Ears Wide Open
“Hear, O Heavens, and give ear, O Earth; for the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 1:2 Rusty: My firstborn, Rusty was about four years old, out of the tub, dried and wrapped in his towel standing at the top of the stairs, yelling…
Tornado
“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul…” Hebrews 6:19a Tornadoes are not an unusual sight in the midwestern skies, but on this day the angry cloud-filled sky darkened suddenly, weighing heavy on the farmhouses dotting the wheat…
Careless Words
“So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.” James 3:5 ESV We tend to focus on the BIG things – BIG is better, right? BIG wins, BIG houses, BIG bank accounts, BIG jobs, BIG titles, BIG…
Fearless
“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you.'” Isaiah 41:13 It was a time of. . . Great wickedness and disobedience, Rampant idol worship, Political…
Nothing But the Truth
"Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation..." Psalm 25:5 Growing up one of my favorite things was spending Saturday nights with my grandma because she would allow me to stay up late to…
Leftovers
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty. Jeremiah 15:16 NIV Growing up I was blessed to have remarkable, godly women in my life. One of those…
Masterpiece
“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.” Isaiah 51:1 This verse was written to comfort and encourage the Israelites…
Remember
"Only take care...lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and ...they depart from your heart .....” Deuteronomy 4:9 Boxes of memories sit dusty on the shelves that line the back wall of the basement. Childhood photos and relics, a…
Shine On!
"...let your light shine before others..." Matthew 5:16 Michigan Winter is officially over, and Spring is making a valiant effort to establish its presence, but it is spotty at best…a little Spring here and there with frequent doses of Winter’s leftovers. But…
Broken and Crushed
"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18 God’s daughters, Christ-followers, sitting together but each alone in their brokenness, hurt, pain, anger, and frustration. Some with eyes brimming with tears, some with cheeks wet and…
Lifted
“I will exalt you, O LORD, for You lifted me out of the depths…” Psalm 30:1 It was a typical Texas summer afternoon...hot, lunch was over, the little ones were down for naps, and the moms (three sisters) were deep in conversation;…
Come and See
"There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory." 1 Corinthians 15:41 Late one warm summer evening, my mom woke me and my younger sister…
Overwhelmed
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear..." Psalm 46:1, 2a Do you ever get that feeling of being absolutely overwhelmed? Do the demands of the day – of every day – seem…
Keep Your Eyes on God
“…we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." 2 Chronicles 20: 12 Prepared for war, the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites, all enemies of God’s people,…
Beautiful
“For the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because He has made you beautiful.” Isaiah 60:9 I love beautiful things. Even as a little girl, I loved things of beauty – my mom’s jewelry and…