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“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy . . . But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort.” (1 Corinthians 14:1, 3 NIV)  So, this is it. After last week’s intro on spiritual gifts, I promised to share the gift I hoped…

A stack of Christmas catalogs sits on my table. Torn pages. Dog-eared corners. I flip through them searching for “keepers,” as I shop for friends and family. Have you flipped through God’s catalog? He has one—and He gives like no other. Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians catalog the gifts of the Spirit: Apostleship    …

“Keep Your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.” (Psalm 19:13 NIV) My dog Mizuno has a love-hate relationship with the leash. He loves the leash because it means he’s going somewhere, hopefully for a run and not to the vet. He…

My son gets married this month. Our first child to do so. Today I got the link for their engagement pictures. Lovesick, sappy, but so darn cute I can’t stop looking at them. While in California this weekend, I watched my future daughter-in-law navigate the to-dos of the wedding list. We’re engaged too, you know.…

I have three part-time jobs, writer, Master’s student, and mom, so time is of the essence. Too often I feel anxiety’s claws creeping up my neck, digging into my shoulders, and tying knots in the muscle fibers, leaving aches and pains behind. So, how to untie the knots anxiety leaves? Try these tips for reducing…

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a…

Physical Therapy. Pain with a purpose. I’m Granny’s chauffeur to PT each week. She goes in happy. She comes out nearly cussing and swearing she’ll never go back. Enter dementia’s silver lining because Granny will forget it all before her next appointment. Bottom line? She’s tired, sore, and sick of the process. Darn it if…

Believing God. Do you? Really? I don’t mean a head nod of “Yeah, I believe in God. He’s real and His Word is true. Yada, yada.” I mean, “Yes, when God says _______ in His Word, He means it and I should get on board. Today. Let’s look at an Old Testament king who took…

As part of coursework for my masters degree, I had to memorize Romans 6:1-14. To determine my grade, I had to write out all fourteen verses and deduct points for mistakes. I thought that since I would have to write it out for a grade, I would learn it by writing it out. Here’s the…

Weeds. I hate them. And in one particular patch, they’re everywhere. Disrespect. Self-centeredness. Laziness. While I occasionally glimpse kindness, selflessness, and maturity, the few healthy plants in the plot are fighting for their lives. What to do? Those who raised me attacked my weeds with large doses of correction. An ugly weed poked its head…