[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The first chapter of John grew longer every day, or so it seemed. I set a goal for 2018 to memorize a chapter of the Bible every month, without much consideration for the length of chapters. Unfortunately, the first chapter I chose was 51 verses long. I needed much longer than a month […]
The Come and See Witness Read More »
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Comfort and contentment are my preferences. I’m not ashamed to admit it. On a recent Friday, though, a downed tree crashed through my fence and changed my plans in an instant. Editing gave way to fencing, even though the sky was overcast and rain threatened. I don’t mind repairing the fence on a beautiful day
Contentment Regardless of Circumstances: Why it Matters Read More »
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Just after 4 am, the train roared down the tracks, horns blaring, “Coming through. Coming through.” There’s no chance of sleep when the iron horse rides, for me or the dogs at the end of the bed. Too cold to drag out of my comfy cocoon, I pulled the covers tighter and pondered
What Will Life Be Like if I Do My Father’s Business? Read More »
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] Early last Sunday morning I pondered my great need to finish edits on my novel and wondered if God would give me a pass on Sabbath rest. He didn’t, and I spent a quiet day of intentional rest, instead. I asked the same question I ask a lot on Sunday morning. Why should
Four Reasons We Should Honor the Sabbath Rest Today Read More »
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Yesterday, I planned to finish a chunk of edits on my fiction work-in-progress. They’re dangerously close to past-due, so all my attention was glued to the manuscript. As I edited a terrorist attack and imagined the sound of gunfire, a noise from outside stopped me in my tracks. Automatic weapon fire, quickly followed
Taking Heart Despite the Signs of the Times Read More »
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] “Hope is that beautiful place between the way things are and the way things are yet to be. See Hebrews 11:1” Yesterday, my pastor posted those words on social media. They reverberated in my head and I began to wonder about the beautiful place of hope. A Scripture search revealed hope to
Finding the Beautiful Place Called Hope Read More »
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]My first experience with a Lenten fast was nearly two decades ago. A friend of mine, from a more liturgical denomination, pondered aloud what she would fast for several weeks before Ash Wednesday. The act of abstaining from something helped focus her mind on God. The discipline served as a tool of refinement
Lent: Learning to Love the Discipline Read More »
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” The quote is attributed to Marc Antony, but it certainly applies to my life. I love what I do, even when it’s a messy, stinky job like cleaning out the barn. The disadvantage comes when you do what you
The Benefits of Sabbath Rest Read More »
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]I awakened long before dawn this morning. Rain pounded the roof with a furious staccato. I rolled over and thought about my horses in the pasture. “They’re getting hammered,” I thought, and regretted they aren’t in the barn. The Still, Small Voice in my heart said, “What about the homeless people?” Shame washed over me
Remembering the Homeless and Hoping for Answers Read More »
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]My small group agreed to do a Bible study by Priscilla Shirer. It’s a good study and requires a fair amount of introspection. My preference is to dig into the ancient languages and drag out truth. What I don’t want to do right now is to dig into my heart and drag out the particular
Discouraged: When Your Nets are Empty and You Feel Like Giving Up Read More »
