Blessings
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Vessels of Christ
What is your favorite way to minister to others? What have you seen Jesus do through you as you obediently serve Him? Are you serving as God’s vessel daily? Because God is sovereign and omnipotent He does not need any help to get His work done. He chooses to use His followers so we can shine His light in the world and experience the blessing that serving Christ brings to us and to those we serve on earth. My ministry friend Kay led worship at many of our You Lead training events for LifeWay Women where I had the joy of serving for over 22 years. She also led in an…
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That One Prayer
At work once, before I retired from LifeWay in 2017, our team was in a very stressful season. We were all struggling to get our work done by deadlines and many of us also struggled with issues outside of work. Can you relate? I was blessed to have a group of women who serve across the country in churches and organizations who were my prayer warriors then, and still are today! One day during the difficult work situation, I received a prayer from one of these prayer warriors. This was her prayer: In moments of being pushed and pulled, take a deep breath and say, LORD Jesus (from your lips),…
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Obedience and Legacy
Have you ever followed someone who disappointed you? If you’ve lived long enough, it has probably happened more than once. Leaders are human and make mistakes. Hebrews 13:7 tells us to, Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.” We only follow as they are following Christ. Watching their lives helps us discern this. Paul also mentions several times, follow (or imitate) me as I follow (or imitate) Christ. Has anyone ever followed you into disobedience? If anyone can say no to this, I need to meet you! My disobedience can influence others into disobedience. Obedience…
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From Garden to Garden
In finishing up my current D-group with a special celebration, we discussed the end of the Bible as we read through Revelation. I’m not surprised anymore by new things God reveals through reading His Word over and over. Sometimes it’s something completely new to me, or understood at a deeper level. Other times, it’s a timely reminder of something I already knew. That’s what happened as I read Revelation 21-22 this time. My thoughts turned to the idea of “garden to garden.” What was revealed through John’s revelation was an indescribable new heaven and earth. Similar to the newness the original garden was to Adam and Eve, the new garden…
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Grateful for Sacrifice
What a blessing to be a recipient of those who fought for our freedom and gave their lives. As we remember families who also paid the price for their lost military loved ones, let’s pray for them, express gratefulness for loved one, and thank God for using each one to protect our freedom. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash Banner photo by Ludovic Gauthier on Unsplash
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If There Is Any Other Way
Sunday morning we celebrated Easter, so in this follow up post, I want to share something I was reminded of a few days before Easter Sunday. As I ponder Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the agony He experienced, I am reminded through the study Navigating Gospel Truth (check last week’s post for more details) of His pain. Author Rebecca McLaughlin took us back to Jeremiah 25:15-29 to show us His agony wasn’t primarily the pain and shame of the cross. That was difficult enough of course! But it was the fact that He would carry the wrath of God for sin so that we don’t have to. This was…
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Behold!
As so often happens by “design providence,” I’m flooded with all things Spring and Easter. I’m soaking up every warm sunny day I can. I wrote about spring last week in Hope that Spring Brings. All I can think is, “Behold Him, the one who became our sacrificial lamb once and for all time.” I just finished reading the gospels with my D-group as we’ve journeyed through the Bible chronologically since January 2023. I’ve also been reading a couple of Easter devotionals. Then a couple of weeks ago, I started the study Navigating Gospel Truth by Rebecca McLaughlin. She does such a great job comparing and contrasting the 4 Gospels…
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The Hope Spring Brings
Wherever you live, do you see it? The green starting to pop out in the trees? The early flowers showing their beauty? I do! I love getting to enjoy my neighbors peach tree each spring without having to take care of it! Spring is absolutely, hands down my favorite season! I cannot tell you what it does to my soul every single spring. In the winter I feel more lethargic, but let the flowers and trees start to wake up, and so do I! My energy finds a whole new level! I hate to say it, but I spend most of the winter waiting for the spring! After multiple losses last…
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A Faithful Reflection
I wanted to share this memorial tribute I had the honor of giving recently for a dear friend and ministry partner who walked into the presence of Jesus February 17. This woman truly reflected the image of Christ. One of the greatest gifts God gave me in ministry was Dr. Rhonda Kelley. When none of us knew much about effective women’s ministry, we were asking the questions and looking for others who were seeking answers. Rhonda was one who, very early, asked how do we effectively reach and disciple women for Christ? I found myself in the early 90s, a lay person in my church in East Texas, actually serving on…
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Looking Back, Looking Forward, Living Today
How was your 2023? How will your 2024 be? Last week my post reflected the anticipation of new things as we entered 2024. Please read A “Good” New Thing if you missed it. This week I want to encourage you to look back and reflect, as I am doing. What were the highs and lows of 2023? I remember wondering early last year what was ahead. I had a few ideas and plans, but I knew it was all in the hands of our sovereign Lord as to how those would pan out. What else would be a part of the 2023 journey? I had some wonderful experiences with family,…
