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“However”
Sometimes I am having a great season, growing in the Lord, watching what I say so I don’t unintentionally offend, and feeling really grateful in general. HOWEVER, all of a sudden, I find myself doing what I didn’t really want to do, or saying what I really didn’t want to say, or being so self-centered I cannot find anything to be thankful for. Where did I go wrong? What was the HOWEVER that changed things? As I continued through Lysa TerKeurst’s study, Trustworthy (get this study!), I watched this cycle of good kings and bad kings, those who did right in the eyes of the Lord, and those who did…
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Infant…Still?
Who doesn’t love a cute little baby? Ok, maybe somebody, but most of us love seeing a sweet, innocent little creation of God wiggling its toes. But, I bet 5 years after that baby’s birth, most of us wouldn’t want that baby to still be in the infancy stage. Surely, by now, this child is potty trained and about to be in kindergarten. Surely, this 5 year old can eat with a utensil rather than just sucking on a bottle filled with formula. Not so cute, now! This is what the author seems to saying in Hebrews 5:11-14 about Christians who stay in infancy: “We have a great deal to…
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The Difference Connection Makes
Unless we plug our blow dryer into the socket, it flat won’t work, Right? It must be connected for the electricity to flow. I have a visual picture of what a tree connected to its roots looks like compared to what one looks like that is separated from its roots. You can see a redbud in bloom on the left side of this photo. If you look close to the other side, you see a broken trunk sticking up in front of the house behind us. In front of that, you can see a dried up, dead tree. What a contrast. As we’ve been social distancing, this redbud has been…
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Praying through the Coronavirus
I had another post ready to release today, but felt the urge to just share some prayer prompts regarding the place we find ourselves with this pandemic. I know without a doubt God is in control. I know without a doubt He has a plan. I know without a doubt we can all grow spiritually through this experience. I KNOW HE IS GOD! That is why there can be peace. Concern is not wrong, worry-obsession is! I have personally experienced Philippians 4:6 more than once, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses…
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Why Read the Bible?
Why read the Bible? Primarily, because it’s TRUE! Fully and completely true because it’s God’s Word to the world and to us personally. It’s also how we know God and His redemptive purpose throughout history and forever. And it teaches us how to live. At times, it’s confusing. Other times it’s surprising. It’s convicting. At times, I want to put it down so I do not have to live up to what I read. But when I choose to read, allow it convict me and change me, I am always joy-filled (and so are those around me!), even when it’s hard and I blow it again in an hour! We…
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Why Church?
I love my church and look forward to attending weekly. When we miss for some reason, we REALLY miss it. In fact, we normally join the live stream or watch later if we are out. But especially if we have been out for more than a week, I cannot wait to get back. Recently I read a blog post by Carey Nieuwhof, whom I read regularly, whose title, 10 Reasons Even Committed Church Attenders Are Attending Church Less Often. I understand the responsibility on both the church and the attender to this dilemma. But it also made me think, “why do I love attending so much?” So, I made a…
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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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Do You Really Know How to Forgive?
I’ve written on this topic before and you can read Embrace God’s Forgiveness here, but I believe this true life experience written by one of my daughters, Alycia Neighbours (see bio below), will touch you deeply. Our girls get a love for animals from me, except theirs includes menageries of all kinds of animals, while my husband and I are a one dog at a time kind of pet owner! My grand animals have included not only MANY dogs, and a couple of cats, but also bearded dragons, guinea pigs, hamsters, goats, horses, donkeys, pigs, lizards, a snake, and all kinds of fish! Be blessed by reading Alycia’s post 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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Focus 2020
This time of year I am always watching for direction from the Lord on a theme or passage of scripture He wants to develop in me for the year ahead. As I was reading and preparing for teaching at an event in 2020, the topic for the weekend grabbed my attention. It’s based on Kay Arthur‘s study, “Lord, Give Me a Heart for You.“ Our key passage for the event is Ezekiel 36:26-27: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause…
