I have been reading in Revelation the section that describes the assault by “the great red dragon” (also called “the accuser of the brothers and sisters”). Furious with the woman (who gave birth to the One who is to rule all the nations, a.k.a. Jesus the Messiah) and with her Read more…
This morning I opened the door to the chicken tractor expecting the usual squawk and dash from my tiny flock. None of them moved a muscle. No one made any noise. It was later than normal, and they were abnormally quiet. I lifted up the roof to check on them Read more…
The battle I reported in last week’s post still rages. (Not that I really expected it to be over…) The good news includes: I am remembering to set boundaries around my house morning and evening, to armor up when I sit down to the Word each morning. (Maybe I should Read more…
Last week’s blog post got eaten by the internet. Seriously! I had the post already to go and hit “save draft.” The next thing I saw was a mostly blank page with a notice that my link had expired. (I didn’t know I was using a link that could expire!) Read more…
It has been pretty tough around here trying to walk in the footsteps of Jesus when the everyday stuff of life includes: — Physical challenges: Near 100° temperatures at the time when trees need the hard ground around them tilled up so they can receive precious, fruit-producing nutrients; minor surgeries Read more…
No, I am not aiming at the extra pounds around my middle, but at what the Amplified Bible calls encumbrance. (Not everything that gets in the way of following Jesus is sin.) I am weary this morning, and a bit achy. A mountain of work awaits me, with no end in Read more…
The walls were thick and high. The conquest insurmountable. The opposition large and fierce. The defenses intractable. Sound familiar? I could be talking about a strong-willed toddler or teenager, or a persistent sinful thought pattern. I might be talking about a job God has called me to do, about the Read more…
The message was addressed to the students I help to mentor, but I am consistently listening for what God has for me. The book was Ephesians. The challenge was to stretch our faith by letting go of something and taking hold of its replacement, by the power only God can Read more…
Last week I wrote about taking hold of our thoughts so that we are in calm, joyful agreement with what God tells us in James 1: that difficulties are what is needed to shape us to be like Jesus. But why does it take hard things to make that happen? Read more…
After last week’s blog, I had a number of inquiries regarding my welfare. So much so that I had to re-read the post to make sure of what I had said. Let me say again that in all our difficulties, God is masterfully at work! He does not ever, anywhere Read more…