When I was growing up, I imagined how cool it would be to have a videophone. This was a futuristic idea only seen on TV at the time. Well, it’s not futuristic anymore. It is common practice for the next generation.
All in Spiritual Growth
Leaving your Legacy . . . Prepare
You cannot preach the Word, proclaim the Message, tell your story with God, unless you are prepared to do so. In fact preparation is the key to living, anyway you look at it. If you are going on a mountain hike you lace up your sturdy shoes, pack some water, grab your hiking stick, put on your sunscreen, check on the weather—you prepare as best you can.
Leaving your Legacy . . . Be Purposeful
Last page, last letter—the time has come. Paul gives his protégé, Timothy, a stirring charge. At the beginning of this letter he told him that he, Paul, was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher of the gospel (2 Timothy 1:11). Now he places his ministry of the gospel in Timothy’s hands. In effect, he endows his son in the faith with his legacy. He solemnly offers to Timothy, before God, what is tantamount to a binding oath. The Message translation is pretty onerous: I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder.
Who Me?
I cannot even begin to guess how many times I have read this scripture. “But what about you?” he asked, “Who do you say I am?” This time, however, when I read it something hit me like a ton of bricks. Something that made it much more real.
What is Truth?
I have a pair of my mother’s scissor. Years ago she wrote on them in permanent pen “new.” What was true the day she wrote that word is no longer true. The scissors are old and dull. Some things that are true today may not be true tomorrow. But where can you and I find truth that will stand the test of time? What truth can you build your life upon that will never crumble beneath you?
Listening to the Greatest Voice
My friend has an interesting testimony of how she became a believer in Jesus. No one in her family was a Christian. A man began coming to their home once a week and reading his Bible to the family. He did nothing more than read, but the power of God’s Word transformed every person in that family. One by one they came to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
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.
Are You Listening?
Do you know someone who doesn’t know how to listen? I became acquainted with a kind man who worked at a grocery store I frequented. Every time he saw me, he would stop what he was doing and head my way. For the next ten minutes (at least) he would tell me all about what he had been doing, about his family, or about anything that came to mind. He loved to talk, but he didn’t know how to listen. I once told my husband, “I know a lot about that man, but he knows nothing about me.”
The Moved Coaster
When I saw the moved coaster, I smiled.
Your Faith Does Make A Difference for Your Kids
If you’re like me, you want desperately to pass your faith onto your children.
Yet sometimes we wonder if we’re getting through. Or are we only going through the motions. We hear God’s Word but choose what we want to obey.
Falling
I live in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Yep, you guessed it, surrounded by pine trees. The school district I attended from Kindergarten through graduation is even named Pine Tree Independent School District. I have to admit, I love the pine trees. I love walking in the woods, and I love the smell of these evergreens.
Drifting
I watched my husband and our daughter paddle out into the surf in a kayak. They moved through the water to look at the array of fish under them. At times they stopped paddling, but they did not stop moving. Sometimes they drifted further away from where they wanted to go. It required intentional effort to move in the right direction. To go where they wanted to go, they had to pursue it. Just drifting was not going to be enough.
Keep Practicing
Sugar. Butter. A little water. These are the basic ingredients for making scrumptious English Toffee. I’ve been making toffee for about thirty five years. The recipe is simple, yet it doesn’t always work consistently.
Divine Mystery . . . the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
Ladies, one more clue to follow this week as we unravel divine mystery. We are on our way to experiencing the full riches of complete understanding that Paul wishes for us. Knowing Christ is the essential element—Christ the divine, the reality; Christ in you, the hope of glory. It’s in Christ that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. Let’s do a little digging.
Limping with God
After years of being away, Jacob was headed home with his family and possessions. As he neared Canaan, he was told that Esau was coming toward him with 400 men. Jacob and Esau had not parted on good terms. Was Esau coming for revenge?
An Eye-opening Walk with Jesus
A wedding. A shortage of wine. A need presented to Jesus by His mother, followed by anticipation of an answer. The disciples who accompanied Jesus to the wedding watched His every move. What would He do? What could be done to save this couple from humiliation at the onset of their marriage?
The Transformation
Several years ago my cousin and his wife bought a fifty-year-old ranch style home. In spite of its dated interior, they loved the house and envisioned what it could become.
Passing the Torch . . . guard the truth entrusted to you
Have you ever ice-skated ladies? Could you now? I had a rude awakening a couple of years ago when my grandsons persuaded me to join the family free-skate time the winter they played hockey. Confident I could glide around the rink with grace, I laced up my boots and stepped onto the ice. After all, I was on skates at the age of three; but neither glide nor grace were to be. Luckily I did get around the rink, hugging the boards.
Bargain Roses
A few months ago I came across a plant sale. Most of the plants on this rack looked a little pathetic. However, some rose trees in the back caught my eye. There were no roses, only some slightly yellowed leaves on a couple of tiny trees. Most people had passed on them because they were not very remarkable. I then remembered a friend’s rose tree.
What Are You Searching For?
The other day I was taking off my jewelry, and I must have pulled too hard on my ring. It flew off the end of my finger when I pulled it over my knuckle. I heard it hit the carpet. I immediately got on my hands and knees to look for my ring. I must have looked for 20 minutes before I decided to stop and try again later. After looking later, I still could not find my ring. I knew it was there, and I also knew that I would find it with continued searching.