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As I began another journey through the book of Psalms this morning I found guidance for my new year. Blessed is the manWho walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,Nor stands in the path of sinners,Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,And in His law he meditates day and night.3 He shall be […]

I won’t be sad to say goodbye to this year. Some years are fraught with challenges, and this has been one of them. Family illness, crises, the passing of dear friends and family, life changes, just losses in general. How many times can your adrenaline spike in one year without causing a major crash? I […]

Perhaps you’ve experienced it. That faint sense of letdown when the last gift is opened, and the Christmas music is no longer playing on the radio. The aisles in the stores are picked over and marked with clearance tags while personnel quickly clear out merchandise to make way for the next holiday. At home, the […]

Christmas – The story is simple. We honor and immortalize it through cantatas and majestic music. We light it and decorate it and look for new ways to celebrate it. We change the words and make speculations about the characters in the timeless drama as if we are concerned that the simplicity of the story […]

Father,Thank You for – a warm bed,good food to eat,more than I need,children who want to serve You,a good husband,eyes to see Your world,rainy days,the ability to read, think, reason,family,shoes for my feet,birds that sing,hot showers,quiet,Your Word,music,life,babies, smiles,friends, grace,hope,Heaven,church,mobility,love,You.What are you thankful for today? Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, […]

Great grace in persecutionGreat peace through anxious daysGreat mercy when we falterand struggle in His ways.Great joy through sorrow’s darknessGreat light from God above,For God our mighty fortress upholds us with His love.So Great is God our FatherGreat goodness is His wayHis love abounds within us.His Word our strength each day. Father God,The amazing fact […]

“Are you a man of faith or a man of fear?” – Andy Andrews This question is posed in an unusual but interesting book I am reading, The Traveler’s Gift, written by Andy Andrews. I read the quote today, and I thought it appropriate for the season we face in our country. I have seen […]

As I read through the ninth chapter of John this morning, the first few words struck me. “And as Jesus passed by, he saw…” (John 9:1, KJV). It’s not as if Jesus was just out for a stroll. The last verse of chapter eight tells us he had just passed through the midst of people […]

On days when I struggle, when I see people as difficult and demanding, when my head swims with confusion, and I just want peace, there are some actions I must take. I must As I think about this today, here is a short list of blessings: I am not making light of the many problems […]

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy (Psalm 64:1, KJV). We have just weathered two major storms, and fear has permeated the air. Broadcast on every station, brokered in all the stores, shared among neighbors and across social media, and carried across state lines anxiety has […]

After being away for the summer, I have come home to a garden in disarray. This was no one’s fault. Basic watering was completed as requested, but the tasks of the gardener, which are mine, were left undone. No pruning. No fertilizing. No deadheading of blooms. No weeding. No turning of pots for better light. […]

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life (Proverbs 4:23, NLT). Recent events in our family have focused our thoughts on hearts and heart disease. We have done a lot of reading. While our situation has been unusual, much of the literature focuses on general heart care. When reading, […]

The place where we live, our home, our family is in the path of a storm. It is by no means the first storm we have faced – we live in Florida – but it is certainly the largest and strongest for our area. Windows have been boarded, outdoor furniture stored, supplies prepared, emergency management […]

The Light dawnedon a Sunday morningin the darkest of hoursand shone into simple livestorn by fearand culture and sorrow.His Light flowed and overflowedand spilled into heart after heart –never dimmed, never quenched.It shined through the darkness of ages.It blazed through the hardness of history.It fired through the evil of mankind’s debauchery.It glowed through sadness and […]

The past few weeks have been weeks of sorrow for multiple friends. Wives have buried husbands. Moms and dads have lost children. Others are providing care for loved ones with life threatening illnesses. Suffering.Psalm 34:18 reminds us that God is near the broken hearted. “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, […]

I’ve started to notice a few leaves on the ground. The breeze that whispers through the day has a bit of a different feel to it, and this morning I woke up to a brisk 58-degree temperature. While the mid-day heat still rises, evening shadows lengthen bringing quickly cooling air. A few pumpkin decorations are […]

Do you remember the Aesop’s fable, The Tortoise and the Hare? I think that fable has something to say to me as a Christian. You see, sometimes I am the hare. Mr. Hare was confident that he could outrun the slow, plodding tortoise. He was pretty sure of his own abilities, and he started out […]

Where you get your water matters. Pure, clear water is a luxury that much of the world struggles to secure. Countries battle over water rights and the poor fight diseases brought on by dirty water. We recently saw a sign on property in Wyoming that offered land for sale – if you can find water. […]

Our journey was rerouted by a family emergency, so we will not finish the entire trip. The trip, while shorter than planned, was enjoyable and cherished. We are thankful for the moments of respite, the places we saw, the people we met and worshiped with, and the people with whom we prayed. We are especially […]

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). I am enveloped by stillness as I step into the dawning day. The silence is palatable, and I am in awe as I view the rising morning mist. Broken only by the light chatter of the ever-moving purple martins, quiet rules the river. Last night’s […]