Blog (Page 17)

Psalm 84:4 – “Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praises.” Recently, I have had the lyrics of “10,000 Reasons” stuck in my mind. I found myself humming the verses during the day and contemplating them at sleepless nights. “Bless the Lord Bless the Lord Oh my soul, oh my soul Worship His holy name Sing like never before Oh my soul I’ll worship Your holy name” As I was singing this song, my soul was often…

A week ago, Brad and I were visiting with someone about a recent death in their family. He spoke about the importance of grieving, because only when we grieve can we find the comfort of God. Though he wasn’t talking to me, I realized I was grieving. Again. Brad and I regularly talk about our challenges with my health, and we try to have open conversations and process our grief. But for some reason I’ve been grieving more intensely in…

2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” I am doing a Beth Moore Bible study with a dear sweet college gal. It is called, “Believing God.” Though it is not the first time I have done this study, it is challenging me in new ways. The goal of the study is to merge our theology with our reality. The core teaching can be summed up in five sentences: 1. God is who…

This was the subject/focus of the prayer meeting last week at church. The timing couldn’t have been any better as it was the answer to many questions that had been mulling around in my mind that very day. I had just finished a book about a classmate whose life has been damaged by all the alcoholics she was surrounded with in her family. “Tragic and heart-breaking” is all I could think, and I felt compassion for her suffering. She talked…

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” – 1 Samuel 7:12 This probably seems like an odd verse to focus on, but recently I was remembering how impactful it was during our trial of infertility. I was able to look back on the months and years of waiting for children and say with confidence that so far, the Lord has…

“…for his steadfast love endures forever.” – Psalm 136:1 Recently, I was realizing how much I long to feel steady love in relationships. As in all human relationships, there are ups and downs, joys and sin, and sometimes misunderstandings and unmet expectations. God brought to mind this psalm, and reminded me of how God’s love for me (because of Christ’s righteousness now being counted on my behalf!) doesn’t change. This psalm is unique because it repeats “for his steadfast love…

“For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” – 2 Corinthians 5:4 As I glanced at the photo featuring me and a few Noah’s Ark kids it became very obvious to me… I’m getting old!!! The creases and wrinkles in my face were undeniable. (Somehow those aren’t so obvious…

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8 Over the summer, a doctor helped me find out the reason why I had been walking unevenly over the past several years. Through the treatment process, God revealed to me that I was “crippled” and how much I needed Him as my walking companion. This…

Can God strengthen and encourage us in the disappointments we face? Recently this theme has been on my mind. I’ve been dwelling—probably too much—on disappointments I’m facing. For example, my daughter Kelli is getting married, and I’ve been unable to help her very much with wedding plans, both due to long distance (1100 miles away) and my health restrictions. Another disappointment is day-to-day serving, such as cooking, that I can’t do for Brad and others. Also, I’m not able to…

Mark 4:35-41 – “On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said…

This has been an interesting week at work for me. We have a big event going on, and I have a small part in the grand scheme. My job has a variety of duties but the one that was causing the headache was dealers for our company stopping by to pick up orders. Some orders weren’t ready. One fella said he was told by his boss not to come back without the order that I discovered hadn’t even been placed…

“The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.” -Jeremiah 17:7-8 I love the picture this passage paints of what it can look like to trust in the Lord. The tree is planted…