Bitter Medicine
"Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey. Revelation 10:9 I ached all over. My stomach was upset, and I felt hot. "Feverish," Momma said. It was mid-morning, and I…
Sandpaper People
"And we urge you...admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all." 1 Thess. 5:14-18 ESV We sat in Panera Bread, sipping coffee and playing catch up. At the mention of a mutual acquaintance, I immediately expressed…
Margin-Living
Every day, I will bless You and praise Your name forever and ever. Psalm 145:2 ESV Margins. The blank edges surrounding the printed words on a page call out my name. I hear questions such as "What do you think of what…
Building Walls
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16 ESV At the beginning of winter, I’m grateful for the walls of our home that keep the cold, brisk winds at bay. The…
Soul Thirst
"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters….” Isaiah 55:1a The scorching heat of Texas summer days often forced my sister and me out to the yard to find relief in a water hose or sprinkler. That was before the above-ground pool…
Let There Be Light!
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. Isaiah 9:2 ESV We lay on the floor, flat on our backs, heads tucked under the lower…
The Big Picture
“Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture!” 1 Corinthians 13:9 NLT My earliest memory of puzzling with Momma was sitting at a puzzle pieces-covered card table in the den,…
Thank You
And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:13 ESV Many of the finer points of social etiquette were not included in my upbringing. My mom left the farm behind when she entered adulthood; my dad…
Rooted
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted, and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7 ESV Russ steadily paddled the kayak down the lazy…
Scarred
"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24 ESV Back in the olden days, my momma and most other…
Glimpses of Glory
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.…
It’s Personal
“I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1b What’s your reaction when you sit down for a conversation and the first words spoken by the other person are, “Look, it’s nothing personal…”? I don’t know about you, but my…
Colored Lenses
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. Psalm 146:8 The Texas skies were dark as my daddy drove our family to Grandma Holt’s house for a family gathering around the supper table. In the back seat, I snuggled against the door,…
Be Careful Little Eyes…
" . . .keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us." Philippians 3:17 ESV Last week’s blog featured a children’s song I happily recalled during several days of amazing worship with Christian writers and speakers…
Overflowing
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11 ESV "He Said Good Things" Instrumental by Headlund from Epidemic Sound We stood in neat little rows, dressed in…