Love Letter #4
"Do you love Me?" Each word pierced Simon Peter's heart as deeply as a dagger plunged repeatedly into his chest. Do. You. Love. Me. Jesus asked the question as they walked together on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. No doubt…
Love Letter #3
A lawyer stood up in the crowd to ask Jesus a question. His motives weren't pure; he wanted to make himself look good in the eyes of the people while putting Jesus on the spot. "So, Jesus, what exactly must I do…
Love Letter #2
“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” 1 John 2:5 NKJV We walked past the aging wooden telephone booth boasting its French-folding glass-paned door as we…
Stuck
“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ” Romans 15:5-6…
Wishy-Washy or Resolute?
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” - Hebrews 10:23 ESV Wishy-Washy. What a funny word. I’ve heard that expression since I was a little girl growing up in Texas, and I…
Dear Others
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4 ESV I am overwhelmed by the number of people whose lives have intersected with mine over the past twelve months. It was…
The Gift
"Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15 ESV A long-time Christmas favorite in our home is the 1963 Christmas episode of the Dick Van Dyke Show titled "The Alan Brady Show Presents." Alan Brady's multi-talented writing staff, led…
Let Us Adore Him
"Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him." Matthew 2:2 O Come, All Ye Faithful "O come, all ye faithful,joyful and triumphant,O come ye, O…
Bright & Shining
"This little light of mine, I'm goin' let it shine. This little of mine, I'm goin' let it shine. This little of mine, I'm goin' let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine." Standing tall, singing loudly, and…
Comfort, Peace & Hope
In turbulent times... "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3 ESV She closed the exam room door quietly and efficiently as she greeted me, then sat momentarily, reviewing my patient…
Personal or Community?
Us. We. Them. They. Our people. Our group. My family. My squad. Our team. Humans gravitate towards family, groups, teams, and collectives of many types. Unless you are genuinely a hermit, you enjoy (to varying degrees) being with others. Not all of…
In Need Of Rescue
"Listen to me...you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will…
Guilty
I stared at the old Singer treadle sewing machine. I had always been fascinated by the foot-powered machine, which required steady foot action and carefully coordinated movement of fabric and thread tensions. It was a graceful dance of feet, fabric, and fingers.…
Whispers of Thunder
"How faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?" Job 26:14 NIV As a little girl, I remember waking in the night to the sound of distant thunder. I listened to the whisper of…
Powerless
"O our 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 ESV Good King Jehoshaphat's heart sank as he listened. The Ammonites, Moabites,…