Grief as a form of love
I wrote this post before my father passed away last weekend and before we had to put our dog to sleep yesterday. It has been an emotionally intense time, but God is faithful to his children, and the words I wrote remain true. The God of all comfort… comforts usContinue Reading
“We weren’t created to die.”
I wrote this post last week in response to something else, but this past Saturday evening my 81-year-old father unexpectedly graduated to heaven. He is in a place that is “Better by Far” and I am grateful. We do not grieve as those who have no hope, yet we grieve.Continue Reading
Fresh wine
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free… do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1 NIV) Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins willContinue Reading
If…then
Keep trusting in the Lord and do what is right in his eyes.Fix your heart on the promises of God, and you will dwell in the land,feasting on his faithfulness.Find your delight and true pleasure in Yahweh,and he will give you what you desire the most. (Psalm 37:3-4 TPT) Have you everContinue Reading
Kindness Isn’t Complicated: The Coat Library
[I saw this story on social media, but I wrote the prayer. I have no idea whether or not the story is true, but I know that cold people need coats. In a world where problems can seem insurmountable, helping a cold someone find a warm coat or gloves isContinue Reading
Checkmate
[This article comes from a blog post by Charles Morris at haventoday.org/blog/closer-look-checkmate/. I wrote the prayer.] “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:9 NIV) If you know anything about the game of chess, you know it all comes downContinue Reading
Voicelessness
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17 NIV) Have you ever lost your voice? Sometimes when we catch a bug—or when we yell, shout, or sing too much—we temporarily lose the ability to speak or sing. A dear friendContinue Reading
Christmas spirit
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2 NIV) As I write this it is the day after Thanksgiving. Yesterday we had 17 people around the table for dinner – mostly out-of-state family who came in for the holiday. Today we are in recovery. We don’tContinue Reading
Hope and a stump
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. (Isaiah 11:1 NLT) Delayed hope makes one sick at heart, but a fulfilled longing is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12 GW) A tree stump is a representation ofContinue Reading
60 years of farming
His master replied, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! (Matthew 25:21 NLT) As I write this I am reflecting on more than six decades of farming.Continue Reading