Blessings That Chase Us Down
I read this promise yesterday and it stopped me in my tracks: “If you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God and are careful to follow all His commandments — all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.” — Deuteronomy 28:1-2…
Misbehaving….again?
I came across this photo and, OH MY…..total recall! Years ago, we ran an 85-child daycare (yes, you read that right — eighty-five energetic little ones). One afternoon, I turned my back for what felt like half a second… and that was all it took. A mischievous 5-year-old had taken scissors in hand and decided…
Worship = Blessings
I promise — just one more thought about the Wise Men! What amazes me most about their story is this: after worshiping the newborn King, “…being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” (Matthew 2:12). That verse carries two powerful truths. First,…
The Woes of Beachfront Property
For my grandson’s 16th birthday, we headed to Port Aransas for a celebration of gigantic proportions. We stayed in a beautiful beachfront property that had spectacular views of the ocean with a backdrop of gorgeous South Texas skies! All was going according to our preplanned schedule of fun, food and all kinds of competitive beach…
Because I Said So
I remember my mama’s comeback when I would ask “Why do I have to do that?” Her reply? “Because I said so!” No other explanation was needed. She said so! Even when we don’t understand, we submit to obedience. Did you know there are 1,050 commands in the New Testament alone? God often asks us…
Please Pick Me Lord
I wanted to be picked for that part or answering that question in school. And, after watching many episodes of The Chosen, I wonder if I would have desired to be picked as one of Jesus’ followers. I think that I would have enjoyed hanging out with Mary Magdalene and be in on those conversations…
Accepting Our Mission
Today is the fourth and last Sunday of Advent. We have been journeying through this tender time with Gabriel, the messenger of God Who announced Mary’s destiny of becoming the mother of her Savior if she chose to accept the call. She said: “Yes!” Gabriel was also the chosen angel to deliver the “mission” to…
Controlling What I Can and Cannot
I felt a tug at the edge of my shirt and looked down to identify the perpetrator. He is a goat, black and white with horns that could really hurt if he chose to wallop me with them. His name is Oreo. He has a personality of grit and determination. He lets his peers know…
The Rewards of Simple Obedience
I read about a canine trainer, Tina Zimmerman, who serves wounded veterans and first responders by way of giving them fully trained, obedient dogs to assist them. The dogs learn discipline and obedience and truly become “man’s best friend”. I saw a video of Tina expressing the beautiful relationship between a loving handler and a…
Let’s Hear it for the Girls
Let’s hear it for the girls, starting with our first mother – Eve. Bless her heart! She had no girl friends to be her role models for wisdom and guidance. She wasn’t afforded the opportunity to say “yes” to God via the angel, Gabriel. I think she has gotten a bad rap. Sure, she made…