Breathe

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4 ESV This past week, hazardous air quality caused by Canadian wildfires forced everyone indoors in hopes of finding clean air to breathe. Overcooked outside…

Guardrails

Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. Psalm 25:20 ESV Eons ago, we lived in Oregon. Early each morning after dropping my toddler sons off at the babysitter’s house,…

Legacy or Regrets?

The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools. Proverbs 3:35 NKJV A legacy is not built in days. A legacy is cultivated over a lifetime. The greatest legacy you can pass on to your children and grandchildren…

No Regrets

So, I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. Acts 24:16 ESV This past weekend, I attended the memorial service for a dear loved one who is now with the LORD. As I listened to the…

Seek & Find

Seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him, if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV Laughter filled the air as playful taunts and not-always-helpful hints of "Hot! You're hot -…

Blurred Vision

"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Deuteronomy 4:9a Picking up and settling my still-new prescription glasses on…

Speculation or Stewardship

“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 1 Timothy 1:5 Paul’s first epistle to Timothy was a letter of instruction to his spiritual son and protégé, as well…

Borders & Boundaries

Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they…

War Time

“Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience.” 1 Timothy 1:18b-19a I dreamed of war last night. Sudden and unexpected. It began very small. One lone invader dropped from the sky, looking more peculiar and out of place than ominous.…

Snuggle Up

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 ESV From my earliest memories, my daddy’s mother was one of my three most…

Solitude

“We live in a world starved for solitude, silence, and privacy, and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.” C.S. Lewis, "The Weight of Glory" This statement, originally published in 1949, was taken from one of several articles and messages written and…

Complacent

The LORD within her [Jerusalem] is righteous; He does no injustice; every morning He shows forth His justice; each dawn He does not fail. Zephaniah 3:5 ESV Have you ever been part of or responsible for a project that required the cooperation…

Defined

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places...to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:3,…

Beautiful

Shakespeare’s words paint a bleak and unflattering portrait of beauty. Here are other less-than-complimentary words and phrases frequently associated with descriptions of beauty: Temporary. Quickly fading. Only skin deep. Shallow. Trivial. Superficial. Empty. There are numerous others that could be noted. Growing…

Hope Rising

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you! For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen…