Because of Grace we Press On
For everyone on your third cup of coffee already….I hope you are in your happy place – not in the middle of a chaotic, “Where did I put my keys” kind of day. Where do those days lead? Right. Straight to a headache. Right now. . . Take a deep breath. Exhale.Right now. . . Focus on something that calms your mind.Right now. . . Turn your thoughts where your soul is happy. Here is a bit of joy and encouragement for your day. Do not let the enemy of …
Yesterday someone asked me about what I posted. They said – I’m so angry at how things have turned out sometimes and I wonder. Does that mean I wasn’t armored and prepared for the attack? I’m not a Biblical scholar, but I’m a human with every spiritual frailty known to man. I don’t know how you would answer that question, but this was most of my answer. Truth. The enemy is ruthless, deceitful, wicked, evil, and a jealous liar. We think he is no more harmful than an irrational neighbor. …
If you don’t have a prayer partner, I highly recommend it. If your prayer partner doubles as your friend, it’s even better. You know – A friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you anyway. That kind of a friend. Kim Boonstra is that friend to me and I am that friend to her. Every day we text each other and ask, “How can I pray for you today?” Sometimes our requests are pretty insignificant, but other times we need to bring out the truth of Ephesians …
How was your day yesterday? I know. Do we really have to bring up yesterday? Don’t we love the words in Philippians 3:13 “Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind”? I’m all about kicking yesterday to the curb and starting fresh every day but let me revisit yesterday so I don’t repeat it today. First – yesterday was a good day; nothing bad happened. Let’s just say it was an instructive day because God answered one of my …
OK everybody up! Rise and shine! Good Morning Sometimes I struggle. Does that ever happen to you? Struggle? If we put our list of struggles side by side there’s a good chance there would be no matches, but we would all have something on our lists. I have a lifelong infatuation with the word ‘why’; not so much the academic, ‘Why does that formula work when this one doesn’t?’ but the practical, ‘Why did this happen when it’s not at all what I expected.’ We’ve all been there, navigating the …
Have you ever started your day from the moment of wakefulness with an unexplained sense of regret? Monday, I woke up disappointed; no reason, but the tug toward discouragement was obvious. Monday follows Sunday, the day of spiritual feasting. It didn’t take long to recognize the leading character in this restless descent into pessimism. While my guard was down, the ‘Enemy of My Soul’ brought out his messy paintbrush and tried to ruin the landscape of the beautiful day God planned. During our pastor’s sermon on Sunday, he was reading in …
When I enter a room to relax, kick back, veg out – in short, to become the epitome of a couch potato in appearance and momentum – I dim the lights, grab my blanket, and enter the state of inertia. Not so when I enter a room with intentions to work on a project, read a book, do some cleaning, or check off items on my to-done list. When I’m on a mission, I turn the lights on, sometimes more than one, because I want to see clearly, need every …
Have you ever had a blue day… maybe not dark blue, but not the sunny sky blue that lights up the sky and feels like summer. It’s more like the gray blue that’s tinged with sadness and mutes all joy. It’s not unusual for blue days to slither through places we visit multiple times in a week: the gas station, grocery, other stores, church, workplace, restaurants and other places where people meet and greet. It’s common to hear complaints, see people in subtle conflict, or witness unforgiving anger. After while, …
Day by day, and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here … If you don’t recognize those leading words to an old hymn, don’t worry. It was written in 1865 by Karolina Sandell-Berg – ancient history, but read the words again. The next line continues “Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment; I’ve not cause for worry or for fear.” Have you watched the news lately? Opened your mailbox overflowing with countless charities, all worthy of your benevolence, imploring you to ‘Please give’? We live in …