Choosing to be free
Establish the cause of the righteous, for you are the righteous God, the soul searcher, who tests every heart to examine the thoughts and motives. God, your wraparound presence is my shield. You bring victory to all who are pure in heart. God, your righteousness is revealed when you judge. Because of the strengthContinue Reading
Marked by wrestling
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass I’ve heard it said that you should never “help” a baby moth or butterfly out of its chrysalis or cocoon. When that creature is ready to emerge, the struggle of getting out helps the wings to develop fullyContinue Reading
Marked by words
“Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.” (Philippians 4:8 TPT) Who are the people whose comments, encouragement, put-downs, or other speech still rings in yourContinue Reading
Marked by extraordinary
“O God! Your way is holy! No god is great like God! You’re the God who makes things happen; you showed everyone what you can do— You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble, rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph.” (Psalm 77:13 MSG) Once my family and I watchedContinue Reading
Fatherhood
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4 ESV) The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. (Proverbs 23:24 NIV) “I remember standing in the hospital room, holding myContinue Reading
Smelly prayers
Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3 NIV) Today has been a busy, run-around kind of a day. Errands, meetings, mileage…itContinue Reading
Listening to Psalm 8
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:9 NIV) Good morning, God. I’m reading Psalm 8 in The Passion Translation today. That’s a good one! A man after my own heart wrote that for me. “Yahweh, our Sovereign God, your glory streams from theContinue Reading
I love it when a plan comes together
Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’From the east IContinue Reading
Pure worship
[I’m working on the daily devotional pieces for the arts camp and came across this article I share, lightly edited. This may be information you’ve read repeatedly or it may be new to you, but I invite you to read it with an open heart. What might God be sayingContinue Reading
rest
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 NIV) The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14 NIV) I spent many hours each day last week deeply working on the preparation that hasContinue Reading