project is done! This is our kitchen “before”. We started tearing out the cabinets on February 4. And a few days later it looked like this: Next came the new ceiling. Then things changed quickly! New lights and face frames were installed. Staining was done and under-cabinet lighting made the room start […]
ARE WE THERE YET?
What a relief, Lord, to come to the realization that I’m already dead. There is nothing that can hurt me, move me, or shake me loose from my destiny which is eternity with You. I’m already there…mostly. I know… I’m still breathing; I’m still enjoying good health; I could have many years left here in […]
WAITING
I’m waiting, Lord, for so many things. I’m waiting to see the answers to some prayers. I’m waiting to feel better. I’m waiting for the seasons to change. I’m […]
His Unfolding Grace 