Poking through sale merchandise always brings me close in spirit to my mother, one of the great shoppers of her generation. How many times would some bargain, upon closer examination, reveal a spot or chip?
All in Daily Walk
Patiently
Imagine along with me for a minute…
It is autumn in the spiritual fruit orchard. As you walk down the rows of trees, you notice something interesting. The harvest has been completed and the branches are bare, except for the fruit that remains on one kind the tree. You ask your companion what it is and he answers,
Waiting
“I love waiting!” said no one, ever. Can you think of a time when you prayed for something that meant a lot to you—I’m talking fervent prayer—and waiting for an answer seemed to drag on? Did you get impatient? Did you lose faith and take matters into your own hands?
Pumpkin Time
Groggy and moving slowly, I open the back door to let our dogs out. It’s a bright, spring morning—green grass, warm sun accompanied by a light breeze, flowers sprouting (I feel compelled to mention the weeds I’ve looked at every morning this week and failed to pull). This is a favorite time for so many people! Even from Solomon, we hear praise that winter is past (Song of Solomon 2:11).
Minding our Tenses Well: Day 2
For a teacher whose vocation is motivated by a love of his subject there is nothing more gratifying than to know that he has inspired others to follow in his footsteps. Dedicated coaches develop great players, brilliant scientists shape the minds of those who will define the future and eloquent professors produce great poets and writers.
The Learning Curve: Day 1
It was our regular Thursday after-school special with the youngest grand girls. When our time was over their dad pulled up in the driveway. As our nine-year old gathered up her backpack and rushed out the door to get in his car, she called back over her shoulder, “I want to learn to bake a cherry pie.”
How Well Do You Multitask?
We used to think we could get more done by multitasking, but the latest research shows this to be false. According to numerous studies, multitasking causes more errors than focusing on a single task.
Words Both Good and True: Day 5
The Letter of Jude is quite a read. It is one of the shortest books in the Bible—one chapter with twenty-eight verses—but verse for verse, it packs a punch.
A Talking Cloud?
New Testament references to clouds typically appear in settings involving Jesus. In fact, He even said to the crowd “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does…. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time? (Lk. 12:54, 56).
Boundaries
The same neighbor’s cow from last year returned this spring to graze in my hay meadow. For days, she casually crossed fences between pastures leaving broken wires and leaning fence posts. She became known as the infamous “renegade cow” as multiple folks attempted to corral her. My brother finally explained the problem. “Once a cow learns a fence is only a psychological barrier/boundary rather than a real one, there’s no longer any way to keep them in a pasture. You might as well haul them to the auction barn!”
God Understands Us Even When We Don’t Understand Ourselves!
The Tops in Texas rodeo has been a local happening for 59 years in the small East Texas town of Jacksonville. One of the newer, and more popular events, however, is Mutton Busting, which lets children under ten attempt to ride a sheep bareback for six seconds. Sound easy? Those of us unfamiliar with sheep may think so. Remember Mary’s docile little lamb with fleece as white as snow? Not so these Mutton Busting beasts.
Finding Our Way, A Deep Dive into the Heart
As I watch nieces and granddaughters face the task of exploring career paths, a famous bit of wisdom comes to mind for narrowing options: “Vocation is where our greatest passion intersects the world’s greatest need.”* This principle of “intersection” has guided me in my own decisions for investing my time professionally and as a volunteer. Without it, the possibilities simply overwhelm.
A Thirsty Soul
The sad houseplant looked like how I felt. Forgotten, parched, brittle and malnourished. I had been so busy these last few weeks with all the responsibilities of keeping a family fed, clothed, and content, that I’d neglected that plant. I rushed it to the sink like a heart attack victim to the ER. Refreshing water flowed, but the soil was so hard and dry that the life-giving liquid just ran off into the sink. No matter how heavy the flow or how long the water ran, it just poured off the surface, wasted and unappreciated. I finally placed the weary plant in a pan of water to soak and hoped that the leaves would rise, the color would return, and the plant would be vibrant again.
Someone’s Praying for You
I still remember my concern when I realized my little Granny would one day not be around to pray for me. She’d stood as a spiritual rock my entire life. As she aged, I began to dread the inevitable loss. Then, a doctor’s diagnosis and a brief illness brought me to the place I feared.
If
The word “If” is a tiny word with big meaning. In my Bible, it’s near the top of a passage dubbed “The Believer’s Triumph.” Paul used it when he posed what seemed to be a rhetorical question. Paul just explained the amazing gift of salvation God offered through the sacrifice of His Son. He also taught about the role of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. He then concluded, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Rather than a question, Paul actually stated a fact! God isfor us, and He proved it by sending His Son and His Holy Spirit.
Welcome!
My daughter witnessed a rare moment—a cow returning to the herd with her newborn calf. The expectant mother had wandered off the evening before to give birth privately in the scrub brush. As dawn broke, the pair stood alone under a tree. The yearlings wandered up first. They circled the calf in curious amazement. Even though the mother tried to stay between them and her baby, she was outnumbered. Each simply wanted a sniff and appeared to say, “Welcome to the herd!” When the rest of the cows arrived, the calf was apparently overwhelmed with joy. It left its mother and eagerly greeted each cow one-by-one. It seemed to ask, “Will you be my friend?”