• Blessings,  Spiritual Growth,  Struggle and Loss,  Test,  Trial,  What I'm Reading

    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…

  • Lessons,  Spiritual Growth,  Test,  Trial,  What I'm Reading

    The Timeliness of God’s Word

    Sometimes it seems the Lord is silent, but other times He just floods you with common thoughts as you are facing challenges. He did that (again) recently. I was finishing up the the two connected studies. Seven Realities for Experiencing God by Richard and Henry Blackaby and Experiencing God, upon which Seven Realities is based, also by the Blackabys and Claude King. I’ve spent weeks being reminded of how God speaks and calls us to work with Him, as well as making adjustments it takes to obey! In facing a tough relationship circumstance, I’ve been asking God to show me how to obey in the situation. I’ve also been walking…

  • Blessings,  Lessons,  Spiritual Growth,  What I'm Reading

    Genesis to the Cross

    You know how you know something, but then someone else writes a comment that just makes you think, “How could I forget that?” That happened this week as I was reading the end of the book of Mark in my NT260 Bible plan. Here’s the comment that made the connection between creation and the cross again for me: “With His death on the cross Jesus paid God’s penalty for the sins of the world, sins that required a blood sacrifice to purify sinners. On the third day, He rose from the dead and defeated death–the ultimate consequence of sin.” Foundations New Testament Did I already know that? Yes. Did I…

  • Lessons,  Spiritual Growth,  Test,  Trial

    Sneaky Snakes

    I don’t like snakes. Not any kind. Doesn’t matter if they are poisonous or not. To me a snake is a snake! And I certainly DO NOT want one in my house. When our girls were just babies and my husband Pat was a Texas state trooper, I was home one night, with him on the interstate 20 miles away (and NO  cell phones). The girls were in bed. When I walked into the den, I saw a small worm-like varmint crawl under a chair. My next thought was, “Worms crawl differently than what I saw. That was a snake!” Hysterical (and in my nightie), I climbed on my desk…