This week, I found myself in the horse pasture, gathering apples. Our horses are blessed to have a couple of apple trees and one peach tree in their little pasture, and we are blessed that they don't eat them all. Apple picking was not high on my teenage children's list this beautiful September day. Wishing […]
Shadow loves our walks up the road, but she is happiest when we leave the leash behind. The moment I unclip it, she bounds forward with ears flying, tail wagging, and eyes sparkling with joy. She runs, circles back, runs again, stopping only long enough to look at me as if to say, “Isn’t this […]
In the summertime, my horse Emmett has two great loves: fresh watermelon and his fly mask. Yes—his fly mask. As odd as it may sound, Emmett knows it’s a gift. He doesn’t resist it; in fact, he seems to welcome it, especially when the heat rises and the flies swarm. With his dark coloring, he’s […]
This blog post is now available as a podcast! Click the image below if you'd prefer to listen: Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and […]
Is it wrong for me to think I can reflect God? Humans aren't perfectly holy, all-present, or all-knowing. Don't worry! I don't propose that we can reflect those kinds of attributes, but if we are in Christ we are enabled and called by God to image other attributes of Himself; the ones He calls His […]
Have you ever heard this heart-wrenching story? Polish Priest, Maximilian Kolbe, was arrested by the Gestapo for hiding Jews and Polish refugees from the Nazis during World War II. During his time at Auschwitz concentration camp, ten men were rounded up to be starved to death in order to deter further escape attempts by the […]
One can't miss the intricate handiwork of spiders, especially in the fall. I recently found myself mesmerized by them on my morning walk. I looked up high in the changing trees and tried to follow the lines and curves. I couldn't imagine how such a small creature could pull off such a great task. The […]
I was having a delightful morning; it was just me, my coffee, and my computer. Having finished up an amazing prayer time with gentle worship music, I decided to catch up on some Christian blogs. The first blog post I looked at was over at BettieGsRASeasons about a new book by Cheryl Smith called Biblical […]
I walked along the outline of our property. It was over ninety degrees, but I didn't feel the harshness of the sun because I was under the cool shade of the trees that line our creek. I could walk for at least fifteen minutes before I would hit the area where there is no relief. […]
I’d like to think that at age 48 I’ve learned not to worry about pleasing others or to fear what other people think. But it turns out that I do. Certainly, I've grown in this in certain areas of my life. In other areas, I need to check myself. One area I'm particularly aware of […]
Advent Joy isn’t shallow or sentimental—it is rooted in the appearing of Christ. When Scripture speaks of Christ being manifested, it means that God has made Himself clearly seen, known, and encountered in order to save. “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation…” — Titus 2:11, ESV The Child in the manger is the […]
Where do you long for Christ’s Peace to enter your story this week? Or have you given up hope for that? Perhaps it would be good for you and me to remember Jesus' words about the kind of peace He gives. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the […]