Eight months had passed since Drew’s and Dana’s ten-year marriage started to unravel. Uncharacteristically, Drew accompanied Dana and the children to church one Sunday morning. It was Valentine’s Day.
All in God's Character
I Am Beautiful
Drew and Dana began marriage counseling with a Christian counselor soon after their move. Drew finally admitted to having an extramarital affair. As devastating as the news was, Dana expressed the willingness to forgive him. Her commitment to keep their family intact held steady. Drew wanted a separation, but he took no action to move out.
Following Drew’s confession that he didn’t love her, Dana’s feelings continued to reel. She felt lost at sea one moment and anchored by faith the next. Soon thereafter, Drew received his new job assignment that required moving fifteen hundred miles away.
I Am Loved
Dana felt sweet anticipation as the day began. It was her 10th wedding anniversary. Drew, her husband, was home from completing some out-of-town professional training for his new job. The last few months they’d only spent a few weekends together so she was excited about celebrating today.
Listening 101
I heard the child ask his mother the same question five times, but the mother, who was looking at her cell phone, never answered. She wasn’t listening. I can’t point a finger. When my girls were young, I let many distractions keep me from listening to them. I can still be easily distracted when listening.
Thank You, Lord!
Let’s explore God’s goodness today. The psalmist penned for he (God) is good (Psalm 136:1). Grammatically speaking the word “is” signifies that God and good are the same in the previous sentence. If I said, “Bill is my dad,” Bill and my dad are the same. We can’t separate the two.
Waiting
Have you seen all the hype about the releases of new phones, video games, etc.? People guess about release dates, and news is made when information about the product is leaked. People line up, maybe even camp out for days, to get the latest and greatest.
When Things Don't Make Sense
I don’t understand how giraffes are able to raise their heads to eat leaves from tall trees, and then bend down to drink water without their hearts exploding. The giraffe is amazingly designed by God, the perfect Creator.
Divine Mystery . . . Christ in you
Ah, and so the riches of the mystery unfolds ladies: Christ in you, the hope of glory! God can be God, Jesus divine; but if you don’t personally unwrap the clues of the incarnation, a perfect life, brutal suffering, death on the cross, the resurrection, think of what richness you will miss out on.
Divine Mystery . . . reality, not a shadow
Hang ups—we all have them. Not only was the early church at Colosse hung up on the divinity of Christ. Enter the Judaizers who were doing their best to reinstitute the need for circumcision and the ritual traditions of the Old Testament as criteria for salvation.
Divine Mystery . . . Christ
Before the apostle Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the Law a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church (Philippians 3:5-6). Meeting Jesus head-on provided the clues to complete understanding. If Paul could be converted, if he could know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, there was hope for any Jew. It would take revelation, mixed with brain power, based on facts, to unravel this perplexing question.
Divine Mystery . . . Preexistence
It all began before the beginning, before the heavens and the earth, before time. God was. God was before all things—God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit. What a puzzle for the mind of finite man. The apostle Paul had searched the secrets of the faith and he was determined to provide the clues to his friends in Colosse. Truth revealed would diminish the creeping heresy of the age.
Simply Because You Love Me
I could hardly believe it! I was moving into my new house that I had never even seen. My husband had called me a month prior saying he was putting a contract on a house. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to see the house first.
What's Your Name?
What is your name? This is one of the first questions we typically ask people upon meeting them. Names are the primary means of identifying each other. Moses was no different in the wilderness when he asked God, “What is your name?”
The Reality of Christmas
You probably are in the midst of your Christmas shopping now. I find shopping stressful, do you?The crowds, the decisions, and the costs are overwhelming. Why have we allowed commercialism to take over this special celebration?
Nothing is Impossible with God
Sitting on my dressing table is a small stone plaque that reads, “Nothing is impossible with God.” I look at this plaque several times a day. It serves as a constant reminder to me that I serve a powerful God.
Simply Because You Love Me
I could hardly believe it! I was moving into my new house that I had never even seen. My husband had called me a month prior saying he was putting a contract on a house. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to see the house first.
Level Ground
My daughter and I decided to go on a spontaneous trip to Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg, Texas this summer. Fortunately for us, a cloudy sky led to much cooler temperatures than normal for June.
Who Knew?
Many people get negative feelings about social media. I must admit I probably do not manage my time on Facebook as well as I should. On a positive note though, I have connected with people I never thought I would hear from ever again. Therein lies the blessing.
Grace Beyond Measure: God Is Enough
During the 19th century, personal tragedy led Puritan Hannah Whitall Smith to write several books on suffering.