Since the Garden of Eden when perfect creation was marred by man’s disobedience (which continues today, as well), God’s punishment was that man would know trials in life and face certain death. How we handle the trials of life is the story of courage, patience, endurance, determination, and a myriad of coping skills. The source of my strength is the sure knowledge that God is sovereign, that He will sustain me in times of temptation, difficulty, and circumstances beyond my…..
MY PSALM 324 DWELL IN ME
Almighty Father, Precious Savior, Jesus Christ, Comforter Holy Spirit, Come dwell in me today. I’m facing some challenges, And can’t quite see where the trail leads
As the hymn says, “In seasons of distress and grief My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.”[1]
I thought the day was planned: Fabulous Fridays, we call it, My husband and I……
Words matter. Tone of voice using words matters. What we say can bless or curse, can bring joy or grief, and can bring to our God praise. This Psalm gives us ways to communicate our deepest thought to the Creator of the Universe. Imagine that. May these words be a blessing to you.
MY PSALM 323 RHETORIC
O Lord of the Universe, I come with humble heart before Your throne, Knowing that in Your mercy, You hear my pleas, Prepare…..
I pray every day that God can use me where He needs me to be. I pray for encounters where I can share His love with others. I look for ways to learn more about Him and to share what I learn, whether through relationships, reading scripture and other authors’ works, or by writing myself. All of these are measures of sanctification.
I hear so often that we cannot earn our way to heaven, that works-based service is not honorable,…..
Sickness and death are part of this mortal life, a recognition of sin from the earliest days of creation when man defied God’s laws. I rejoice when I see recovery from illnesses, from the results of successful surgery, and when I see Lydia walk after in-womb surgery for spina bifida. God is good.
When we take our health for granted, we need to stop to thank God that we are able to go about our lives, even as I do…..
Chaos is a descriptor of many kinds of disarray, disorganization, and causes us dismay. Have you noticed that many of our negative words in English begin with dis-?
One of my books, “Life-Changing Water: from Chaos to Glory: a Metaphor Study” discusses the beginnings of creation, when God created something (lots of somethings) out of chaos, and ends with all the beauty of a perfect creation, the eternity of heaven.
When we are without God’s presence in our lives, we…..
We can live in confidence when we turn our lives over to the King of the Universe. He created us, He knows us, He watches over us, and He welcomes us as His sons and daughters.
MY PSALM 319 CONFIDENCE
Dear Heavenly Father, Creator of all things,
I thank You for loving me, for calling me, for sustaining me
And for the confidence of my salvation
Through my Lord, Jesus Christ.
I thank You for Your promise to guide…..
When we are going through “stuff” and feel discouraged, disoriented, dismayed, disappointed, or any of the other negative “D’s”, know that if you are a Christian, you have the assurance that in this life there are few places to reliably find comfort. A big one is scripture. Another is counseling with a Stephen Minister or Christian friend who can assure you of God’s grace and mercy. That may lead to a sense of peace. I ASSURE you, it’s good to…..
Happy Spring. Today’s topic is anxiety. Of course, there’s much in this would to concern us, and each of us has developed, hopefully, strategies for dealing with stress. Fight or flight is a built-in survival trait. Some deal with anxiety better than others. In my lenten book, I dealt with this topic.
MY PSALM 317 ANXIETY
O Lord, Almighty, Giver of life, Master of Death,
We praise You for showing us courage In times of trial.
We thank You for…..
A memoir is a “slice of life” piece about an experience you’ve had with a family member or acquaintance. It is basically a character sketch showing your relationship and your interest in preserving the memory for others to read.
I will offer a writing seminar class, to meet once a month, to share your writing story.
We will meet generally once a month, email our pieces to each other in Times New Roman, double-spaced format, with line numbers and page…..