“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 Frequent Feedings Great soil and proper watering provide a great foundation for a garden. Fertilization helps plants thrive and produce more. How do we “fertilize” our spiritual lives? Some examples include: reading a book on a newer subject…
Growing Guidance, Part II
Frequent Watering “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105 Once you’ve established your plants in good soil, you must water them frequently to help them thrive. If you water a plant with too little water, the roots are stretching, searching for more. Best case scenario, these…
Growing Guidance: Part I
Planted in Fertile Soil I’m not a great gardener. Every spring I attempt to coax forth a beautiful array of blooms proclaiming my green thumb. But my garden tends to shout “I’m neglected!” as its loudest proclamation. As I gazed out into the garden this weekend I was excited to see many vegetable plants growing…
Desperate for Distraction
“Fix your eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,” Hebrews 12:2a I organized a Moms Bible Study this summer. We meet at a park every week, and the children play while we focus on Scripture. Or, we try to focus on Scripture. The last day we met, we settled at our picnic…
How’s Your Season?
“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 Sometimes life’s schedule almost becomes a scandal. Too many commitments, too little time. Too many tasks, too little sleep. Too many words with too little thought. Verse one reassures us, for everything there is a season, a time for…
Preventing Pride
“Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” Psalm 2:10-11 I once heard a true story about a pastor concerned with the potential to become prideful. To keep himself in check, he requested a certain task to be reserved for him alone…
Blessed Are The Obedient
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful… And whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:1, 3b Every time I read the above passage, several people I know come to mind. People sometimes ask how…
It’s not what I do, but who I am
“When the seventy-two disciples returned they reported to him, ‘Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!’ ‘Yes,’ he told then, ‘I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look I have given you the authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and…
A Tender Heart
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” Matthew 10:29 Last week I shared how our daughter, Elyse, is an animal lover. This past Friday night our family took a family “walk”. (The parents walk, the kids bike/run/…
Zero-Tolerance Policy
“In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Matthew 18:14 Several years ago, my husband, John, coined the above title to define my reaction to malfunctioning mechanics. “I can’t believe you can be so patient with our kids and yet get so mad…