Seeking to be CONTENT in all things, JOYFUL in HOPE, PATIENT in affliction.
Even if you didn’t comprehend the language, the anger was unmistakable. The man being interviewed had just lost his home, his neighborhood to Russian bombs. His face was contorted with pain and the desire for justice. The faces that have filled newscasts and news pages in recent weeks are all you need to see. Their expressions tell the story of Ukraine at war. Anger and grief are well represented. Maybe more prevalent, however, are blank expressions. They may signify confusion or …
We have a yam that never made it onto a holiday table, but it has done much to nourish me. And it has done so without extra calories!The forgotten yam was in my pantry when I noticed it had begun to sprout. Normally, a sprouting tuber would go directly into the compost bin. This one was leafing out nicely, though, and I remembered how pretty yam vines can be. So I placed it on my windowsill, thinking that at some point I would plant it. It has been there ever since.It continues growing without any help from me. In its own …
For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God... 2 Corinthians 1:12 It is a new year, and the call has gone out to simplify our lives. It seems every other email I have received lately was an article on six ways to simplify my life or 10 great products that would do the simplifying for me. Many …
All too often, we believe peace is impossible in our community, in our homes and our marriages. Impossible in the light of scary test results and uncertain futures. Our default setting is defeat.
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"Psalm 46:10 The Earth is at peace. The hum of human activity quieted. Even Earth's upper crust is moving just a little less as everything pauses in the pandemic. Photos of empty streets around …
The drumbeat of fear over coronavirus is hard to avoid. Is it starting to get to you? Although I am not generally an alarmist, I have to admit it is starting to freak me out. You can't buy rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer anywhere. For goodness sake, people are hoarding toilet paper, batteries, and water. …
So, then, we should try to live in a way that brings peace. We should try o help each other so that we become stronger as God's peopleRomans 14:19 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to …
Once again violence shakes the nation, and we wonder what will secure peace. Sadly, we are part of a fallen world and short of glory, there will always be hatred and racism and violence. In the vacuum created by a lack of political will, the nation seems to think that the killing is inevitable. We look for emergency exits; we walk our kids through active shooter drills. We are sad, angry and feel powerless. But remember that peace -- that deep sense of harmony, wholeness, and healths even in the midst of chaos -- is a choice. We achieve it by fixing our attention on God, choosing thankful prayer over …
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" Isaiah 27:7 HCSB Peace seems to elude me of late. Unsettling questions, what ifs and scary possibilities have crowded into my space. So today, I am seeking peace on my patio, where my hydrangeas bloom in cool shades of pink and blue. Tomato vines thrive in early summer heat, lush green, offering a promise of sweet fruit to come. Even my sweet peas continue to bloom past the point …
My best times are defined by small moments. I don't require lots of activity or massive events. My most memorable times, and the things that make me happy years later, are small. The gentle sound of water lapping on shore. The rustle of the wind through evergreens and aspens The hard, cool, smooth surface of an ancient lichen-mottled rock supporting my back. The friendly bond among hikers -- and the dawdlers, like me -- and the genuine …
SMALL MOMENTS FULL OF GRACE 