Have you ever been stopped mid-stride, mid-breath by the song of a bird? I have. Once upon a time, several years ago, I happened to be hurrying down a busy city street with somewhere to go and not enough time to get there. The hustle and bustle of the big city—honking...

God has always had a PLAN, and He will always have a PEOPLE. The Scriptures are full of stories of ordinary people who might otherwise have remained invisible to us. Yet, they were hidden heroes—critically important to the unfolding of God’s Big Plan throughout...

Our mothers taught us good manners. They were careful to teach us the rules of polite and socially correct behavior toward other people. To show proper respect, common courtesy, and kindness—always. Saying “please” and “thank you,” “you’re welcome” and “excuse me.”...

In our last study, we discussed how that the dark trials we sometimes endure are not at all by chance or without purpose. God wants to help us build spiritual strength and endurance, deepen our faith, and develop His likeness in us—if we will let Him. But He may have...

It didn’t just happen—it was created. It is one of the oldest created things in the universe. Older than dirt. Even older than air. It’s at least as old as water—but older than light.  It is … darkness.  GOD created darkness (Isaiah 45:7) for a reason—for many...

I really should’ve known better.  I tried my best to dress carefully that morning. Nice jacket, straight skirt, new lace-up boots, leather gloves—topped off with a red beret and scarf to match. When in Rome … you wear a beret.  Except this wasn’t Rome—we were living...

Do you ever wonder? Why is the face of the Moon always looking at us? Doesn’t the Moon rotate? According to NASA: “The time it takes for the Moon to rotate once on its axis is equal to the time it takes for the Moon to orbit once around Earth, so the same side of the...

In our last study, we were looking at the unhurried, unworried nature of Jesus.  Let’s pick up the story again in Mark 4. The disciples were trying to cross the Sea of Galilee when a sudden storm arose that turned deadly. Though Jesus was also IN THE BOAT with them—in...

While my husband and I were visiting another city, we took an evening stroll through the neighborhood where we were staying. As we passed one particular house, an architectural detail (see above) caught our attention.  The carved inscription immediately made me stop...

I live in Indiana. You cannot drive far from where I live without being reminded—in living color—what stage of the growing season we’re in. One day, the landscape is nothing but an endless canvas of blank, brown earth. Then, almost overnight—as if by a miracle—those...

I grew up in a city with a French name—which, for some folks, seems to make it open for private pronunciation.  After our wedding, my husband and I moved far away from my hometown, Eau Claire. Ironically, one day I found myself in a discussion about its pronunciation...

She was a desperate woman—a widow and a mother—hopelessly in debt. You can read her story in 2 Kings 4:1-7. The Enemy had subtracted almost everything of value from her life. He had minused away her husband, her resources, her ability to sustain herself … until all...

It was David’s worst day ever.  The sweet psalmist of Israel had been forced to live on the run for a long time, fleeing for his life from the king. He may have thought, Oh, to just be home tending the sheep again! It wasn’t his fault that Samuel anointed him to be...

In our last study, we asked the question, Why are we so afraid of the dark? We have nothing to fear from the darkness, for it is truly powerless. It changes nothing. However, when LIGHT is absent, the Prince of Darkness does have one small, yet effective, tool—the...

“Have no fear of the dark. It changes nothing.” When I was quite small, I was afraid of the dark. My Gramma was a wise and godly woman—she understood my fears and wanted to help me.  One night, we arrived at her house and stepped into her dark kitchen. I loved my...

They actually DID IT!  Israel was sick and tired of fighting. Of all their surrounding enemies, the Philistines were the most painful and persistent thorn in Israel’s flesh. Frankly, the outnumbered Hebrews were no military match for the Philistine hordes with their...

My Dad was 34 when he died.  I’ve been told he was a wonderful man. The eldest of five siblings, he grew up in a small house in a large town in northcentral Wisconsin—where strong values were the norm. His father was a rural postman—a good and guarded man of solid...

I’ve been thinking about my Mom this past week.   “Let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Proverbs 31:31b KJV) Our mothers taught us that whatever we DO—what we create and accomplish and give away—should be of such quality and skill that it would always be our...

In our neighborhood, there’s a tree.  Well, what’s left of it. Obviously, it has occupied that space for a good, long time for the trunk is massive. It really must’ve been glorious in its prime, when its spreading limbs were in full leaf and color. When birds made...

Focus is a mindset.  It’s a conscious filtering of our thoughts, which affects how we perceive, remember, learn, reason, and make choices. Without a focused mindset—i.e. being fully IN the moment—our ability to think clearly suffers, and our best efforts are...

We learned a lot about life when we were small—playing with building blocks.  If we think about it, during our whole lifetime, we’re building with blocks. “Blocks” of memory—it’s how we learn. One memory stacks on another—connects with another. Each fact, event,...

God loves it when KIDS ask questions.  A few years ago, sickness forced me to join the ranks of the “shut-in saints” for several months. To be honest, what I missed most was my Sunday School class—a class of twelve exceedingly bright, beautiful, energetic, and...

Do you ever wonder if Scripture was actually written to make understanding difficult?  “Scripture texts are not designed to be mastered. They master you. It's too much water in the well. You will never have as many buckets as you need to get it all." —John Mark Comer,...

Spring is here, and with it comes the blessed season of Easter … or more appropriately, Resurrection Day.  Awash in pretty pastels, smelling of blooms, and draped in crisp cotton trimmed in lace, this joyous celebration of LIFE arrives every year—floating and landing...

I love to listen to classical music while I’m working. Bach, Beethoven, Dvořak, and Debussy can all pass through the room, in turn, unseen, without ever invading my conscious space. They don’t need me to respond. Their wordless melodies don’t demand my attention or...

I love the Lord’s Prayer.  It’s short, simple, succinct—and packed with essential elements for effective communication with God: worship, submission, petition for needs, appeal for guidance and relief, repentance, intercession, and high praise.  It may have been...

We never had it so good.  As women of God, we have always tried to project an image of grace, modesty, and authenticity. We dress to bring glory to our God and to honor the bodies that He gave us. To be honest, though, it’s not always been easy to shop for clothes...

We often think that hope is something nebulous and abstract—something you can't quite grasp. Who can KNOW the future? No one. We say that we “hope in GOD”—we fling our thoughts and prayers upward with some wishful inkling that they will somehow reach their mark and...

It’s not a suggestion.  Several years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Israel/Jordan on a tour. Actually, my husband and I wanted to gift our daughter, Bethany, with the trip of her dreams, and then … at the last minute, he decided to let me go with her. Hurray! We...

When God speaks, nothing becomes something. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” … from nothing. With nothing but words. Words mean things, but when God uses words—they mean MORE. God said, “Let there BE LIGHT …” and there WAS light. From the...

I have long suspected that most Bible scholars, commentators … and Sunday School teachers … tend to be a bit TOO hard on Jacob.  It’s about what happened in Genesis 27. Here’s the story according to me:  Isaac, when he was old, pulled his son, Esau, aside. He told him...

“Remember when …?”  No.  One of the most precious gifts that God has given us—is our memory. Memories are woven deeply into the fabric of our lives—it is the stuff that relationships are made of.  Though, there are some among us, through no fault of their own, who are...

I love art museums. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam—the Louvre in Paris—the Art Institute in Chicago. The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. I have loved spending hours there, though there was never enough time to see it all. You know, there’s good...

Last time we talked a bit about Psalm 119 and how it encourages us to KEEP the Word in our hearts.  Allow me to introduce you to an interesting word found 22 times in Psalm 119 alone. In Hebrew, it is:  שָׁמַר (šāmar), (transliterated: shaw-mār'). It’s often...

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11 KJV) Like the Psalmist, I too have been motivated to hide—and re-hide—Scripture in my heart. Haven’t you? Just reading the words of the Bible somehow doesn’t seem to be enough. You...

Have you ever been told, “If God says ‘no’ to your prayer, it means He has something better for you?” Has that answer always brought you comfort? Or … maybe even a bit more frustration? Be honest. If you’re in excruciating pain, you’re not really that interested in...

Happy New Year!  In our last study, we talked about EVERYDAY food.  Medical science has proven that there are minimum daily requirements for vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other nutrients that the human body must take in to maintain good health and to carry out...

Our family (like yours, I am sure) has certain foods that we make only on holidays. For example, at Christmas, with the roasted lamb there’s always cranberry-orange relish, “Christmas Crunch” salad, and Vánočka (a sweet plaited holiday bread)—not to mention the...

Here we are, nearing the end of the calendar year, and with that comes Christmas! A day that is celebrated by everyone in the Christian world by simultaneously looking back. Looking back to childhood, to classics from the past, to other Christmases—cherishing the...

Christmas—it’s the time of year for giving and receiving gifts. Its what we do. It warms our hearts when we are willing to sacrifice something for those we care about—because we love them. There is a well-known story about a giver who gave a gift of great value—and...

I recently read an interesting story. It was a tale about the singular bravery of one lone man—how he helped to defeat an overwhelming enemy by simply doing his job. Whether it is historically true, I know not. Here’s the story: In 1942, in rural France, a shepherd...

It was an utter catastrophe.  I don’t really know what happened. A warning popped up on my phone, I responded, and the next thing I knew, ALL the data on my phone was erased. Not just from my phone—but my cloud storage, too. Don’t ask me how. I didn’t even know that...

During our years of ministry, my husband and I were blessed to serve in a few of the most beautiful places on earth. For a short season, we lived in the Netherlands—and though brief, it was glorious … or as the Dutch say, “Lekker lekker!!” (deliciously good!) We were...

The weeks before Thanksgiving make me smile. Yes, I’m happy to be anticipating the soon coming of our “high holidays,” but during these days I also get such a kick out of the mishmash of assorted outdoor holiday decorations. Driving down the street, you may see the...

Last time, we looked at some of the times when walking backward is the RIGHT—and honorable—thing to do. Recently, Christian apologist Greg Koukl, founder and president of “Stand to Reason” (str.org), published an intriguing article entitled, “Why Looking Backward...

Why would we ever choose to walk backward?  We live in a culture that says, “Keep your eyes forward. Don’t look back. Your past is nothing but a distraction—forget what’s behind you. Look straight ahead—into the future.”  There’s even Scripture for it: “Let your eyes...

“In the beginning, GOD …”   In our last study, we noted that the beginning of all things started with a RIGHTeous GOD.  Like Hebrew reads from RIGHT to left, our life story would do well to be read from the perspective of “RIGHT FIRST.”  In everything we do, it’s...

Hebrew is written from right to left.  Why is that? The way language text is written and read—its directionality—was apparently established when those languages began to be converted from speech to script. When the first alphabets were created.  Languages originating...

“Take a hike.” Best advice ever.  I love to go for walks in the park. On any given sunny morning, I can feel the warm favor of the Lord shining down through the trees from above. Each step feels like a gift from a loving God. And yet, when I’m walking in the park, I...

When I was in Bible College, my two favorite classes were both taught by the venerable S.G. Norris—Old Testament and Bible Doctrine. He didn’t just teach us to KNOW the lesson—he taught us to TEACH it. In every class and in every sermon, Bro Norris had a way of...

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Romans 11:33 ESV) The deeper we mine the Word of God, the more we discover that the treasury of its wisdom is both within our reach and yet inexhaustible. As we study the Scriptures, we just need a few...

“Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.”  (James 5:14-15 KJV)  What is this prayer of...

That is not a typo.  Research data shows that because the percentage of regular church-goers is diminishing weekly, congregations have upped their marketing game to be more “seeker sensitive” and to get the unchurched masses through their doors. First-time visitors...

On a trip to Turkey several years ago, we visited the archeological site of the Biblical city of Ephesus. It was fascinating to see all they have uncovered of that once-glorious commercial center of ancient Asia Minor. The amazing architecture, mosaics,...

I was out walking the other morning, and beside the sidewalk I saw the prettiest little flower. It was the blossom on a curly vine, and it had artfully encircled and climbed a tall stalk … a BIG weed. It seemed odd that such a sweet little flowering vine had attached...

A bottle is a beautiful thing.  Hand-blown of sea-green glass, it sits on a windowsill with the morning sunshine sparkling through it. Of course, looking beautiful is not a bottle’s chief purpose—it was made to HOLD something. To contain a substance and to preserve it...

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart…”  (Deuteronomy 6:6 KJV) How do they get there? How do words get IN your heart? We know the answer. It’s not just by a casual glance at the Bible once a week. It’s not by simply hanging framed...

It seems so backward.  To scatter for the purpose of gathering. To shatter, only to restore. To enslave, only to set free. To strike with sickness—only to eventually heal. Why go through all the pain and trouble?  It’s the cyclical nature of life. From death, comes...

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (Psalms 139:14 NKJV) There is only ONE CREATOR of LIFE. When God forms a human body in the womb of its mother, He does it with His own hands—in...

There is only ONE HEALER.  Well, … maybe two, but one is created by the other. So, for all intents and purposes, the ONE and only HEALER is the ONE and only GOD: JESUS.  “I am the LORD that healeth thee.” (Exodus 15:26 KJV) One of the names of God is embedded in this...

There’s so much going on around us that we do not see—and so little that we do.  It’s funny—we call ourselves God’s highest creation. Yet there are birds that can perceive colors we cannot see and dogs that can hear sounds that we cannot. There are aspects of reality...

My mother was a widow. Determined to raise us well, she gave my two sisters and me the best, most exciting childhood, in spite of the fact that we were missing a man in the house. She was a curious blend of adventurous and fun-loving, yet almost phobic about some...

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16 KJV) I believe that we do well to study the prayers of the Bible—especially prayers that WORKED. Prayers like the bold declaration of Elijah which, without asking one question, caused fire to...

One early evening while living in Anchorage, we saw the glow of the soon-to-rise moon over the mountains just east of town. So, we decided to drive up the Hillside (the foothills of the Chugach range) to get a ringside seat. We wanted to get higher and “closer” to be...

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a “refresh” button for our minds? A way to reset and clear the brain clutter? Our thinking often gets so tangled up in negativity. Bad news, bad behavior, bad advice. The voices of gloom and despair swirl around in our thoughts until...

When we think of Solomon’s Temple, we think of GOLD—sparkling, glittering, and incredibly beautiful. We think: the Ark of the Covenant—with the angels and the mercy seat, the shining menorahs, the altar of incense, and the gilt doors carved with cherubim and palm...

Recently I was slicing up some fresh strawberries. Seriously, is there anything that says “YAAAY for Summer!” better than a plate of fresh strawberries? Sweet, juicy, and in a word: scrumptious! My big basket of berries had already been ripening in the refrigerator...

SAD is a real thing.  Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is related to the changes in the seasons. It may cause a person to feel listless and gloomy, hopeless and worthless, with little interest in things they once enjoyed. It is often...

Last time, we looked at an amazing skill that God has equipped our brains with. It is called metacognition, and it essentially allows us to control our thoughts instead of being controlled by them. When this natural ability is paired with the supernatural gift of the...

When our daughter, Bethany, was three years old or so, she memorized Psalm 23. I can still hear her little singsong voice, quoting the verses that she had learned by heart. Her pure little heart. When she got to the end of the passage, she said with extra enthusiasm:...

Gone were but the Winter, Come were but the Spring … — Spring Quiet by Christina Rossetti Imagine that it’s a calm day in early spring. The sun is doing its best to warm the air. There’s not much of a breeze—everything seems to be holding its breath and only speaking...

“You can look, but don’t touch.” Do you remember your mother’s admonition? She dared to take you with her to shop in a store FULL of wonders! Sparkly, fragile, pretty things all within reach! But, she warned you, “Don’t touch.” “But—I WANT to!” To TOUCH was to say...

Jesus’ death was like an incomplete puzzle to those who loved Him. His disciples had completely rerouted their lives to follow Him because they truly believed that Jesus was their long-awaited MESSIAH. They were just beginning to put all the pieces in place … and...

I received a gorgeous jigsaw puzzle as a gift. The picture was an artsy map of Alaska, puzzelized into 1000 pieces. It looked really difficult—and I couldn’t wait to start it. The first step, of course, is to separate out and assemble all the edge pieces. However,...

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” (Romans 12:5 KJV) In our last study, we looked at Jesus’ command to “Follow me”—what that DOES and does NOT mean.   As unique and individual members of the Body of Christ, we have a...

What was Jesus’ most frequent command?  Certainly, “fear not” and “love God and one another” would both top the chart. But one command He gave at least thirteen times specifically, and—in so many words—as many as twenty-one times. It was the imperative “Follow me.” ...

March is almost over. This month in the U.S. was designated as Women’s History Month. A celebration of the significant achievements of women—their work, contributions, and impact for good through the years. As roughly fifty percent of the planet’s population is female...

In our last study, we began to look at a Scripture that is very troubling for some born-again believers. Here it is: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have...

God gave us His Word long ago to provide us—TODAY—with answers to our questions, comfort in our grief, and hope for all our tomorrows. Paul wrote “Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of...

Last fall, when the signs went up on the Alpine Frosty, Rocky’s Root Beer Depot, and the Dairy King, everyone knew that summer was officially OVER. One could almost hear the collective groan when the hot dog stands, flower carts, food trucks, and bubblers (in...

On the shelf.  How many times have you come home from the grocery store with a new bottle of olive oil only to find an unopened one in your pantry? Or maybe two? Or perhaps it was a book you bought—and found the same one already on your bookshelf. We’ve all done it....

“The Mysterious Man.” Sounds like the title of a Nancy Drew mystery. I love a good Bible story. Each one was chosen—handpicked—by God to be included in the canon, the authoritative list of books accepted as Holy Scripture. Every character, every plot, every detail has...

“How do they do it?!  The locals, I mean.” I carefully descended the concrete steps into “The Underground”—the subterranean labyrinth for what they call “The Tube.” I saw the rush of weekday travelers before me, and I felt the crush behind me—all of them knowing...

It was the deadliest natural disaster in US history. Fifty years before they started giving hurricanes names, this storm was called simply “The Great Galveston Hurricane.” It very nearly wiped the Texas town completely off the map. It hit where it wasn’t supposed to....

“I will never surrender of my own free will.” This isn’t the rant of an unruly rebel—defiant and disobedient to authority. This is the standard mindset prescribed by Article II of the Code of Conduct, enacted by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, for all members of the...

“It is I; be not afraid.”   “I will; be thou clean.” “I am he.” * When Jesus spoke, He did so with AUTHORITY and GRACE—and often His words were few. Now, as we allow Him to speak through US, we may find that He inspires us to use fewer words, rather than more—fewer...

WORDS. Have you ever been blasted in the face by a torrent of words? If you watch the news, listen to podcasts, attend rallies, or go to church regularly, you will no doubt hear people speaking their mind.  However, “MESSAGE SENT” does not always mean “MESSAGE...

While in the middle of a preservice praise practice, my focus was intent on the screen of my iPad and the song we were learning. Suddenly, BING!—up pops a text message. But I wasn’t annoyed—I was delighted! I hadn’t heard from this friend in a very long time, and the...

For some of us, Christmas is over a wee bit too soon. Besides, the traditional celebration of Epiphany is just a day or two away—on January 6–so I thought I’d share again this after-Christmas devotion about “The Star.” “Star of wonder, star of night— Star with royal...

“Start HERE.” Here we are at the threshold of a new year. Day one. The first space on the game board. It’s a time to reflect and self-evaluate. “You are HERE.” But where is “HERE?” On THIS day, if you were to describe yourself using the statement, “I am _____” … what...

Perhaps the biggest GIFT is a tiny word. The most comprehensive word ever. The word “SO.” God SO loved the world. “To such a great extent.” He SO loved the countless billions of individual persons—each one with a human lifespan and a sinful nature. Each one, who at...

Last week, we looked at how the glorious season of Christmas—Advent—is also a celebration of our own New Advent—when hope was born again IN us. On our new-birth birthday, God gives each of us a special GIFT bundle—the Holy Ghost … AND POWER! “You shall receive POWER...

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year …” Christians around the world are beginning to celebrate the days of Advent—the four-week season to commemorate Jesus’ humble arrival in Bethlehem as Immanuel, GOD WITH US. However, as born-again Christians, we each celebrate...

Over a hundred years ago, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, an American poet (born in Wisconsin) penned one of America’s best remembered poems. It contains the lines: “One ship drives east And another drives west With the selfsame winds that blow. Tis the set of the sails   And...

The other day, I was humming a gospel tune that our choir used to sing many years ago. The words went like this:  “I’m so grateful, I’m mighty grateful;  The LORD has (blessed) me another day.” The memory got me thinking about thankfulness and gratefulness (or...

“Living things grow … dead things don’t.” Is that true? Of course, it’s absurdly self-evident to say dead things don’t grow—they’re DEAD. I would agree that “growing things are alive” … but is the opposite also TRUE? Always? In the natural world, there are countless...

Staring at the plate of cooked carrots, I knew that the pile in front of me must pass the portal of my mouth and be INSIDE of me—very soon. “Eat it!” I hear my mother say, a little too cheerfully. “It’s GOOD for you!”  My mother and my sainted grandmother (especially)...

The Weather Channel recently shared a short but interesting piece about the phrase “under the weather.”  Apparently, the idiom originated in the olden days of maritime history—when travel on large sailing ships was common.  Any sailor who was feeling ill, or less...

“May I borrow your sifter?”  My neighbor stood at the door. She was making something special in her kitchen, and she needed a sifter to do it. It used to be that a flour sifter was as essential in the kitchen as a wooden spoon. But these days, not everyone feels a...

The cheeks are flushed. The lips tremble. The eyes squinch as the facial features contort with intense rage. Fists are clenched white. The voice shrieks in deafening demands for justice. Is this a radical political protester, exercising their right of “free speech?”...

I love playing table games. Card games, dice games, board games. Among my earliest family memories were the times when, as kids, we sat around the card table for hours playing Yahtzee … or Rook … or Clue.  One of my faves was The Game of LIFE. We didn’t play it...

“There’ll be a test on this material on Friday. Come prepared.” Remember? Listening to my high school civics teacher drone on for endless eternity (it seemed) always lulled me into la-la land. But as soon as he said, “There’ll be a TEST …” suddenly lights were...

There’s always MORE.  More than meets the eye. More to the story. Literally EVERYthing is … more interesting than it looks. More complex than it appears. More valuable than it seems.  Fact is: there’s MORE to EVERYTHING  than we can ever know. Almighty God hides way...

In our last study, we were looking at the story of Jesus and the fruitless fig tree.  Let’s read it again: “On the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, (Jesus) was hungry. Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing...

Famous last words.  Near the end of his life—right before his final voyage to Jerusalem and Rome—the Apostle Paul was wrapping it up in Ephesus. He’d spent years teaching there, and now, as he prepared to “finish his course with joy,” he was saying goodbye. ...

Just ONE road. Seward is 125 miles south of Anchorage (AK)—at the end of the incredibly scenic Seward Highway. The locals simply call it “THE Road.” It winds along tidal waters and salty marshes. Around and through mountain passes and a quirky village or two. Over...

When Moses strapped on his sandals that day—grabbed his lunch and gave Zipporah a kiss—he THOUGHT it was going to be another typical, uneventful day in the wilderness. For years—in fact, for decades—his routine had been the same: tending the family flock of sheep out...

Looking back at my high school years, I could say that my sense of patriotism was formed not so much by my civics class—as my typing class. Remember this drill? “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” Was this declaration penned by some...

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” —Corrie ten Boom In our last study, we explored the peculiar Hebraic concept of “past” and “future.” The perspective in Hebrew is that the “past” is before our eyes—we walk with our eyes facing the PAST. In...

God’s appointments cannot be cancelled—only postponed.   It is said that “the Hebrew Scriptures are filled with various kinds of wordplay. For example, you will find alliteration, acrostics, parables, puns, similes, metaphors, theophorisms, hyperboles, gematria, and...

GRIT.  Anything worth doing takes work. God has BIG plans for us—for BIG accomplishments—but it still requires BIG effort on our part. So, when His PLAN becomes our GOAL, we become “laborers together with God …” (1 Corinthians 3:9 KJV) and ANYTHING is possible. But...

The commandment was crystal clear. Any creatures of the sea without fins and scales, any animals without a split hoof, who didn’t chew their cud, and also certain birds (check the list)—were all unclean. Not kosher. REJECTED.  What did THAT mean? They didn’t get...

If you know, you know.  This phrase has become popular as internet slang, or, more specifically, as a brief form in conversation with someone that has inside knowledge of a matter, especially through experience. No matter what the conversation is about, true knowledge...

"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1 NIV) The LORD is always looking for a void—a NOTHING—in which to work.  In Mark’s Gospel, chapter 9, a man came...

In the beginning, there was nothing but nothingness … and God.  “In the beginning … the earth was without form, and void.” (Genesis 1:2 KJV) We can only understand the nothingness that existed before time began if we erase from our mind’s image everything that frames...

Living for Jesus is not complicated.  If we KNOW that God is GOOD, and we love Him with ALL of our heart, soul, mind, and strength—then living for Him is easy. A straight path. It means simply to OBEY Him. God made certain promises in his Word—promises that He never...

There’s ALWAYS an EXIT.  Ever notice? The ENTRANCE to a public building may be stunning—with elegant marble pillars, potted plants, and walls of glass. But, the emergency EXIT plan from that same building will likely NOT be out the pretty way. Rather, it will lead out...

So pure … “It floats.” It was developed in 1879, in the laboratory of Proctor & Gamble Company, as an inexpensive soap. Legend has it, though, that it got its name in church. It’s said that Harley Proctor heard the beautiful words of Psalm 45:8: “All thy garments...

“No amount of word-making will ever make a single soul to know the mountains. All that is required is exposure and purity ...’The pure in heart shall see God!'” —John Muir When we lived in Alaska, I thanked God every day for our view of the mountains. Though I was...

VALUE. That’s what the world is looking for. Not just the best price—but the best value. The most bang for the buck. But what makes something VALUABLE? Of course, it totally depends on what you’re talking about. For example, with some items in the marketplace, there...

“Let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Proverbs 31:31b KJV) Whatever we DO—what we create and accomplish—should be of such quality and skill that it is always our BEST effort. Shouldn’t what we do and give to others be done so well that we would be delighted to...

“Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Proverbs 31:31 KJV) One of the best reasons to have a cat is to watch them play with light. I remember watching our cat “Camai”—she was so haughty and aloof by nature. But all of her...

“Where is she?”Any parent that has raised a child to adulthood will remember the pain of watching them go off on their own for the first time. When they DRIVE off in the family car—ALONE. I remember. Bethany had just gotten her driver’s license, and we let her take...

There’s treasure in the digging. “It is in Him that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.” (Colossians 2:3 CJB)During the Gold Rush years of 1897-1899, thousands of hopeful prospectors, facing near-impossible odds, fought their way up north to the...

Gone were but the Winter,Come were but the Spring … — Spring Quiet by Christina RossettiIt’s a calm day in early spring. The sun is doing its best to warm the air. There’s not much of a breeze—everything seems to be holding its breath and only speaking in whispers. A...

“Never read a Bible verse. Don’t read (just one) Bible verse if you want to know what a Bible verse means.” — Greg Koukl, “Stand to Reason”Throughout time, the Bible records that God gave specific promises to specific people for specific purposes. But it’s also true...

Just because you READ it, doesn’t mean you OWN it. I bought a book for my daughter a while back. It was for her birthday, but it looked so interesting, I read it before giving it to her. It was a GREAT read! Recently, I asked her, “Are you finished with that book I...

God loves music. He created it. Though it varies greatly from age to age and from culture to culture, God has planted in every person on the planet a certain love for music—as a part of human expression, communication and celebration. Martin Luther wrote: “When man’s...

“Remember when …?” No. There are some among us who, through no fault of their own, are day by day losing their grasp on one of the most precious gifts that God has given us—memory. The longer they live, the less they remember. Due to disease, injury, old age, it’s...

Are you a journaler? I am. Sporadically. These days, I’m not so much motivated to journal every day as I am to do it every time I’m INSPIRED. I always carry a notebook in my purse—one never knows when INSPIRATION will strike. I may hear or read or see something that...

We all love the story of “The Good Samaritan.” The uber-compassionate “CERTAIN Samaritan” in the parable of Jesus, found in Luke 10—on Page 1095 of my Thompson Chain Reference KJV. There he was, traveling along, minding his own business, when he—BY CHANCE—saw another...

His name was Willie Myrick. Many have heard and loved the true story of the 10-year-old boy in Atlanta who was abducted, thrown into the back seat of a vehicle, and told to shut up. He had good reason to be scared, but if he had learned anything by going to...

ONE word. God heard the cry of the Children of Israel in Egypt—He saw the anguish of their suffering, the abuse of their slavery. God said, “It’s ENOUGH.” He stepped in, He selected a leader—a child of Israel raised as a prince of Egypt—and then God set him aside in...

In our last study, we talked about FAITH being like a LENS. There are lots of different kinds of lenses for different purposes. But, the fact is, a lens is an optical device—it doesn’t change the viewed object. It doesn’t change TRUTH—or what IS. A lens only changes...

My perspective is in my control. A lens is an optical device. We all use them, whether for cameras, telescopes, microscopes, or eyeglasses. You look through it. A lens doesn’t change the object you’re looking at—it doesn’t change WHAT IS. It only changes how YOU SEE...

Ever feel unaccepted? “When God has selected you, it doesn’t matter who else has rejected you, or neglected you. God’s favor outweighs ALL opposition.” - Author unknown The angel Gabriel was sent by God to visit Mary (Luke 1:26-28), and he had three high compliments...

In the meantime … Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem. In the midst of His journey—as He came through a village on the way, He heard a group of lepers crying out to Him from a distance. Why not?! What did they have to lose? Perhaps they saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime...

The day after Christmas, I enthusiastically challenged my nine-year-old grandson to a game of bowling. The standup video kind. We were having a blast—he was winning—until something caused me to lose my footing, and I went down. I apparently tried to break my fall with...

Speak FAITH! “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness is from generation to generation (year to year!); You have established the earth, and it stands fast.” (Psalm 119:89-90 AMP) Research has found that there are over 30,000 promises in...

Your VOICE is your CHOICE. “Worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev. 19:10 KJV) Feelings, often, are involuntary; but our voice is our choice. Everyday, we have the option to intentionally verbalize our thanks and our trust—our thanks...

“Star of wonder, star of night— Star with royal beauty bright— Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.” The amazing thing is not so much that God made a star. He created billions of galaxies of them. Or even that a curious light hung over...

Christmas—it’s the time of year for giving and receiving gifts. Its what we do. It’s a way of letting those we care about know that we are willing to sacrifice something for them—because we love them. It warms our heart to give or to receive a thoughtful gift. There...

The story of Christmas for kids. Once upon a time, in a faraway place we call “The Holy Land,” things were far from holy. The people walked in darkness, and they were getting into more and more trouble. It seemed that the world was out of control—there was no LIGHT to...

What a relief. When you’re in unfamiliar territory, you just need a little help. Three little words, that’s all. You may have a great map (or chart), and you may know precisely where you WANT to be, but the FACT is—your map will do you no good at all—and can actually...

Happy Holidays! There’s a lot of righteous indignation at what appears to be a movement to remove CHRIST from Christmas, and I’d like to chime in. Without Christ, there IS no Christmas, and without Christmas, there IS no Redemption Plan. Jesus was BORN … Emmanuel, God...

Oh, the WONDER of Christmas! It’s the time of the year when we think about and celebrate that once-in-eternity moment when the little town of Bethlehem became the birthplace of HOPE. When the invisible GOD became flesh—GOD Incarnate. Each element of the story adds to...

The power of ONE voice—to an audience of ONE. We are well familiar with the third book of the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke. But, who was Luke? He certainly wasn’t one of The Twelve. Though he likely had a close relationship with at least some of His eyewitnesses,...

The weeks before Thanksgiving make me smile. Yes, I’m happy to be anticipating the soon coming of our “high holidays,” but during these days I also get such a kick out of the mishmash of assorted outdoor holiday decorations. Driving down the street, you may see the...

My husband and I lived for a brief time in the Netherlands. It was glorious, or as the Dutch say, “Lekker lekker!!” (deliciously good!) Though just for a few months, it was long enough to fall in love forever with one of the country’s most recognizable icons: tulips....

In our last study, we discussed how that the keystone—placed last at the very top of an arch—is the ultimate key to its strength. It is like the arch’s AMEN. Our response to the manifest Plan of God should always be “not my will, but Thine be done.” We crown His...

Where were you on October 28, 1965? It was a monumental day. Literally. On that day, the final 10-ton piece—the keystone—was lowered into place at the very top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. That last piece marked the completion of the 630-foot tall monument,...

“In the beginning, GOD …” In our last study, we noted that the story of the beginning of all things started with a RIGHTeous GOD. Like Hebrew reads from RIGHT to left, our life story would do well to be read from the perspective of “RIGHT FIRST.” In everything we do,...

Hebrew text is written from right to left. Why is that? The way language is written and read, or its “directionality,” was apparently established when those languages began to be inscribed and the first alphabets were created. Languages originating in the Middle East,...

Age is a number. That is all. But it is not just years. It’s moments in time—strung together like beads on a string. The string is not endless. It’s just so many mornings and so many evenings—sunrises and sunsets. It’s so many cups of coffee, pieces of toast, slices...

YOUR testimony ROCKS! In the fourth chapter of Joshua, we read about the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River by the children of Israel. We remember that God instructed that each of the twelve tribes of Israel take a large stone from the riverbed, and Joshua set up...

I love rocks. Take me to a rocky beach and I’m happy as a clam for hours. I love to look at them, study them, find the prettiest ones, and stack them up as high as I can as a monument to say that “I was here.” I don’t think they have any special powers—I just like...

TROUBLE. It’s everywhere. Some trivial, some traumatic—and the purveyors of “the news” never seem to have anything ELSE to talk about. As Christians, we know we are not supposed to be surprised when we face trouble—a “fiery trial”—whether it’s personal pain, a family...

“I don’t have nobody to blame but myself.” “Double negatives” are so confusing! There are also points in Scripture that are sometimes hard to grasp—that seem almost too good to be true. For example, some people think that the mercy of the Lord is applied only at the...

“I can’t do nothing right.” Yes, that is a double negative. We’re looking at how double negatives are considered “incorrect” and cause confusion in standard English usage—and also in our lives. I’ve heard someone say, “Because I sinned after I got saved—after the Lord...

“This sentence doesn’t make no sense.” A double negative is a sentence or clause using two negative words. The rules say that double negatives are not grammatically correct and should be avoided … when using standard English. In some languages, however, like Spanish,...

“The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man …” (Psalm 94:11 KJV) “The LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee …” (1 Chronicles 28:9 KJV) Now and forever, God is a SPIRIT—Omnipresent,...

God KNOWS our thoughts. In our last study, we discussed how that God needs no interpreter. He KNOWS the contents of the heart of every person—every idea, notion, intention, and belief. He knows the precise moment a heart is ready to receive the gift of His Spirit....

“But he knew their thoughts … “ (Luke 6:8 KJV) God needs no interpreter—He doesn’t need anyone to translate the meaning of the imaginations or the intents of our hearts. He just KNOWS. Jesus said to the hypocritical Pharisees, “Ye are they which justify yourselves...

“Lord, increase our faith.” “And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.” (Luke 17:6 KJV) Jesus did NOT say, “If ye have...

Remember “the Uncola?” In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s marketers for 7-Up came up with a scheme to distance their drink from the popular “dark” carbonated beverages. They sold it as the “Uncola.” Meaning to cash in on the spirit of rebellion that characterized much of...

“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22 KJV) This is as it SHOULD be. It was God who, on the 4th Creative Day, made Days, and Seasons, and Years. God created this...

Seasons don’t last forever—they were made to END. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV) I remember spring in Alaska—REAL spring, not calendar spring—when after the seemingly endless months of winter,...

“For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art GOD ALONE.” (Psalm 86:10 KJV) con·text (‘kän-,tekst): “the circumstances that form the setting for a statement or idea, by which it can be fully understood and assessed; the parts that immediately precede or...

What you don’t know CAN hurt you. I have just come through a serious respiratory illness that suddenly appeared without warning. After several months, I was getting worse and worse, and not only did my symptoms get so severe that I was struggling to breathe, the...

When I was small, my mother would go to the church on off-days to practice music or prepare songs for our Junior Choir. She’d bring me along and let me wander the big empty church building as she did her work. Our church was a vast, exciting adventureland to a curious...

Faith has a voice. Faith speaks in our memory—where recalling the goodness of God in our yesterdays becomes trust to continue to follow Him into our tomorrows. The voice of faith reminds us of the “God moments” in our past, when we see how He specifically acted,...

It’s time. We have come to that season of our lives when it’s time to sort through our stash—the accumulation of a lifetime. To throw out the trash, discard the broken and useless, donate what we no longer need, and keep what we can’t live without. Peeling back our...

That is not a typo. Research data shows that because the percentage of regular church-goers is diminishing weekly, congregations have upped their marketing game to get the unchurched masses through their doors. First-time visitors get bags of free gifts, while church...

She was a desperate woman—a widow and a mother—hopelessly in debt. (Read her story in 2 Kings 4:1-7.) The Enemy had subtracted almost everything of value from her life. He had “minused” away her husband, her resources, her ability to sustain herself … until all that...

There is a point on the Seward (Alaska) Highway, at about Milepost 37, called “The Wye.” It’s the fork in the road where, when driving south from Anchorage, you decide whether you’re going to Seward (end of the road) or Sterling … and points beyond. You cannot get to...

When you look at a page of scripture, what do you see? Verses, words, and letters? Is that all you see? Look beyond the black (or red!) letters - to the WHITE. The black is holy; so, too, is the white beneath. Without it, you wouldn’t see the black of the ink—there...

Sometimes, the Man of God just gets it wrong. It happens. King David, living in his royal residence in Jerusalem, suddenly realized that the Ark of GOD was kept, not in a beautiful palace of cedar, like he, but in a lowly tent. “That is surely NOT as it should be!!”...

Focus is a mindset. It’s a conscious filter of our thoughts, affecting how we perceive, remember, learn, reason, and make choices. Without a focused mindset - being fully IN the moment - our ability to think clearly suffers, and our efforts to reach our best goals are...

“Light is sown …” God plants jewels of clear understanding and deep wisdom, in advance, in the soil of our daily path. What joy, when the righteous reader does not just tread lightly over the Word of God each day, simply skimming the surface, but will stop to dig...

God’s book is a scroll - the Scroll of Days. It holds the Word of God, the Will of God, and the Plan of God. You can only see the fullness of God’s plan for your life as the Scroll unrolls. You can’t skip ahead - everything must unroll in its order. You can never be...

I have learned some important, surprising things about prayer over the past few months. Since the beginning of January, I have battled a mysterious and virulent respiratory disease. It started with just a cough, that got steadily worse and worse until my entire...

“I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” Psalm 116:1-2 NLT This Scripture beautifully reminds me of one simple, but absolute, TRUTH: that when I pray, God is near. I may...

“For every thing there is a season …” Seasons come - and they go. This Winter WILL pass. But, just when you think Spring isn’t coming fast enough, Glory Be! - the time changes so that there’s more light … and less darkness. Somewhere, out there, there are others who...

THREE PRAYERS OF FAITH “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.” James 5:14-15 What is...

GOD LOVES IT WHEN THE KIDS ASK QUESTIONS! The last month and a half, sickness has forced me to join the ranks of the “shut-in saints.” I’m not “forsaking” the church assembly; on the contrary. I’ve missed it very much. What I’ve missed most is our Elementary Sunday...

Today, March 2, is “Read Across America Day”! Who knew?! Readers, unite!! Here’s seven ways to celebrate!! 1. Revisit one or more of your favorite childhood books! What ignited a passion for reading as a child? (For me, Dr Seuss! Later, Nancy Drew!! ) 2. Choose a good...

Are there any SWEETER five words in the world than … “I’m still praying for you” ?? I don’t think so! I’ve been very sick the last month. I’m still in the fight - but slowly WINNING! My desperate question has been: why is my body not fighting this? Why do I feel...