For to us a child is born,to us a son is given;and the government shall be upon his shoulder,and his name shall be calledWonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6 ESV) My worst Christmas was the year we almost had a white Christmas. Snow is a rare event in southern Louisiana. And snow on the ground for Christmas—well, that only […]
When You’re Fighting a Losing Battle…God is Victorious “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.” (Proverbs 21:31 ESV) I just can’t win, I thought. I’m fighting a losing battle. In my wildest worries, I never expected to find myself struggling as a newly single mother of two college-age […]
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb. 4:12 ESV) I winced. Here comes the needle. I’d already been poked earlier that day, and the phlebotomist had had trouble finding a […]
When Your World Flies Apart, Jesus is the… U – Upholder of All Things “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him […]
“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 Troubled. Lost. Unsure of what to do next. In the darkness, I fumbled for my phone. The numbers read 3:00. A few seconds later, the cuckoo clock in the den chimed three times, a confirmation that my eyes had not deceived me. I squirmed […]
“Why can’t we see God?” My inquisitive six-year-old student fixed his gaze on me and waited for the all-wise, adult answer to his question. “Well,” I began, “God is Spirit. He’s invisible.” But the question pried open a place in my heart that concealed hidden doubts. As an adult, I’ve often wondered the same thing. […]
“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.” (Eccl. 8:15 NIV) Does God really want us to eat, […]
Tears streamed down my face. If I have to hear another sermon on unforgiveness, I’ll scream, I thought. I had been deeply wounded by people who were professing Christians. But the preacher was pronouncing me the guilty one—guilty of unforgiveness. It seemed forgiveness meant saying, “Oh, well, that’s okay. It doesn’t matter. I forgive you.” […]
When Tragedy Strikes When tragedy devastates the landscape of our lives, where can we find hope? Recently, while traveling in Alaska, I rode past an area that had been ravaged by wildfire. The spruce trees that once dominated the landscape had been reduced to charred skeletons. But the sight that kept my camera clicking was […]
On Monday mornings, before I get dressed for work, you’ll find me wearing a T-shirt that says, “Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Repeat.” The words on my coffee mug express my mood: “I don’t feel very worky today.” (Yes, “worky” is found in several dictionaries, but you can’t use it in Scrabble.) Once I arrive at work, […]