From the hymn, This is My Father’s World by Maltbie Babcock, 1901:  “This is My Father’s world: Oh, let me ne’er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong God is the ruler yet. This is my Father’s world: The battle is not done; Jesus who died shall be satisfied and earth and heaven be one.” From Proverbs 14:22 and 12:20: “If you plot evil, you will be lost; but if you plan good, you will be granted unfailing…..

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I guess comfort is an important commodity, isn’t it? We want comfortable clothes, we eat “comfort foods,” we lounge in or on comfortable furniture, we seek or give comfort with soothing words and platitudes.

Even the 23rd Psalm just oozes the concept of comfort: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me lie down in green pastures,He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul.

Sometimes, life is not comfortable. Strife enters relationships. Cable…..

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I so needed these words from Jesus Calling last night. I had been majorly busy all day, ironically, with church “stuff”, 6:30, 8:30, 1:30, when our sweet daughter-in-love asked me to babysit last night. My spirit rebelled, and then I felt really guilty about it, then said yes. I was facing a trip to Rockeldge to put babies to bed, when she called telling me she had made other arrangements. That made me feel even worse, since I knew it…..

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Why do we attend worship services? To be seen? To see our friends in Christ? To serve the church? To satisfy a habit and a ritual?

Sarah Young in Jesus Calling has this to say today: “Come to Me with your defenses down, ready to be blessed and filled with My Presence. Relax, and feel the relief of being totally open and authentic with Me. You have nothing to hide and nothing to disclose, because I know everything about you…..

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“I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. In my integrity your uphold me and set me in your presence forever. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.” Psalm 41: 11-13

Sometimes I need a little encouragement in walking with the Lord and trying to follow His will. Today is such a day. We are admonished in the New Testament to not be…..

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I spent yesterday doing volunteer work for the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, preparing a mailing of some 2000 brochures to advertise our upcoming Masterworks concert. The group of ten of us gathered around the table, some folding, some adding address labels, some sealing envelopes, some stamping them all until the job was done.

Conversation, of course, reduces the tedium. Most of the participants are retirees like me, with time to share and lots of life experiences. As we fell into…..

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May these words from Ecclesiastes 3 bless your day: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil–this is the gift of God. I know that everything…..

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My granddaughter is in the three-year-old dress up phase. She’s a princess, or she’s in mix-match, or she’s dressed ready for work like mommy. It’s adorable, and it’s creative, and it’s the way little girls fantasize. And now she’s talking about Halloween. While I don’t like what’s become of the Halloween thing, I love that kids can pretend to be someone else just for a little while. It’s a good thing for their imagination, for their image, and a great…..

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Putting things in perspective is easy for some logical-mathmatical people like my husband, or my daughter who sees things in black and white, right or wrong terms. For me, however, I look at all the angles, the innuendoes, the insights, the instincts, the “behind the story stories”, the motivations, the ramifications, etc. and this makes things complicated.

While I sometimes forgive others’ negativity, I tend to wonder what caused the statement that was hurtful. I wonder what had previously motivated…..

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