What I'm Reading
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Once We Are Born
I was born in Canada and to this day could file for dual citizenship is I chose to do so. My parents were from the United States but were living there, due to my dad’s job, when I came along. We moved back to Texas when I was about two. But being born there gives me an identity not only with my parents country of birth, but also with the actual country where I was born. I read Acts 22 this week in my NT260 Bible reading. In this chapter, we see Paul inform his captors about his Roman citizenship and the privileges that afforded him. In fact, when the…
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Do I See?
God is continuing to refine and add to my focus for 2020. One way is through a study by Christine Caine that I just happened to be doing this January. You can read more about my 2020 focus in my first two posts for this year: Focus 2020 and Settle In. It’s both exciting and frightening (in a good way) to see how God is refining and speaking to me in this overall topic of having a heart for Him. In the first day, Christine labels the first week’s study, “When We Feel Hidden in Plain Sight.” She asks if we have ever felt hidden and unseen by others and…
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Settle In
I’m not sure how you feel about our country, or our global world, right now. With elections in the future, crime and violence, anger and hatred all over the news and filtering into whatever we watch, read or hear, we could just decide to go live on a tropical island somewhere away from it all! Tempting isn’t it? Definitely for this beach girl. The thing is, God has not put us here to run away. He has placed us here to make a difference. He actually has a plan for us, for our lives and He wants us where He has placed us. I read a post by Noe Garcia…
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Indescribable Joy
Sometimes during the holidays I really miss not having parents to “go home to”, but I love being the parent my kids and grandkids come to for the holidays. Just once in a while I wish I still had parents too! Our last parent died in 2009, but it was several years before that when we stopped having a parent’s home to return to for family get togethers. So, holidays include both joy and a bit of sadness. Today I read Mark 12:24-25 a new way, “Jesus spoke to them, “Isn’t this the reason why you’re mistaken: you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God? For when they…
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The Silence is Broken Part 2
Last week we looked at how God ended the 400 years of silence. If you missed that post, first read Part 1 here. How did God speak to you last week? Did He reveal something about an issue you’ve been praying about? Did He remind you of something you had stopped praying about and had even maybe forgotten about? Has He been speaking and maybe it was so different from what you expected, you just ignored His words? As I focused on Mary’s response to her Lord, I started thinking: how obedient am I when I hear Him speak? Perhaps I’m finally hearing from God after a long period of…
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The Silence is Broken! Part 1
Each year when I read chronologically through the Bible, the period of 400 years of silence makes me so sad. I’m always so ready to open the New Testament and hear his voice speak again. But I did not have to wait as the Israelites did. The Old Testament ends with Malachi 4:5-6 telling us: “Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Jesus is that promise of…
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Uncomfortable, But Soaring!
I don’t know about you, but I like comfortable, routine, predictable. Many of you reading this might be bored with predictability, but others will identify with my comfort zones! Now, I’m not so naive to think life is usually within my preferred “zones”. Normal life is really not like this, and even though I do not always enjoy the changes that come, I’ve seen God’s hand as He has done much in those unexpected and often daunting experiences. I recently finished a book by Stacey Thacker, Fresh Out of Amazing. Stacey shares a story about eagles that I was surprised by, and yet identified with. Before the baby eagle learns…
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When We Fall Down
Beach Lesson #2, 2019 One morning while sitting on the beach, I saw a women walking down the shoreline. But on her return trip back, she appeared somewhat unstable as she walked on the edge of the surf right in front of where we sat. I kept watching her, and sure enough, she fell and began rolling in the water unable to get up. My husband and I jumped up and ran over to help her stand up and fish her sunglasses out of the water. Once she was standing again, we asked her if she was okay. She said yes and, after we advised her to walk on the…
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Have You Paddled Out Too Far?
Beach Lesson #1, 2019 On our first day of our fall beach vacation this year this happened…. I looked out our balcony to see 3 emergency vehicles towing jet skis with lights flashing. Of course, I was curious as to what was going on and went for the binoculars. I could see one of the rescuers also looking through binoculars but pointed toward the horizon. As I continued to watch, eventually a paddle boarder appeared…just this side of the horizon and very far from shore. A girl in a bikini with a hat on, and no life vest. When she got almost to shore, she got off her board and…
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What Does it Take For Your Heart to Burn?
My Bible reading this week, took me to Luke 24. I love the new insights the Holy Spirit gave me as I studied the passage this time. This is resurrection morning, so imagine being one of Jesus’ followers and what you might be experiencing that day. I want to make two points I believe the Lord said to me that morning. Take time to stop here and read that chapter if you can. Make a note of anything that refers to something that is bright, light, or fire-like. First the women, who came to anoint Jesus’ body, saw two dazzling men! Or, as the Bible states: “two men stood by…
