All in Encouragement
Apostle Peter wrote letters to the early Christian disciples in the Northern part of Asia Minor around 64 AD. His intention was to encourage them to continue their work to establish the first churches even while they were suffering trials. He assured them they were the chosen ones.
My husband’s grandmother became my role model after I gave birth to our first child. So much so that our second child became her namesake because of the relationship she built with our first-born daughter.
Do you ever hear yourself now saying, “I just need to have some fun!”
Many of us have found ourselves isolated, fearful, frustrated, hyper vigilant and discouraged during the last two years. We have just been holding our breath too long!
Sometimes you just need a little good music to pull you out of the blahs. Here are some of my favorites. Dancing is optional — but I highly recommend!
Olga felt weary.
Anyone would in her situation — especially six months into a pandemic. She desperately needed a job, but all her leads seemed to go nowhere. Then, her mom died. She couldn’t even go back to her home country for the funeral.
Inna wanted to attend a Christian university.
Knowing her background, one could say this was a pipe dream.
The same neighbor’s cow from last year returned this spring to graze in my hay meadow. For days, she casually crossed fences between pastures leaving broken wires and leaning fence posts. She became known as the infamous “renegade cow” as multiple folks attempted to corral her. My brother finally explained the problem. “Once a cow learns a fence is only a psychological barrier/boundary rather than a real one, there’s no longer any way to keep them in a pasture. You might as well haul them to the auction barn!”
Words have powerful effects
They have the power to lift up, encourage, motivate, and give praise but if not controlled the evilness of your heart is revealed. It is scary to think that the very same lips that I use to give God glory, honor, and praise can also spit out mean, hateful, and degrading remarks to those closest to me.
In desperation these ten men cried out to the Lord for healing. Their act of obedience caused them to be cleansed outwardly. However, most of them missed the most important transformation - their heart to be cleansed inwardly.
Peter and John were at the temple courts surrounded by people. Peter had just healed a man in the name of Jesus Christ causing quite a stir. Many gathered around these “miracle workers” in astonishment which created a disturbance among the Sanhedrin. They ordered Peter and John to stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. However, these two courageous men stood their ground and replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you or to Him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19).
Being a child of God puts a target on our back, and Satan will take aim for it. The Bible warns us that the devil is like a prowling lion ready to attack. Jesus reminds us that our enemy is a “murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
When my girls were younger I used to love reading them stories. Some of our favorites were the princess stories, such as Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. Even though each of these make-believe stories ended happily, the challenges the princesses faced getting there were difficult.
While driving home from a stressful trip on a quaint country road, I set the cruise control in my car to 71mph. As I travelled along enjoying the scenery and peacefulness, I got distracted and looked down to fiddle with the car menu. I glanced back up at the very last second to avoid hitting a car stopped dead still in front of me. I felt like God tapped me on the shoulder just in time. Thankfully, no accident occurred.
That question, “What do you want me to do for you?” I had never considered it for myself, but decided to give it a try.
I set my alarm early, knowing I had devotionals due soon and absolutely nothing written. I needed some quiet hours to reflect and write. For almost two hours, I sat and stared at my computer and my open Bible. Nothing came.
Spring cleaning has taken on a new meaning these days. Closets, drawers and attics have been reorganized. Our yards and gardens may be looking better than years before. Surely there is some comfort gained while our to-do lists dwindle. But some people are entering into a restless phase while this virus continues to take center stage in our lives. I have begun to sigh when I hear the morose acronym...COVID-19.
I was bogged down in my daily Bible reading. After I trudged through Exodus, past the victory of the plagues, the miracle of the manna and quail and the water from a rock, I sat mired in the details of the Tent of Meeting….the place where God planned to meet and fellowship with His people.
I listened intently as my distant relatives communicated stories about my parents when they were young. The previous day, my mother had shared some of the same stories. Hearing the stories from different viewpoints added details and richness.
Red, round, juicy home-grown tomatoes are my obsession every summer! They are far superior to their tasteless counterparts that are picked green and ripened by gassing, occupying the shelves in most grocery stores.
In the little one stop-light town where we vacation during the summer there is a herd of deer that roam the yards, streets, even Main Street, and the parks much to the delight of everyone except some avid gardeners. As my little nephews excitedly exclaim, “Look there are mommy deer, daddy deer, and baby deer!” What a pleasure to watch them quietly move gracefully by you.
