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…

Impossible. That’s how I’m feeling as I stare down Christmas. Our son’s November wedding (which was awesome) was immediately followed by Granny’s hospital visit, a move for Granny from the retirement centre to a higher level of care, and a second move to a nursing home with a higher level of security, and a second…

“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    …

“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…

What day is it? Ask Granny, and she won’t have a clue thanks to her dementia. Ask her about the past, however, and she recalls things with great clarity. I want to do the same. Remember the past, specifically, my past with God. I won’t let spiritual dementia rob my memory. I want to remember.…