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“Now it came about when he [David] had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.” (1 Samuel 18:1 NASB) Knit together. I love Samuel’s imagery. One soul knit to another’s in friendship. Knitting is no easy task, you know. I…

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?” Romans 2:4 (NIV) A blind eye? Or grace? Life would be easier—spiritually speaking—if God disciplined me every time I sinned. My growth curve would be sharper. I would learn more quickly and…

Camels have extreme thirst. They can drink 30-40 gallons at a time. I think my puppy is part camel. When he drinks, he flops down, wraps his paws around the bowl, and plunges his head in the water dish. Sometimes he goes to the Texas-sized water bowl (the pool) for a drink. He’ll jump in—slurping…

Grace, faith, and works. Incompatible? Or irretrievably interwoven? While grace and faith pair well, works have been the odd man out when it comes to salvation. Yet your concordance will show extensive lists of verses for all three. Have you considered their relationship? Let’s focus on just a few verses that show the tension created…

Hurdles. They bring to mind Olympic runners, not a blind man from the pages of the Gospels. Yet Bartimaeus was driven by far more than a gold medal. Let’s look at his story. He’s unnamed, known by his father’s, not his own. He’s alone. No family, no friends guide him through the streets of Jericho.…

Where the head goes, the whole body tends to follow. I’m leash training my puppy. A neighbor suggested a Gentle Leader, a collar that rests high behind the ears with another strap fitting over the nose. The leash attaches underneath so that when you pull, you pull the head and not the neck, similar to…

Abraham. A man of rock solid faith, right? Sometimes. Sometimes, he found himself in the sifty, shifty sand. As we dig our toes into the beach sand this summer, let’s look at the sandy spots that shifted Abraham’s world and avoid them in ours: The Sand of Helplessness: In two incidents (Gen. 12:10-20; Gen. 20:1-18), Abraham…

Mustard. Sharp. Pungent. Tangy. I wasn’t a fan until I met my husband. He loves it, and now I do too. For me, a little mustard goes a long way, but God says that’s true of faith as well. In fact, a mustard seed portion of faith is enough to do the job. So, slap…

Deploy: To be sent out for a specific purpose Our armed forces consist of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Their duties range from special ops to military bands. Likewise, God equips His forces and, as Commander-in-Chief, deploys them appropriately. To what duty has He deployed you? Are you aware of the…

I love the Fourth of July. I love cooking out, splashing in the pool with friends, and watching fireworks. Patriotic music and the red, white, and blue give me a lump in my throat. Though we celebrate our independence, we celebrate somewhat in ignorance. Most of us have never been without it. We’ve had  life,…