“Baby steps. Baby steps.” I can hear Bill Murray’s voice from the comedy, What About Bob?. In the film, Murray plays Bob Wiley, a needy patient of Richard Dreyfuss’s Dr. Leo Martin. Click to see clip. Goal setting and goal scoring require steps in the right direction. Where do you want to go? Toward God?…

What keeps us under the umbrella of divine protection? A healthy fear of God and an active faith. In Genesis 20, God’s man of faith walks in disbelief while a pagan king exhibits a fear of God, faith in God’s words, and immediate obedience. Check out the story of Abraham and Abimelech. As Abraham travels through Canaan,…

Faith. Lived out in how we speak at the dinner table, how we behave in traffic, and how we act toward those we live and work with. What’s our faith say? Does it impact those around us? Genesis 22 tells of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac. Picture the scene. Isaac is thirteen at the very least,…

Knowing Jesus caused a shift, an earthquake with my soul as the epicenter. And I found myself in good company. Let’s look at Paul—before and after. Paul gives a before shot in Philippians 3:5-6 (NIV): “ . . . circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a…

“When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed them. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said, “Be clean.” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.”…

Trust issues. Satan’s favorite bait. We’ve talked about how Satan can use the same deceptions he did with Eve in regard to marriage. (Marriage Tips: Don’t Repeat Eve’s Mistake Feb. 2, 2015) This week, I want to show you how he can use it with our children. Last year, I took a class based on…

Handpicked. By God Himself. Not love at first sight, but there was a definite nudge from the Holy Spirit when I spotted my future husband in Freshman English at S. H. Rider High School. But years later, a questionable whisper tickled my ears, suggesting my choice was less than perfect. How quickly I forgot God’s…

The holidays create all kinds of relational stress. Holiday deadlines, extra bodies in the house, travel. A potential combination for fireworks. But nothing changes relationships like a good crisis. So, here’s some relationship advice based on recent lessons from our crisis mode. We’ve been in crisis mode with my mother-in-law since November. Moves from assisted…

Adding value. My new challenge to myself for spiritual growth. A challenge to move beyond my schedule, my agenda, and my to-do list and intentionally add value through my words or actions. Every day. Adding kindness, thoughtfulness, and if it’s your lucky day, maybe some chocolate chip cookies too. A little love plus effort equals…

What are your favorite promises of God? His provision? His pardon? His presence? Peter reminds us that though the promises of God are many, God has a purpose in each one. “Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and…