“Praise keeps the character of God before our minds. The practice of praise forces us to relate God’s character to the issues of life. The effect of praising God on our mental attitude is liberating, for praise focuses our attention on the person and work of God.” Myrna Alexander “Worthy are you, our Lord and […]
When I was going through a serious illness, my sister sent me a card that read, “When the going gets tough, the tough put on waterproof mascara.” She even included a tube of waterproof mascara. That saying has become a motto for me when I’m going through a tough time. Sometimes, despite our best efforts to […]
My life is but a weaving between my God and me. I do not choose the colors; He worketh steadily. Oftimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside. Not ’til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly Will God unroll the canvas […]
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 […]
(This blog first appeared as a guest post for restore-ministries.net under the title “Courage” in February, 2016.) Not too long ago I received a gift from a couple of my friends. It is a Willow Tree “Angel of Courage,” a simple six-inch statue of an angel with wire wings. Her fists are clenched and her […]
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 […]
Announcing….some good news for a change! Today I stumbled across this awesome announcement in I Peter 1:6-12. God has prepared “gracious salvation” for us. When I read this passage from the New Living Translation, the words seemed to jump out at me. Like the first century Christians, some of us are enduring hard times. But—good […]
“As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”(Luke 3:15-16 ESV) Risking Disappointment As a kid, I […]
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 […]
