“He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze” (2 Samuel 22:35). In this exuberant psalm of praise and thanksgiving, David declared the mighty and powerful acts of God, who saved him from all of his enemies (verse 1). While verse 35 is just one of the many recountings of the Lord’s faithfulness, two little words stuck out to me: “so that.” Clearly David was praising...
Humility. It may just be the key to walking into a new year with renewed vision. It may be the secret to experiencing restored relationships. It may be our answer when facing difficult people and our response when we just don’t know how to respond. In other words, humility may be just what we need to leave a difficult year behind us and walk into a fresh year with endless...
Reminder: You define your goals. Your goals don't define you. The longer (and truer) version: You define your goals, through the guidance of the Word of God and the leading of the Spirit of God. Your goals, whether the simple act of setting them or the admirable act of achieving them, do not define you. As thoughts of the New Year, and yes - new possibilities, and even new goals - loom in...
My Gift to God:I saw myself at Christmas timeStaring at the treeSeeing all the presents thereStaring back at me. I wondered what the Lord would wantFrom those like you and me,Our gifts aren’t that significantJust boxes beneath the tree. But then I learned - the gift God wants Can simply be discovered,By peering in this velvet boxYou’ll see your gift uncovered.(Author unknown) What is seen...
Less really can be more. This Christmas Day and season may have been marked by seeing less people. Attending less parties. Baking less cookies. Doing less decorating. Buying less presents. When there is less of one thing however, there is always more of another. Could it be in this Christmas (or year) of less, we are actually experiencing more? Could it be that we have been given...
What can thank you notes teach us about responding - in faith - to the unknowns of life? It was still weeks before Christmas when I found cards - stamped, addressed, and ready to be mailed - from my daughter to her grandparents and other family members. When I asked her what they were, she replied that they were thank you notes for the Christmas gifts she would receive in a few weeks....
Things to do. Errands to run. Doctor appointments to make. Sports schedules to coordinate. These notes are what clutter my kitchen countertop on any given day. In fact, the more hectic life is, the more cluttered my counter is! One evening I took off my wedding ring and placed it on the counter. The next day I could not find it, my most valued possession! It was not where I thought I...
Tamar. Rahab. Ruth. Bathsheba. Mary. Five women. At first glance, nothing would seem to tie these women’s stories together. One is known for her deception. The other for her devotion. One for her purity. The other for her prostitution. One for being at the “wrong place at the wrong time.” One for being chosen at the ordained time. Some seemed to be defined by...
“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful who had made the promise” (Hebrews 11:11). She considered Him faithful. She carefully thought about, and concluded, He was trustworthy and would do what He said He would do. His faithfulness: what a thought for us, too, to not only consider but allow to wash over our hearts...
As I walked into the kitchen, I saw that flour, measuring cups, and mixing bowls covered the counter: my daughter had been baking again. I exhaled a heavy sigh as I wondered, “When will these kids clean up after themselves?!” As I got closer, however, I noticed her signature smiley face drawn into the layer of flour dusting. I couldn’t help but smile as I thought, “She left her...