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Makeup, manicures, and merchandise. We spend a lot of time and money to look our best. Praise is becoming to the upright. Psalm 33:1 NIV The word “becoming” carries several connotations. Attractive: Causing someone to look attractive, having a flattering effect. Praise, gratitude, and contentment attract the same temper. Really, who needs more frown lines?…

Blows hammered shields. Clouds hurled hailstones. God’s voice thundered. Eyes watered from the haze of smoke as fire fed on everything in sight. Sweat, blood, and rain wet the lips of warriors as cherubim soared overhead. Powerful imagery pours forth from Psalm 18 as David recounts the LORD’s rescue, His battle training, and David’s ultimate…

“Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.” 1 Kings 4:34 NIV Wisdom. When we hear the word, we think of Solomon, even today. As ruler of Israel, he’d earned a voice in world affairs. God’s gift of wisdom…

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1 NIV Thanksgiving will be here soon and our family will toe the line at the neighborhood Turkey…

The people at Chewy must hate me. I keep changing the shipping date for the dog food. Our puppy is growing. Rapidly. He eats more than double what our aging Lab does and has caught up to him in weight. He’s six months old. Growth requires fuel, even spiritual growth. Valor gets his fuel from…

“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…

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…

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…