“Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, of frankincense, and of myrrh.” Matthew 2:11b, NIV After bowing down and worshipping Jesus, I knew it was time to present my gift to God’s Son. Excitement coursed throughout my body as I knelt before the boy, gently lifting my gift from the…
Category: Christian Life
Wise Men, Part II
“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him.” Matthew 2:11a, NIV After endless months of treacherous travel, we came to a humble home where the star had stopped. With great reverence, we also stopped. Dusting our clothes and wiping our hands we…
The Gift
“Love must be sincere.” Romans 12:9 NIV Glancing at the clock, I rushed to heat the oven. It was almost 7am. What was I thinking? I needed that turkey in stat! Why couldn’t I find that roasting pan? Climbing atop a chair I had recently relocated from the table, I threw open the cupboard…
Habit of Thanksgiving
“Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift.” II Corinthians 9:15 “What is a Thanksgiving Box?” our youngest daughter asked our oldest. “It was a decorated shoe box we would fill with strips of paper outlining what we are thankful for. We’d fill it all year long and then open it on Thanksgiving Day.”…
Lessons From Tipper, Part X
“Draw nearer to me and I will draw nearer to you.” James 4:8 NIV Before we brought Tipper home, My husband requested a piece of cloth from her crate at the breeder. Tipper would always snuggle down with that cloth; it became her habit. We would tuck her in at night, pressing that cloth…
Lessons From Tipper, Part IX
“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one single sinner who repents than over 99 righteous who did not need to repent.” Luke 15:7 (NIV) A single, mournful bark. A low, drawn-out whine. A momentary glance into the living room confirmed my suspicions. A black canine behind…
Lessons From Tipper, Part VIII
“I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.” Jeremiah 29:14 NIV One Saturday morning I stumbled onto a precious scene: our second grader was curled up on the floor with a book and Tipper. She was reading aloud and Tipper was listening intently. Her eyes even…
Lessons From Tipper, Part VII
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man I put the ways of childhood behind me.” I Corinthians 13:11 NIV In a wild flash of black fur, seventy-five-pound Tipper raced through the living room and dove under…
False Voices
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8, NIV) Satan slithered up and spoke with a simple, soothing voice, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree…
Faithfully Facing Uncertainty, Part IV
“He said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.’” Genesis 22:5 NIV When Abraham decided to follow God, he was a relative newcomer to faith. He did not come from a godly heritage. He…