“I wonder as I wander…” A traditional Appalachian ballad begins with those words. So simple, yet so poignant. “I wonder as I wander out under the sky…” Likewise, I’m inclined to wonder. Why did Jesus the Savior come to die for poor, ordinary (or ornery) people? Did you ever stop and really consider the wonder […]
When you feel troubled, God is…the Quieter of our Souls The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love;he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV) When I was the mother of a newborn, I was always on […]
Perched on my kitchen barstool, eyes fixed on my laptop screen, I opened a Word document and prepared to write. But social media beckoned, Come see what your friends are doing. Advertisements enticed, Come see what’s on sale. Click bait urged, Stop and read this article. An hour later, my Word doc was still blank. Then, like Eve […]
In a world full of conflict, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. (I’ve been studying the attributes of God—one for each letter of the alphabet—and discovering how knowing God’s character makes a difference in my life. This week I’m on P.) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;and the government shall […]
When you’re lonely, remember God is… omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? (Psalm 139:7 ESV) God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Those are some fancy theological terms you can file under: Attributes of God. God knows all things, can do all things, and […]
When everything around you is changing, God is…Never-changing. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 (ESV) God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his […]
God is who he says he is, and God tells us he is merciful and gracious. I recently ran across a YouTube video from a 1970’s sitcom, Maude. The title character, a feisty woman with steel-gray hair and a sharp-tongue, famously berated others with the line: “God’ll get you for that.” And sometimes when I […]
When you want to find love, God is Love. She sat alone on the playground bench, her little body slumped, her feet dangling, and her brown curls covering her face. I wondered what had caused my usually perky little student to feel so down. “Nobody wants to be my friend.” Then she glanced towards the […]
“On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:16 (ESV) For my next birthday, my husband says he’s going to get me a big wooden box. One with the words “SOAP” printed on the side. I might need it. If I read about politics for […]
“God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” Psalm 7:11 (ESV) These days, justice is a sticky topic. Lately, the word “justice” is splattered across headlines and banners. “Justice” evokes emotions like anger, defensiveness, frustration, and indignation. And we like to think of God as a loving, merciful God. But we also want […]