“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: Grace
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…
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…
He Hears, Always
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:12 NIV “No one is listening to me,” shouted the petite teenage-girl, turning and dashing out the door, abandoning both the conversation and the home she dearly loved. The past few months had seemed like eternity,…
Grace Of A Father
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will you Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 NIV Today is a day we in Western culture set aside to honor and celebrate fathers. Many good fathers have…
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…
Words
“Lord, even before I speak a word, you know all about it.” Psalm 139:4 NIRV I read the words on the screen before me. They cut very deeply. I knew the judgment was not accurate but that didn’t quell the pain rising inside me. Anger flowed through my veins. But I knew my immediate…
Unmasked
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16: 7b NIV He walked into church, a trained smile upon his lips; one that never seemed to reach his eyes. No one wants to truly know what I…
Altered to a T
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 A middle-aged husband asked his wife, “Do you know a good tailor?” Puzzled, she responded, “I know one, what do you need?” “Some of my pants need let out, they’re too snug.” She tried to hide her…
P.U.S.H. Part II
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:18 NIV “I can’t believe I spent years in college for this,” the new nurse mumbled under her breath as she punched in her medication cart code for the seemingly thousandth time that shift. Back…