As soon as I sent a text message from my phone, I realized “Oops, I should have responded differently.” How often have you had a conversation with someone or replied to a text message and then later wanted to take back what you said? In today’s quickly paced society it so easy to make snap […]
Isaiah 40:31, Jeremiah 29:11 Hope is defined as “a feeling that what is wanted is likely to happen; desire accompanied by expectations.” We use the word hope on a regular basis; “I hope it doesn’t rain today.” “I hope my team wins.” But, what happens when what we hope for doesn’t occur? Most of the […]
Ephesians 6:10-18 Have you ever noticed when we or someone we know puts on a uniform or dresses up for an event, how that can change our attitude, make us feel more confident about ourselves or simply just make us feel better? You can see that when some kids put on sports uniforms they get […]
Dear Heavenly Father, As children transition back to school this week, we pray they would have a will to learn and a desire to do their best. Help our children to obey the rules. May their classrooms be safe and welcoming environments so they feel at ease, but at the same time are willing to […]
Matthew 11:28 While leaving for a family vacation, I asked my husband to put my bags up front next to me. He asked, “How many bags do you need?” After all, I had bags filled with: work related items, books, electronic devices, a purse and a cooler of food and water. I didn’t want to let any of […]
Galatians 6:7-10 I’m sure we have all said or heard, “Wow that was perfect timing.” I have found myself saying this often lately, with the last time being last week. I had a lunch date with a friend at a restaurant I had only been in once before. I was running late and I couldn’t […]
Ephesians 6:10-18 When your opposition starts fighting your efforts, it’s best to be familiar with what tactics they might use. In our scripture today, Paul gives us an over view of this. We cannot know and defeat the strategies of the devil, in light of the Gospel, if we do not study God’s strategies for […]
Recently, the stress in my life has seemed to be never ending. You know the saying, “When it rains, it pours”? It felt as though the stressors were “pouring” into my life and I was beginning to drown. While driving one day, I thought, “What am I going to do? I can’t take this anymore.” […]
John 14:27 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a theologian, martyr, spiritual writer and pastor, once said, “The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself […]
John 15:1-17 In today scripture Jesus says, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) Jesus defines joy in Jesus terms instead of human terms. Jesus talks about a joy that is based not on circumstance but on relationship. This is a joy that defines our reality rather than our reality […]