All in Encouragement
“I can’t find anything after I put it away. I know I need to organize, but I just don’t know where to start. I want to invite friends over, but my house is such a mess. I want less clutter, but I just can’t figure out how to get started.” Sound familiar?
“Lucas, get your soccer shoes from the utility room. Katie, the half-time snack is in the refrigerator. Sean, come here so Mom can button your jacket.”
Have you ever found yourself putting off a challenging task until the last minute or indefinitely? I know I have.
When you don’t know what to pray… because there are no words… what do you do?
I have learned…
Use God’s message to help you. That will be like a sword that God’s Spirit puts in your hand (Ephesians 6:17b Easy).
I could recognize the melody but not the words. It was my son singing his seven-year-old daughter to sleep.
I am a life that was changed by one woman stepping into the life of one woman.
After the unexpected bad weather we experienced a couple of years ago in South Texas, people took the anticipated freeze warning seriously. The forecasted eighteen degrees definitely fell below any normal winter temperature in the South.
We are all on a journey. Interestingly enough each one travels his or her own unique path, but there are commonalities that tend to draw us together.
During a recent lunch conversation, a friend and I got on the topic of “significant” birthdays. The particular number under discussion was one looming on her horizon, but solidly in my rearview mirror, making me the expert on the subject.
If you ask young children to name the seasons, some might answer, “Christmas, Easter, July 4th and Halloween.” Following that train of thought, the sign of each new season would be the bursting forth of appropriate merchandise on the shelves of local retailers. Ah, sad, but true…
On day 4 of Creation, God placed two great lights in the heavens. Lights we recognize as the sun and our moon; one direct and one reflective.
As I write this, it is August and it is hot. The recent rains were only a temporary respite from temperatures that promised 90’s and threatened 100’s. But, I know this: the heat of August won’t last forever and better days—days of dappled sun and fall breezes—are ahead. I know that because I have experienced many years and many seasons.
As I studied my Christmas shopping list this morning, I remembered a statement I’ve heard my pastor, David Dykes, say many, many times: “You are never more like God than when you give.” Our God is a giver. In fact, the Word says that every good and perfect gift is from him.
Last month, while jeeping on an alpine trail at 12,500 feet altitude, I was astounded at the bounty of glorious flowers. There were natural-formed bouquets of golden sunflowers, delicate lavender blooms scattered among them, and an array of pink and white blossoms peeking around the rocks.
Our journey through this life has many perilous intersections, dangerous drivers, split second decisions, and blind curves. Our Heavenly Father offers His hand of safety in the form of His Laws, like the Ten Commandments and His warnings throughout the New Testament.
I’m painting woodwork in my house—a wretched job that requires hours of labor. My daughter, Ashley, came for several days to help. As we worked, she would occasionally say, “This is fun!” As for me, what began with excitement a few weeks ago has turned into a prayer—Lord, just help me finish!
A popular affirmation parents use with their children these days goes like this, “Way to be a problem solver. Great job solving that problem yourself.” While one cannot debate the value of problem solving and thinking for oneself, God asked the Israelites to do just the opposite – let him solve their problem.
The trio is back…the mother, the father and their fledgling Cardinals. They regularly visit the platform bird feeder. I like to study their interactions.
When these words are given at the end of a service you are attending, remember that you are being blessed by some of the oldest words in Scripture. The Aaronic blessing, the oldest benediction in the Bible, was spoken over the people of Israel at the end of the daily sacrifice.
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.
