Have you tried to take a toy from a toddler, and she doesn’t want to give it up? It may be naptime or perhaps you need to leave from playing with a friend, but no matter what you try, you cannot pry those little fingers off of that toy without many tears and protests.
I am in the sandwich generation. Do you know what that means? If you have lived it, you do. I am in the season of life where I have aging parents on one side of me and on the other side of me, I have young adult children with small children. As a result, I am sandwiched by the two generations. It is a privilege to serve both sides! But sometimes, it can get a little busy, with so many ways to help and serve others.
Wandering in a little European town often begins with excitement and a sense of adventure! Aimlessly, you can explore cute shops filled with interesting things or charming cafes that invite enjoying a cappuccino and a croissant.
In 95 A.D. the apostle John, exiled on the isle of Patmos, was given a peek into the forever Heaven—after the return of Christ, after the “lake of fire” (20:14), when God will make His dwelling place with the redeemed (20:3).
Once the certainty of the resurrection of Christ is established in your mind and you have called on the name of the Lord: if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9,13)—how then do you live?
While viewing a program featuring marine life that inhabits coral reefs, I recalled my sister’s tabletop aquarium. Names of her tropical fish flooded my mind—Guppies, Mollies, Swordtails, Tetras and the ever-graceful Angelfish. I instantly moved closer to the television screen mesmerized by their beauty as they swam in their natural habitats.
During a season of leadership responsibilities, I learned a life altering lesson. An intercessor for the group resigned from her long-term commitment. I failed to quickly locate someone to fill that void, and within weeks, chaos set in. After collapsing in frustration one day, I remembered the intercessor’s resignation. I immediately phoned to ask for a temporary recommitment while I actively sought someone else to assume that responsibility.
My ancestors braved the Atlantic Ocean as some of the earliest settlers of what later developed into the United States of America. Their children navigated rivers, mountains, and extreme weather in their covered wagons before eventually settling in the southern states. Once there, they cleared the trees and tilled the ground. They planted, harvested, and hauled the produce to market by mule-drawn wagons. In short, I come from hearty stock!
A visit from my brother and sister-in-law provided multiple opportunities to visit during meals. Some conversations focused on health needs. Another time we discussed the content of our best-loved books. My favorite meal, though, included hilarious stories of my brother’s adolescent escapades!
I treasure my collection of vintage books. One of these tattered treasures holds an honored spot on my bookshelf—the thirtieth edition of Prayer by Ole Hallesby, a Norwegian theologian.
Sometimes it is the smallest of words, the tiniest breath of a phrase that hits like a truckload of bricks. This particular truth hit me, not like a load of bricks, but like the door in a dark room opening to the bright light of a brilliant day. It was blinding. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking.
In anger, fear, sadness, revenge, joy, happiness, jealousy, and even inappropriate requests David prayed to God.
Let's sneak a peek at his prayer journal.
I’m practicing deep breathing as part of daily relaxation disciplines. In my morning devotions I discovered a reason I actually can relax because it’s all going to come together—all this craziness that surrounds me. I feel relief just imagining this new reality.
The Psalmist writes, Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path (Psalms 119:105). If, like myself, you have unexpectedly found yourself on a dark path and wished you had a flashlight, a blazing torch, or that handy-dandy flashlight app on your cell phone. Anything for a light source to keep you from falling would be appreciated.
Falling leaves, cool mornings, the first hint of Autumn and I am warming up apple cider and baking pumpkin bread. Yep, that's me----an Autumn fanatic!!!! Jumping up and down at the mention of needing to put a sweater on to watch the sunset. We Texans, look forward to that first pot of chili and hot cornbread right out of the oven.
I could not believe my eyes when I saw it. It looked like a huge tree had grown up inside an old house and the branches had pushed out through all of the windows.
Historians feel Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount in the gently sloping hillsides of the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee. When you go there you can see small towns situated on the tops and sides of the hills. These towns are not hidden even at night you can see them.
