“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” Luke 1:45, NIV Mary knew her life path had veered into unchartered territory. I knew Gabriel had visited me and I clearly recalled his pronouncement. It was just so hard to believe God was doing this, and…
Category: Faith
Mary’s Treasures, Part I
“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you,’” Luke 1:28 NIV The young Mary was startled and scared at the sudden appearance of an angel. She hadn’t received a written notice of Gabriel’s impending arrival. Her mother probably never instructed her on how to…
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…
Wise Men
“Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews?” Matthew 2:2a, NIV Arising from my mat I glanced outdoors. Another day had already begun. The stillness of the morning greeted me peacefully. I wondered what the day had in store for me. As my thoughts meandered to the daily tasks at…
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…
Faithfully Facing Uncertainty, Part III
“There is no one holy like the Lord, there is no one beside you, there is no rock like our God.” I Samuel 2:2 (NIV) She felt deeply ashamed for something that wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, she’d done most everything right. But, her righteousness wasn’t witnessed or rewarded. Yet….
Faithfully Facing Uncertainty, Part II
“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ she said, ‘I have seen the One who sees me.’” Genesis 16:13 NIV Pregnant. Abused. Alone. Out of fear, she fled to the desert. She carried a barren soul to a barren landscape. As a servant,…
Faithfully Facing Uncertainty, Part I
“He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11 NIV, emphasis mine. Read Daniel 1 and 6. He was the guy who did everything right. You know, that guy. The one hated by seemingly everyone else for being so perfect. The one everyone else was jealous of but…
Setting It Straight, Part II
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV, emphasis mine) Maybe he had just risen for the day. Maybe he was enjoying a little quiet time with the Lord. Maybe he…
Expotential Growth
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 NIV Returning home from a college visit with our daughter, I reflected on just who this young lady is. Creative, intelligent, thoughtful, and spiritual all immediately come to mind. The day of her birth and…