Jan's Ponderings

Ortberg tells the story of his mother being offered some blue dishes by his grandfather. After his grandmother’s death, his grandfather was going through her things in the attic and found some dishes. He was planning to take them to the Salvation Army when he thought of his daughter-in-law and her love of blue. She expected some run-of-the-mill dishes but when she opened the box, she saw exquisite china! He writes, “Each plate had been individually painted with a pattern of forget-me-nots. The cups were inlaid mother-of-pearl. The dishes and cups were rimmed with gold. The plates had been handcrafted in a Bavarian factory that was destroyed during the Second World War, so they were literally irreplaceable.” The story goes on to reveal that her own husband and son had never seen the china and didn’t even know of its existence! They found some older family members who told them how she came to own this china. When she was young, she began receiving this china one piece at a time as gifts...

Do we ever look at how bad a situation is to determine if God is able to or is willing to be with us and deliver us? I think many times we do but I have never found a scripture to back up that kind of philosophy. God loves to show Himself strong on our behalf. He is God after all!! For me, one of the most discouraging and encouraging scriptures in the Bible is Matthew 13:58 which says, "Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief."   It is discouraging because the people who knew Jesus best didn’t believe in Him and yet it is encouraging because it compels me to believe…I mean really believe! I don’t want God to NOT do something He was willing to do because I couldn’t seem to muster up enough faith to trust Him. Let’s remember that in Matthew chapter 14, the storm was raging when Peter stepped out of the boat! When God calls us to do something, don’t let fear (fear of what others may think, fear of failure, etc.) keep us from being obedient. ...

I am writing a series of lessons based on John Ortberg's book, If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat and teaching them on Wednesday nights.  Please read Matthew 14:25-32 about Peter walking on the water to be with Jesus. Have you ever put your life in someone else’s hands and just hoped for the best? (maybe a doctor or fireman or policeman). You can only hope they are qualified and capable of saving you. Sometimes it is difficult to put so much trust in mere mortals. We are all fallible, are we not? What about putting our trust in God. Is that any easier for us? We must remember that God promises to always be with us. I love Jeremiah 33:1-3 which says ,“Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the prison, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name): Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which yo...

If and when we sin, God's Word promises us in 1 John 1:9 that God is faithful to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we will confess our sins. As Christians we all know that but sometimes it can be difficult to understand why God would choose to forgive us when we really blow it. I'm sure you know what I mean - when we do something we are really ashamed of. One of the great things about God is that He forgives us for His sake! It's not about whether or not we are really worthy of His forgiveness (although we are because Jesus made us worthy!!!). It's about God loving us and desiring a relationship with us so much that He is willing to forgive us for His own sake. The proof is in God's Word. 1 John 2:12b reads, "your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake." and Isaiah 43:25 reads, "I, even I, am He who blots our your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins." King David really under...

Our Ladies Bible Study Class this week was pretty exciting! We began the second part of our lesson, Press On, discussing whether or not God is ever ashamed of us. Luke 9:26 tells us that if we are ashamed of Jesus then He will be ashamed of us. He is not ashamed of our occasional bad behavior. What a relief! He is, however, ashamed of us if we are ashamed of Him. We discussed ways we show we are ashamed of Him. Should we share the Gospel with someone who is of another religion? What about tolerance? What about respect? I could not think of an example in Scripture when Jesus or His disciples did not share the Gospel out of respect for someone's belief. We determined that since there is only one way to heaven and that is through faith in Jesus Christ we must share our faith with others because souls are at stake. We must, however, share our faith in love out of a genuine concern for others.

Last Wednesday night, I was inspired by something Denise said. She spoke about how we should allow God to use our sin and weaknesses to help others not fall into the same pit we have fallen into. Yet, so many times, instead of allowing God to use our experiences to help others, we use them as excuses as to why God could never use us. We don't feel worthy. Our past is too shameful. I think, many times, we do want to be used of God to make a real difference in His kingdom, but we feel too ashamed of our behavior. I have chosen two examples in scripture to examine; King David in the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament. II Samuel 11:1-5 says, "It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king'...

"Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!" (Psalm 117) What a wonderful scripture on which to meditate. God is worthy of our praise! He is worthy of our praise in the good times and He is worthy of our praise in the bad times. He is worthy. One thing I have always trusted in and counted on is that God's truth endures forever. That is something to always take comfort and joy in knowing. I remember even as a very young girl, I would always read the scripture my pastor or teachers used to make sure I knew what was being taught was truth. The one thing I have never doubted was the truth of God's Word. I am so thankful to have God's Word so available to us in America. How else would we know how to live and love and get along with others? How else would we know God and His mercy and lovingkindness? God's Word is so precious a...

If you are anything like me, then you, at times, go through a season where things just don't go as planned. It can be discouraging but then I remember the beauty of the Lord and how much He has done for us and I remember how He cares for us and delivers us. No one could ever love us the way He loves us and if we are going through something and we have prayed for deliverance from it, but there has been no deliverance then that means He will walk us through it. Isaiah 43:2-3 says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior". There is a scripture that I always return to in times of discouragement. These are the words of Psalm 27. "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be af...

What a week! Have you ever had a week with a lot of good stuff and a lot of not so good stuff? That has been my week so far! The good stuff has to do with my daughter. Since the weekend, she has learned to pull herself up to a sitting position with no help! She has also learned to pull herself up to a standing position and she has learned to wave! I am so proud of her because this has been a lot of work for her to learn all of these things. She has fallen over and bumped her head several times with a bruise to prove it but she has been determined to do these things. She has persevered and won! That's my girl! James 1:2-4 says, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (or endurance or perseverance) . But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect (or mature) and complete, lacking nothing." Sometimes we go through some difficult things in life and some not-so-pleas...

Have you ever felt like you just woke up one morning and you had left the Lord but you don't really know how or when it happened? This morning, I have been pondering the account of Gideon in Judges chapters 6-7. There is so much to learn from these two chapters, but one thing I have really pondered is how we are led astray from the Lord. Judges 6:8-10 says, "that the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. Also I said to you, I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But you have not obeyed my voice." God reminded them of what He had done for them and that what He had asked in return was for them to not fear the gods of the Amorites. G...

Today, I have been pondering restoration of relationships. I have been thinking about how many of us have prayed for a restored relationship with someone but we really weren't prepared to forgive them for the hurt they caused us. If the offender apologizes but we are not prepared to forgive, how can the relationship be restored? When we haven't done anything wrong to cause the relationship to be strained or broken but we harbor hard feelings or a self-righteous attitude, how can we say we have not sinned? "And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not...

Have you ever thought there was something that God wanted you to do, but all you could think about was how unworthy you are? Maybe God wanted you to minister in some way to people who knew you when you weren't walking with God. They knew you before you were a new creature in Christ or maybe they knew you after you were a new creature in Christ but you still did something you are embarrassed of. You say, "But God, what will these people think? I don't want to put a bad reflection on You!" Well, one thing I have learned in scripture is God is not embarrassed of us at all! His forgiveness and restoration of us proves that! This may sound funny but God is secure in Himself! He doesn't need us to make Him feel better about Himself! This morning, I was reading about the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus and his life events immediately following the conversion. After he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and became a believer, people did question God abo...

This morning, I was thinking about Stephen and his great faith. Although not much is said about him in scripture; what is said is profound. How could he forgive people who were stoning him? How could a loving God allow him to die? But then I thought of Psalm 116:15 which says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints " and II Corinthians 5:8 which says, "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." I Corinthians 15:55 tells us that death has been swallowed up in victory! Death has lost its sting. Praise God! The martyr of Stephen brought about so much good! In Acts 8, it speaks of Saul (who was later to become the Apostle Paul) who was persecuting the church. Scripture tells us in Acts 8:1, "Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and...

Lately, I have been watching some plants die. Bummer! I have tried to save them but death prevailed. The interesting thing is some gladiolas have sprung up in their place (quite literally) . We did not plant these 'glads' but they are up and now beginning to bloom with brilliant orange blooms. I could not help but think of our lives when things seem to be going sour. Have you ever gone through something and wished and prayed for things to be different and then you realized that the "bad thing" was the best thing that could have ever happened to you? Sometimes we must make a decision to trust that God knows what He is doing even when every indication points to disaster in our lives! No one, other than Jesus, went through more trouble and heartache in the Bible than Job. But in Job 13:15, he said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." That is faith at its finest! I don't think it is a coincidence that 'glads' came up in the midst of the d...

"Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Romans 13:8-10 Such a simple commandment sometimes takes much effort and thought. I know I should not steal or commit adultery or murder or covet but is that all that is required of me? What if I intentionally provoke someone to wrath? That could cause that person to commit murder in his/her heart. What if I don't lie but I make it almost impossible for someone to tell me the truth? Have I caused that person to sin? What if I don't commit adultery but I dress in a provocative way? Have I caused someone to commit adul...

We returned from our vacation this weekend. How is it that we need to take a vacation to recuperate from our vacation? Oh well, it was so much fun! We went to St. Simons Island (back home for me) and saw family and really enjoyed ourselves. Sydney was wonderful the entire trip! She was able to put her toes in the ocean and she liked that! I always get homesick when I am there. It is so beautiful year around. I see the majesty of God everywhere I look! There is something so wonderfully peaceful about being near water; whether ocean, lake, river, pond or pool! To hear the movement of the water is such comfort to me. The sound of the water is so peaceful and being in the water is so relaxing and yet this same water is such a powerful force! Floods, hurricanes and tsunamis can completely clean out a place. Summer storms brewing in the clouds over the ocean are beautiful and frightening all at the same time. Seeing the beautiful mossy oak trees that are hundreds of years old ...

Life has been very busy this last week! We are going on vacation for a week and trying to prepare for the first vacation with a six month old baby is a bit of a challenge to say the least. I will try to post again shortly after we return from vacation. Thanks for stopping by!

This morning, my quiet time with the Lord was spent in Ephesians. I love Ephesians because there is such a wealth of knowledge to be had in just one small book! Then Sydney woke up so I fed her and played with her. It has been very hot and humid here lately, but temperatures are dropping a bit so I decided to walk around the yard with her this morning while it was still nice outside. We had a very nice time just walking and looking around. Then we decided to stop and sit on the prayer bench. Maggie (our dog) and Lacy (our cat) decided to join us at the prayer bench and they each sat at my feet because I am their master. Sydney, however, sat on the bench with me because she is my daughter. She has privileges Maggie and Lacy will never have because of her position in life. As we sat there together this morning, I could not help but reflect on what I had read. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul wrote one of my favorite prayers recorded in the Bible. Chapter 1 verses 16-23 reads, "[...

Lately, I have been thinking about the differences between my husband and me. He is a good leader and very kind-hearted. He is a big picture person. I, on the other hand, can't find the big picture with two hands and a flash light. I need him to show me the big picture because I can get too bogged down in the details. He doesn't enjoy the details which is hard for me to believe because that's the fun stuff! Our personalities and gifts are completely different, but thankfully, this is not a source of contention for us; instead, it is a source of comfort. We can each do what we are best at being rest-assured that everything else is taken care of by the other. It is nice to be married to someone so different. I am free to be me. This is what the body of Christ is like but so many times, we compare ourselves to others and think we fall short somehow because we can't do what someone else does. God made us to be individuals and has gifted us each differently. We s...

Yesterday, I decided I needed the "new mommy haircut". You know the one....it's much shorter and very easy to manage. I can now be ready in a flash -- like a bolt of lightning. Seriously, this will make my life so much easier and I can make myself presentable much quicker so my husband doesn't have to see my hair in such a mess. Yippee! My hair made me think of the time Jesus cursed the fig tree. Jesus was hungry and passed by a fig tree. He stopped to see if there were any figs on the tree but there weren't so he cursed the tree. The interesting thing about this is scripture says it was not the right season for figs. This scripture is Mark 11:12-14. We, as Christians, should always be ready to bear fruit. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." Timothy was a pastor at the church at Ephesus. We are not all pastors, but whatev...

This morning, I am still pondering the book of James and wisdom. What are some of the pitfalls we can experience as we try to live for God? How are we blessed of God? How many people do you know who know the Word of God but don't live out it's principles? James tells us beginning in 1:14, that we are tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires and enticed. Pitfall #1: allowing ourselves to be enticed away from the Lord. How do we avoid this pitfall? Philippians 4:8 tells us, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." If we meditate on things that are pure then there is no room left for us to meditate on the evil desires that will most assuredly lead us astray. James 1:22 tells us, "But be doers of the word, and not he...

For the last week, I have been pondering wisdom. What is it and how important is it in our everyday lives? I decided last night to read again what James had to say about wisdom. James 1:2-6 reads, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways ." I looked up the Greek word and meaning that was translated as wisdom. The word is sophia (Strong's #4678) and it means 'Christian enlightenment, a right application of knowledge, insi...

In church this morning, a young woman spoke about a ministry our church is doing by supplying shoes to the homeless and washing their feet. What a wonderful ministry. She read a scripture in Matthew 25 that I have always loved! Verses 35-40 says, "'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' This has always been a scripture to keep in the forefront of my mind; but the more compelling part o...

I am a little later than usual with this post today because it was time for our daughter's six month check up. Six months! It is hard to imagine where the time has gone. It seems like just yesterday it was Christmas Eve when I repented of not wanting (like really, really, really not wanting) my daughter born on Christmas. I felt so much conviction of that selfishness on Christmas Eve that I told God it would be an honor for our child to share her birthday with the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Of course, on Christmas Eve, there was absolutely no sign of going into labor so I thought I was 'safe'. But at 2am, that all changed and she was born at 7:28 Christmas morning. What a gift! She had the gift of life in this great big world and we had the gift of a love that cannot be described. Andy and I take so much delight in her and we are fiercely protective of her. How could we not? Yesterday, we needed to pick our garden which is always exciting but the sun had already c...

It's exciting to read in God's Word how He loves us and takes care of our needs, don't you think? It is such a comfort to me to know that I don't have to worry because He has it all taken care of. This morning, I was reading in Luke 12. I began reading at verse 22, "Then He said to His disciples, 'Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.'" Then He goes on to say how God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies so beautifully but we cannot add one cubit to our stature by worrying. God will take care of our needs. We should seek His kingdom first and let Him take care of our needs. If you will notice, the scripture above began with Jesus saying, 'Therefore" so I read the verses prior to see what Jesus was connecting to this passage. Lo, and behold, it was a scripture speaking against covetousness! In a nuts...

Blessings come with responsibilities. Can anyone relate? This morning, I woke up feeling rested which does not always happen for me. Praise God! As I began thinking and praying about my day, I realized I have many tasks to do today. My sweet baby will take up most of my day, but I have other things to take care of as well. Laundry was piling up, trash needs to be gathered so it can be picked up in the morning, lunch needs to be cooked, etc. As I began gathering laundry, I thought about the fact that I was single until I was 35 and only had laundry for myself. Now I have a wonderful husband and an adorable baby which has increased my laundry significantly! When I think of the blessing my family is to me, I take joy in laundry! Even now, as I write this post, my daughter is screaming for my attention, so I stop to care for her. What a blessing she is even when she "interrupts" my day. She likes to sit in my lap as I sit here at the computer so she can "help" me write....

The first scripture my eyes fell on this morning is a scripture I can't get out of my head. It is Ruth 3:11 which says, "And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman." Now here is a little background. Ruth was from Moab. Moab was a heathen town and in fact, God had commanded Israelites to never go to Moab. In disobedience, Elimelech took his wife, Naomi, and his two sons to Moab during a famine. Elimelech died and his two sons married Moabite women. One of the sons married Ruth. Both sons died childless which left Naomi destitute. Naomi knew she needed to go back home. Maybe she knew she would never be blessed of God living in a heathen nation. Ruth insisted on going with her which was a real blessing for Naomi. They were taken care of when they returned to Bethlehem because laws were in place to protect widows but Naomi knew there were also laws in place for close relatives to ...

As I was reading in Proverbs this morning, I couldn't help but think about Solomon who wrote most of Proverbs. Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba. Bathsheba was the married woman that King David committed adultery with and then had her husband killed. I wrote about this in the post titled, Restore To Me The Joy of Your Salvation. Bathsheba was pregnant as a result of adultery with King David but that child died. God is such a redeeming and gracious God that when King David and Bathsheba had Solomon, God said this son would reign after David. What began as illicit, God redeemed! David repented and he was restored to a proper and right relationship with God. Sometimes we look at our sin and think we could never be restored and have the same relationship with God again and maybe we are partly right! Our relationship could never be the same again because with extreme forgiveness comes an extreme love. How could our love for God be the same after we have been forgi...

Today is my husband's first Father's Day as a daddy himself. He and Sydney had a bond from day 1. He is teaching Sydney by example what a man should be. He is loving and giving with high morals and never forgets about his family. He loves his family dearly. I am so thankful to have Andy for my husband and the father of our daughter. In church this morning, we observed communion. Because it is Father's Day, it was especially touching to me. It is a time to reflect on what Christ did for us and the sacrifice He made for us. He made that sacrifice because it was His Father's will. The death and resurrection of Christ was the greatest gift we could ever receive and it came from our Father! Our heavenly Father has set the greatest example of loving His children that is imaginable. What love! In response to His gift of love, Hebrews 12:14-15 instructs us to "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the LORD: looking carefully lest anyone ...

Have you ever wanted to be invisible? I know I have. In fact, this morning was my most recent occasion of wanting to be invisible. My husband had to leave early to do some work at the church which meant I needed to water the garden before Sydney woke up. Therefore, I threw on the ugliest clothes I own, grabbed a cup of coffee and the baby monitor and ran out the door! The only redeeming part of my outfit this morning was the straw hat I was wearing that, shall we say, covered a multitude of sins! I really hope the neighbors or passers-by didn't see me! Next question - have you ever felt invisible? Have you ever been going through something incredibly devastating to you and it appeared that nobody could see the pain or maybe no one cared to even look? On the other side of the spectrum, what about a time you were really excited about something God was doing in your life. Maybe He was using you in a new way but no one seemed to care. No one tried to encourage you in the new ...

How many times should we have to pray for something? More specifically, how many times should we have to pray for something that we know is God's will? Should we even have to pray for something we know is God's will? Won't God just do whatever He wants to do? This morning, I was reading in 1 Kings Chapter 18. There had been a horrible drought that lasted years. In verse 1, God told Elijah He would send rain. Boy, that's great! Let's just sit back and wait for the rain. What a blessing! Blessing? Absolutely! Just sit back and wait? No way! Elijah had so much confidence in God's Word, that he told Ahab in verse 41 there was the sound of abundance of rain. Then Elijah went up to the top of Carmel to pray and wait for the rain. Seven times he prayed and asked his servant to go look for signs of rain and finally the servant saw a tiny cloud. This was all the proof Elijah needed that rain was on the way! 1 John 5:14-15 says, " Now this is the con...

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am new to gardening, but I have dirt under my fingernails to prove I am officially a gardener! As I have walked around our yard examining our various flowers, shrubs, trees, vegetables and herbs, I realized I don't really know what I am looking for. My husband and mother-in-law have tried to teach me some things but I have to say it just doesn't come natural to me. As I have tried to cut off the dead flowers so new ones can bloom, I realized that I really don't always know what and where to cut. I understand that if I don't cut off the dead, the plant will continue to try to nurture what's dead using up valuable energy that could have been used to produce new growth! You can understand how important it is to cut off anything that is dead. I wonder how many dead things are in me that I continue to nurture! Am I using up valuable energy because I am determined to not let go of something that is dead to me? "Teach me, O ...

My husband and I have talked a lot lately about how good life is for us. " For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5) As followers of Christ, our hope is eternal. This morning, I was reading in Psalm 119 and was comforted by verses 71-80 which reads, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes. The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver. Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments. Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Your word. I know, O LORD, that Your judgements are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your word to Your servant. Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; for Your law is my delight. Let the proud ...

My family loves a really good sweet bell pepper so we have a row of peppers planted in our garden. I have been watching a pepper plant because it is by far the smallest of the plants but it has produced the two largest peppers. It looks like a healthy plant; it's just small. Every time I see it, I am reminded of Hebrews 12:1-2 which says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." In my Bible, there is a note with this verse that gives the Greek word and definition for the word translated as 'looking'. The word is aphorao and it says this word signifies undivided attention, looking away from all dist...

As I was reading this morning about the widow and her two mites, I was reminded how we all have something to give. What a blessing! This account is in Mark 12:42-44. The rich were coming by the treasury at the temple and were throwing in a lot of money out of their abundance, but this is what happened next. "Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood." This poor widow proved she had a heart for God. She knew that it was by His grace she had the two mites to give. What a powerful scripture! This reminded me of an Old Testament scripture in 1 Kings 17. There was a famine due to drought which Elijah had prophesied would come. God told Elijah to go to Zarephath...

Do you remember as children what an honor it was to be chosen for a team? We would all line up and after captains were chosen, they would take turns each choosing one person until everyone was on a team, all the while each child was screaming, "Pick me!!! Pick me!!!!!" Well, God did pick Jonah to speak to the people of Nineveh but as we learned yesterday, Jonah did not want to be picked. He forgot to remember what a honor it is to be chosen. God has a way of being very persistent and He persuaded Jonah to go to Nineveh. This is where the men of the ship threw Jonah overboard and the sea calmed for them! The Bible tells us that God had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. Now if I had been Jonah here, I would have thought being swallowed was the end of me, how about you? This was actually God's salvation of Jonah. It's funny how sometimes God's salvation is what appears to us to be the end. Hmmm, that's something to think about. Now after the big fish regurg...

There are certain Bible stories we all learn as children if we are raised in church. They are stories of God's care for His people and stories to help build faith but they are so much more than mere stories. There are life lessons to be learned in these real-life accounts even for us as adults. For instance, how many times have we heard someone say, why do you care what I do? I'm not hurting anyone but myself. It's my life! Jonah was a prophet and God chose to use him to restore the people of Nineveh. God specifically told Jonah to go cry out against that city because of their wickedness. Jonah didn't want to go so he took the first boat out! He had to know that God would not let him go that easily, but then again how many times do we try to run from God, too? During that boat trip, there came a bad storm where the people on the boat feared for their lives. Even as heathens, they knew this was an act of God and they determined it was because of Jonah. Chapter...

As a 40 year old new mother, I have been waiting for the day someone assumes my daughter is my granddaughter especially with all the gray hair I now have. I have never been one to color my hair but I am ready to take the plunge. So this morning, I did the allergy test to see if I can use this product on my hair and now I wait. This is exciting because while having dark brown (almost black) hair again won't actually make me any younger, it will, hopefully, make me appear younger. As I was reading Psalm 51 this morning, I couldn't help but to recall in Scripture when King David committed adultery with Bathsheba (see 2 Samuel 11). David did such a vile thing as to take another man's wife, get her pregnant and then deliberately have her husband killed so his sin wouldn't be found out. Psalm 51 is David's prayer of repentance for these horrific actions. David had the audacity to not only ask for God's pardon but also for purity; not just for acquittal but also for ...

Romans 8:28-30 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom he foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." This is to me, is one of the most encouraging scriptures in the whole Bible. It reminds me of Jeremiah 1:5 which says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you..." . My parents didn't plan to have me but even so, God knew me before I was formed in my mother's womb. I was planned by God and predestined to love and serve God and to be conformed to the image of His Son. God had and still has a plan for me. Part of the execution of God's plan for me is the "all things" in verse 28. "All thing...

I am new to gardening but am fascinated by it. This morning, I went out to water our vegetable garden. I have prayed for a bountiful harvest this year. We want to have enough for our family and to put some away for the winter and still have plenty to share with others. My husband and I have been watching some weeds grow up into our squash plants. These weeds have grown so close to the squash we haven't been able to pull them because it could damage our squash so we have left them alone. This morning, I saw that something is eating the weeds and killing them but our squash are still beautiful! It reminded me of 2 Chronicles 20. This is a beautiful picture of God loving and caring for His people. Several groups of enemies were coming against God's people. Jehoshaphat prayed a beautiful prayer reminding God of his promises and said in verse 12, "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what...

As I was reading 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 this morning, I looked at it in a different light. It says, "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land". I began to think about all the ways God has blessed us and I realized that when we forget to recognize God's blessings, we get prideful and self-important. Proverbs tells us that pride comes before the fall of man but when we delight ourselves in God, He will give us the desires of our heart. I can't help but think of my 5 month old daughter who knows nothing right now but what she wants. Her world revolves around herself and what she desires. There will come a day that I will expect her to realize that although she brings me so m...

God has been very gracious to my family. He has decided to bless us abundantly in spite of ourselves! I told my husband this weekend that we are living like kings and we are swimming in the middle of a desert. We were hit hard by the economic downturn and yet are so blessed. We are overwhelmed by His goodness. Our 5 month old daughter is healthy and happy and we are healthy and happy. It appears to me that God is looking for ways to bless us because every time we turn around there is another blessing. Scripture tells us in Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." I have found that in my walk with God, sometimes faith is not so easy to come by. Sometimes we know in our head that God will take care of us but we lose heart because of fear of the unknown. Sometimes our faith is a choice we have to make in spite of our fears. Fear is very damaging w...