I awoke from another night of lost sleep. Our little farmhouse was still, except for my movement toward the coffee pot and the cat eyes watching me. They were tracking my every move, anticipating that I'd soon be headed for the stash of canned salmon. After a long night of waiting, they would each be […]
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 […]
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 […]
My husband called to me from outside, "Get your shoes on and come out here!" I thought for sure yet another item on our property was to be found damaged. Lately, storms had washed up debris into our yard, torn up our gravel road, and blown work projects across our lawn. I sighed, rolled my […]
Gardening is a form of suffering. Not for everyone who does it, but it is for me! My dad peruses seed catalogs like I used to peruse the Christmas toy catalogs as a child. I, on the other hand, feel a bit anxious at the sight of them in the mailbox. What will I plant? […]
Do you remember the tragic, true story about John F. Kennedy, Jr. accidentally flying a plane into the Atlantic Ocean off of the coast of Massachusetts? Kennedy and his beautiful wife and sister-in-law were killed because Kennedy failed to maintain control of the plane over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation and possibly […]
I've recently found myself in a place of being tempted to give up on an extremely difficult situation. At the same time, the Lord has impressed upon me through prayer, his word, and conversations with multiple people, that that is not the thing for me to do. I knew that I needed to give up […]
Does this passage resonate with you? "Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him." -Psalm 28:6-7 Me too! I can say that no matter how you […]
Have you ever witnessed a great mediator at work? One of the best human mediators I've seen in action is my husband. He's great at calming a storm in just about any kind of situation. Our family is blessed to have him as he can readily bring peace into intense situations brought on by offenses […]
"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." -Isaiah 26:3-4 This is a call to be centered on the Lord in the midst of life’s hardness. When it's hard, He is harder. […]
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 […]