Category: Encouragement

ADVENT LOVE 0

Advent / Encouragement

ADVENT LOVE

AD’VENT, noun [Latin adventus, from advenio, of ad and venio, to come. See Find.] A coming; appropriately the coming of our Savior, and in the calendar, it includes four sabbaths before Christmas, beginning of St. Andrew’s Day, or on the sabbath next before or after it. Webster’s Dictionary 1828 LOVE MOVES Thou lovest like an infinite God when Thou lovest; Thou movest heaven and earth to save Thy loved ones. Thou becomest man, a babe, the vilest of men, covered with reproaches, dying with infamy and under the pangs of the cross; all this is not too much for an infinite...

Take note 8

Encouragement / Teaching

TAKE NOTE

It was spring. I cannot recall the specifics, only the spectacular nature of the event. Whatever happened seemed worthy of recording—a definite ‘take note’ moment. Grabbing a 3×5 note card, I recorded the incident, including the date in the corner of the card. The thought of documenting miraculous moments seemed like one of those ‘gotta do it’ situations. I looked around my home, considering where I might stash this, and future notes. The enamel bread box corralling the antique rolling pins was perfect. Easily accessible on the kitchen counter and large enough to hold months of memorable moments. Happy, I...

While you were sleeping 0

Encouragement

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

Working quietly in the twilight, I considered my parents—sound asleep about fifteen feet away. An exterior wall and an unconscious world separated us. Early Morning Several years ago, my brother and I constructed a new handrail by our parent’s back porch. With my father’s declining health and my mother as his full-time caregiver having a sturdy railing was crucial. We formulated a plan, gathered tools and supplies, then showed up early evening to make magic happen. My little daddy supervised construction from a folding chair on the porch. The ‘energizer bunny’ (my 90-year-old mother) weighed in on the process by...

substance and evidence 2

Comfort and Hope / Encouragement

SUBSTANCE AND EVIDENCE

You know the feeling—when life careens off the predicable rails or the bottom drops out leaving you grasping at air. Those moments you never imagined—startling like the sinister jack-in-the-box jester. All is well, turning the crank while sprightly music tinkles from within the metal box. Then in an instant—unexpected mayhem erupts. Perhaps that is a bit dramatic but you get the point. Life has a way of catching us off guard.  Surprises, and not always delightful ones, come. I have been thinking a lot about those unsuspected surprises lately. MAKING MEANING From what I have seen, humans like to understand....

luck of the draw 8

Encouragement / Prayer

LUCK OF THE DRAW—NOT

The things that happen do not happen by chance, they happen entirely in the decree of God. God is working out His purposes. OSWALD CHAMBERS NOTHING HAPPENS BY ACCIDENT This past weekend a group of friends, old and new, pushed the pause button on life. We fled to our favorite fall retreat spot–a tranquil location we have visited for the last fifteen years. Every retreat is different in theme, message, and the silly antics of our annual Friday night game. But one thing is constant–God’s presence. What I never imagined was God surprising me with a special gift. Several months...

8

Encouragement

MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS

MINDING WHOSE BUSINESS? I was minding my business. In reality, I was helping my mother with her business—choosing floor covering. The flooring department at Home Depot looked deserted last Friday morning. We perused the aisles looking at various options until a specific carpet sample captured her attention. Familiar with my mother’s ‘that’s it’ decision-making process, we wanted to arrange the installation. There were no store associates at the desks located in the home services area. A young man with a big smile pulling a loaded pallet jack caught my eye when he appeared from behind a kitchen display. I inquired...

YOUR LIFE—A GIFT 2

Encouragement

YOUR LIFE—A GIFT TO GIVE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Last week I flew to the Pacific Northwest—a place where my soul soars unlike anywhere else. Oregon’s towering forests, winding roads, vast stretches of orchards, snowy mountain peaks, breathtaking beauty, and civil temperatures expand and enrich my spirit. Especially after enduring a long stint of stifling Texas temperatures. The primary purpose of the trip was to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 95th birthday. The big bash, scheduled for Sunday afternoon at her church, brought friends and family together. After being isolated due to the pandemic, gathering with others did her heart good. She retracted her ‘I don’t want a party’...

change, growth, transformation, empowered 4

Encouragement

CHANGE, GROWTH, TRANSFORMATION?. . .”JUST KEEP SWIMMING”

Image by Veronica Enriquez from Pixabay We take what we think are the tools of spiritual transformation into our own hands and try to sculpt ourselves into robust Christlike specimens. But spiritual transformation is primarily the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the Master Sculptor.    Jerry Bridges SILENTLY, AND WITHOUT REALIZING Everyone infused with, and empowered by God’s very life, is being transformed. The Apostle Paul, when addressing the Corinthians explains it this way,  “And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image...

Waiting on God’s answer 4

Encouragement

REFLECTION

If you are coming up short on adventure, answered prayer, or breathless wonder, try waiting on God. As I was writing the final sentences of last week’s post, a text arrived from a close friend. Of course, it was about—waiting. But not on the front end, on the other side. Don’t you love it?  When I wrote that we would see where we would go this week, I meant it. With my stash of posts depleted, I had no inkling or impressions about where to go next. Waiting. Again. But the moment I heard my friend’s story, I knew I...

Shade of grace 2

Encouragement

SHADE OF GRACE — AS A LIFESTYLE

GOD’S INVITATION TO SHADE Life is hard. We are all damaged—ravaged by the sins of others and the consequences of our own sinful choices, a broken world, and the enemy’s schemes. Things break—glasses, cars, hearts, all the things. The heat is on. Challenging circumstances, pressure, disappointments, relationship struggles, unexpected diagnoses, anything, and everything threatens to zap our strength, steal our joy, and distract us from knowing and enjoying God.  All of it—the hard, broken, difficult things in life can be redeemed if we will do one thing—come to Jesus.  Come out from the oppressive heat into the shade of God’s...