Wholesome Talk

Wholesome Talk

Jill Hardin
Obedience

Mean words. Potty-talk. Critical comments. It was the beginning of a long summer, and I purposed to tackle the issue of the ugly mouth I heard coming from my children. For that summer, my children and I focused on the verse above. We memorized it. We talked about it. We defined words and explained concepts within it. We looked for it lived out in others. We noticed the opposite qualities lived out in others. And most importantly, we asked God to help us walk out this verse in our family relationships.

Hindrances

Hindrances

Jill Hardin

Are you hindered? I am…or at least I feel like it. A lot! Webster defines hindrances as things that impede, stop or prevent…to hold back, to delay action…to interfere with activity or progress. Yep. Seems like I live there!

Walk Worthy

Walk Worthy

Jill Hardin
Challenge

I love this action verb “walk.” In fact, I love a good walk…..one that awakens my senses and gets my blood pumping. I love a walk in the early morning hours when darkness becomes light and I can think through the day ahead. But the best kind of walks are those sweet evening walks with my beloved better half….how I love him and enjoy every moment in his presence.

Trusting

Trusting

Julie Smith
Faith/Trust

I play a little game with my son where I ask him how much I love him. He replies in numbers. The joke is that he usually says, “zero” or “one.” Then I correct him with the craziest number I can make up, which is undoubtedly unscientific, followed by tickles and laughter. There is no number that can express quantitatively how much I love my children. Though we play silly games, my son knows that I love him. He believes it. He trusts me, he trusts in my unfailing love. 

Waiting

Waiting

Julie Smith
God's Character

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.

Falling

Falling

Julie Smith
Spiritual Growth

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

Drifting

Julie Smith
Spiritual Growth

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.

Condemning

Condemning

Julie Smith
Encouragement

Doesn’t everyone have it all together? My house is clean. I’ve accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish at work. My attitude with my husband has been perfect. I have excelled in parenting and disciplining my children.

One Thing

One Thing

Karen Sims

Do you know what an Everything Bagel is? It’s a bagel topped with a variety of seeds, garlic, onions, and a salt mixture. It’s unlike other bagels that typically are plain, or have one topping. I enjoy Everything Bagels, yet sometimes I relish a one-topping bagel with satisfaction.

Keep Practicing

Keep Practicing

Karen Sims
Spiritual Growth

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.

Today

Today

Karen Sims

Does the thought of living today, right now, seem too hard? Maybe. Living in “today” may mean facing health issues, relationship struggles, or financial hardships, according to God’s leading. The suffering and pain that trials bring may feel unbearable and unthinkable.

Divine Mystery . . . the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

Divine Mystery . . . the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

Nancy Paul
Hope, Spiritual Growth, Holy Spirit, Jesus

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.

Divine Mystery . . . Christ

Divine Mystery . . . Christ

Nancy Paul
God's Character, Jesus

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

Divine Mystery . . . Preexistence

Nancy Paul
God's Character, Hope

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.

Growing Up

Growing Up

Linda Lesniewski
Salvation

He insisted on creating a garden beside his new country home, but the iron ore boulders stood in the way! Daddy persevered. He’d already sold off the largest ones for the iron, but he had to heave the mid-sized ones over the fence one-by-one.

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