-
Sometimes Weary
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, it we faint not.” Galatians 6:9 (KJV) Weary? Oh, yes – that’s me sometimes. I can become weary for different reasons: lack of sleep, boredom, or tired of doing, to name a few. The “tired of doing” is the one Galatians 6:9 addresses. We are instructed to not become weary in well doing. I can get so busy doing, doing, doing that I burn out. Tired with a capital “T”. When I reach this point, it’s time for me to stop and re-evaluate why I’m feeling the way I am. Sometimes rest is all…
-
In the Shadow
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 63:7 (NLT) What do you think of when you hear the word shadow? Darkness, sadness or gloom cross my mind. But then I’m reminded — The only way to have a shadow is to have rays of light present. This is where it gets good … When you feel like you’re walking through a dark and difficult valley and you can’t see what it is God is doing, you can rest knowing He is present. There is joy in the shadow when we set our eyes on the Light of the World. I find comfort in knowing…
-
Above the Clouds
The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Psalm 50:1 (ESV) On a recent drive to Haleakala Summit, 10,000 feet up, my husband and I witnessed something amazing — a breathtaking sunset above the clouds. On our drive up Haleakala volcano, we journeyed through some rainy weather, but when we finally reached the summit, we broke through the clouds and were met with a gorgeous full rainbow. We got out of the car and found front row rocks to sit and watch the sun set into the clouds below us. As the sun dipped deeper and deeper into the clouds, beauty and splendor swirled together to produce brilliant shades of orange,…
-
Rest = Renewal
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. Psalm 23:2-3 (NLT) It had been a hectic week. You know the kind. The kind where there aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done. The week had my patience running low and my mind exhausted trying to keep up with everything I needed to remember to do. Plainly stated … I was overwhelmed. I hadn’t let myself take a break. The kind of break where I walk away from the computer, the phone, the noise, and go to a place where I can just be. Ahh, yes! Psalm 23 reminds me that rest is part…
-
The Love Behind the Celebration of Life
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13 (NLT) There’s a piece of my heart that holds special memories of birthdays past. My mother was the Queen of cakes. She would design and bake a cake to fit the theme of my life each year — a ballerina cake with pink and purple streamers and a guitar cake with licorice strings to name just two. She loved making them and making my birthdays memorable. I have since grown up, and my mother has passed away, but the tradition of making birthdays special in our family continues. Homemade cakes, however, have been replaced with store bought ones, but the love…
-
The Unknown and What If’s
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. Romans 12:12 (NLT) Are you facing a challenge right now? Does worry have a hold on your thoughts? Are the unknown and what if’s of life weighing you down? May I say I’ve been there, too, and oh me, I’m there once again. Life’s certainly full of its challenges, right? The good news for me is this — each time I step into this world of the “Unknown” and “What if’s”, I find myself becoming a little stronger. As I look back over my life, I can see how my faith has grown over the years because of my trials. Romans 12:12 above is a good…
-
His Masterpiece
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) One of Merriam-Webster’s definitions for masterpiece is “a work done with extraordinary skill; especially: a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement.” Most of the famous masterpieces we know, i.e. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel, to name just two, were not completed overnight. Years and years of work went into them. I recently viewed a video on Smithsonian.com which showed how Michelangelo used a creative technique to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It was not done…
-
Dancing in the Rain
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass … It’s about learning to dance in the rain – Vivian Greene It’s inevitable. Storms will come and go in our lives. Some may be gentle rain showers that fall quickly, while others may be fierce hurricanes that stall over our lives producing flood waters that rise until our hearts feel like they’re drowning — leaving us feeling defeated and completely exhausted. But, what if we could learn to dance in the rain? Would that make a difference? Instead of complaining about our storm, what if we found one positive thing we were gaining because of it — one thing that was making us stronger, wiser, better? The “cancer” storm blew…
-
The Missing Piece in My Heart
Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! (Nehemiah 8:10) Father’s Day has always been a day of sadness and mystery for me. I lost contact with my dad when I was very young. Every Father’s day I think about this man. What are his likes, dislikes? What traits do I have of his? Does he think about me? Does his heart have a hole, too? Growing up, I wanted to fill this hole in my heart. Little did I realize back then, the only thing that could fill the hole was God. People couldn’t fill it. Money and things couldn’t fill it. God is the only one who has been…
-
Making a Difference in the Broken Places
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT) Do you have a dream or a desire to do something that will make a difference in someone’s life? Where does that desire comes from? Philippians 2:13 says it’s God working in us. He’s the one who gives us the desire and the ability to do what honors Him. My desire … to publish a book of devotionals for young girls who need hope in the hard places of their life. I just got back from the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference this past week where I learned a…