4 Ideas That Will Make You Appreciate Christmas More
I grew up in a fairly large extended family. My grandparents had five children and twenty grandchildren. Christmas was always a fun celebration with lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course, my grandparents. Laughter, excitement and joy filled the day and spilled...
The Love Of God Is A Free Gift
Early on in my Christian life I learned the 1 John 4:7 and 8 song. This catchy tune and direct-quote-of-scripture lyrics stuck in my brain and played over and over. I can remember requesting that song when my small group leader brought his guitar so our group could...
No Religion – Really The Best Of All Possible Worlds?
We don’t have to look very far to see the devastating effects extreme religion and “holy wars” have had on the world. ISIS and Al-Qaeda are only the most recent examples of wars launched in the name of religious beliefs. John Adams briefly contemplated a world...
The Truth About Prayers: An Attractive Aroma
Prayers are deathless. They outlive the lives of those who uttered them.1 In a time when so many are falling away from the Christian faith, all four of my parents’ children are believers. Each of us has a strong, active, and confident faith. Who in my...
For Others Sake – An Opportunity To Bless
Lead me … unto Thy way, the way everlasting. For Jesus’ sake; aye for man’s sake too. ~ S.D. Gordon* Anytime we strive to be more transparent before God, to be more Christ-like, to follow God’s path, we invite God’s blessings, and experience His pleasure. But...
The Extraordinary Is Apparent In The Ordinary
Ordinary things are all around us. The very word hints at how mundane and uninteresting the ordinary can be. Yet, unless we are paying attention to the ordinary, we risk missing the extraordinary. One day last fall I sat watching the birds. As a fairly avid...
Victory In A Most Unconventional Manner
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. Hebrews 11:30 As the Hebrews, under the leadership of Joshua, prepared to enter and subdue the Promised Land, they sent spies out to get a feel for what they would encounter....
The Powerful Meaning Of The Presence Of God
A friend who knows my passion for baking bread gave me a year long devotional titled Fresh Bread: And Other Gifts of Spiritual Nourishmentby Joyce Rupp. Within days of beginning to read it, the question, “What does the God's presence in our life mean to us?”...
Absolutely Free: God’s Way Of Modeling Love
Performance. Competition. Execution. In the western culture, we are constantly being judged. Schooling requires constant testing and grading. Work requires specific performance standards be met. Competition is an integral part of sports, whether attempting to best...
Unwavering Confidence In The God Who Is With Us
“…let him curse…It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing today.” 2 Samuel 16.11-12...