How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you study God’s Word? One verse at a time. Though I’m a fan of reading through the Bible, for study purposes, one bite can make a meal.  One of my early assignments in seminary was to take one verse and come up…

Have you given much thought to practicing your faith? I mean—the practice part.  As kids, we practiced a lot of stuff. Piano, soccer, multiplication tables.  But faith? Not so much.  Oh, we attended church each week, but that’s not the same thing. What if we practiced our faith the way we practiced our favorite extra-curricular…

Faith or Fear? Two opposites compete for space. Remember when we could go to a store and shop? Numerous choices stretched before us. Seersucker. Denim. Silk. We chose what to wear. Likewise, we make choices spiritually regarding what we wear. Social media and the news offer fear. Concern over the economy and disease. The new normal…

Second Chronicles 7:13-14 springs from everyone’s lips these days:  If I [God] shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will…

One of the strangest scenes in Scripture occurs in the Easter story. My trusty NIV reads: When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus…

As we shelter in place, our neighborhood has filled with walkers, runners, and cyclists. Valor, our Belgian Mal, loves the extra walks he’s getting as we manage all of the indoor together time.  But what an opportunity! Check out this passage: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all…

My husband and I have been watching Sherlock reruns (the Benedict Cumberbatch series). In the episode following Mary Watson’s death, in which she takes a bullet meant for Sherlock, Sherlock says this, “In saving my life, she conferred a value on it. It’s a currency I do not know how to spend.” Profound.  Two thoughts came to…

Here are some tips for surviving the 2020 pandemic—with a spiritual twist. Tip #1: Wash up. As you wash your hands with soap and water, wash your spirit with the Word. God says, “Fear not.” Meditate and pray through Psalm 91 (below). Tip #2: Keep your distance. Distance yourself from fear, anxiety, and stress. God…

 “If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also.” Luke 6:29 NIV This verse has always stumped me. Surely God expects me to defend myself. Right? Then, I received this insight.  Perhaps God is telling us not to turn our hearts away from those who wound us. (Disclaimer: I’m not speaking…

In Stevie Wonder’s song, he pledges loyalty to an old love. In spite of mistakes, he hopes she will take him back and he assures her he’s all in.  As believers, we need never fear our Love’s rejection. Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV says, “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy…