Not Forsaken
Psalm 37:18-28 Have you ever been at the crossroads of a big decision and found yourself making a list of the pros and cons between the choices you need to make? If you read Psalm 37 with that kind of...
View ArticleWalking With God
Luke 13:1-9 Bad things happen to good people. There: I said it. One of the common myths among Jesus’ disciples was that if something bad happened to a person, they must have done something to deserve...
View ArticleWalk The Walk
Luke 13:1-9 Have you ever talked with someone who was saying one thing but their face and mannerisms were saying another? Part of what a school counselor does is check the consistency between what a...
View ArticleHalf-Way Sorry
Jonah 3:1-10 Sometimes my children annoy, frustrate, or upset each other. Someone says a hurtful word, or takes a toy, or excludes someone else. Tears might be involved. Definitely hurt feelings are a...
View ArticleRefreshing The Soul
Acts 3:17-26 There is nothing quite so refreshing as a cold glass of water on a hot day. I learned that when you feel thirsty, you are already a quarter low in the water your body needs. If you wait...
View ArticleFences
James 4:4-10 We have a Standard Poodle puppy: 50 pounds of pure puppy energy. One of the lessons we learned early as Rosie’s people is just how good she is at climbing. Yes. Climbing. Never before...
View ArticlePatience
2 Peter 3:1-10 Patience is a virtue . . . for a reason. Patience does not come easy to most (if not all) of us. Peter begins chapter 3 calling the church to “recall the words spoken in the past by the...
View ArticleYou Hold My Right Hand
Psalm 73:21-28 Situations and emotions can be overwhelming for children to deal with at times. The child will lash out at anyone around. The person the child trusts the most may be walloped with an...
View ArticleWeighing The Cost
Luke 14:25-35 Our oldest son has been dreaming of having a tree house for years. As we have gotten closer to actually being able to build his tree house, we have helped him better understand things...
View ArticleGains Vs Losses
John 12:23-29 Life living in the already but not yet kingdom of God means that things do not always make sense. John 12:25 is an example of that. We must lose what we cannot keep in order to gain what...
View ArticleGoals
Acts 20:18-24 I had two goals when I ran my first 5k. Goal 1: To finish. Goal 2: To not finish last. I met both goals, and later, even did a sprint triathlon where my goals were exactly the same. The...
View ArticlePerfect Unity
1 Corinthians 1:1-10 Perfectly united in mind and in thought. I love my spouse very much, and we agree on many things. However, we are not perfectly united in mind and in thought on everything. At the...
View ArticleBe Strong In Grace
2 Timothy 2:1-7 Be strong. Usually when this is said, it is an encouragement to not give up, whether you are lifting a huge amount of weight or remaining steadfast in a storm, temptation, or...
View ArticleGod Is Faithful
2 Timothy 2:8-13 Have you ever been disowned by a friend or family member? Usually, it is for something you did, said, or believed, or did not do, say, or believe. In some cultures, if a family member...
View ArticleLove Looks Like…
Psalm 25:1-10 Love does not always look the way we want it to look. Our older son doesn’t always agree that our decisions are loving. Bedtimes, rules, chores, healthy boundaries, and reasonable...
View ArticleFound Is The Plan
Luke 15:1-10 Eyes wide, I looked at my mom; “I can’t find her.” We began searching frantically. My little sister had been playing, hiding under the racks of clothing at the store, and I, with...
View ArticleMercies in the Making
Luke 15:11-19 Many of the best stories start with the sketchiest of characters. Look at Ebenezer in Charles Dickens’ novel, A Christmas Carol, or Darth Vader in Star Wars. Their beginnings looked...
View ArticleJust As You Are
Luke 15:20-24 It was my first college public speaking class, and it was the first speech of the year. I rehearsed the words a thousand times in my mind, repeating the lines, hoping to express them...
View ArticleYes, Everything
Luke 15:25-32 As I write this, my oldest son is starting his last semester in college. He is a finance major, which makes no sense at all to many, but he loves people and numbers. It is right where...
View ArticleLove Is The G.O.A.T.
1 Corinthians 13:1-7 Rachel cries at weddings. Usually, she just “little cries,” where her eyes get wet, but tears don’t fall. This spring, however, she’s preparing for the “ugly cry.” Why? Because...
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