“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’” Matthew 2:1-2 The Magi knew the King…
Category: Christian Life
Christmas Characters, Part II
“But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.” Luke 1: 7 Most of us do not immediately think of Elizabeth and Zechariah as Christmas characters. Yet, they are vital in their supporting roles to our main characters. Beyond this righteous couple becoming the parents of John the Baptist, who…
Christmas Characters, Part I
“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” Luke 1:45 How might Mary, Mother of Jesus be described? A young girl. A highly favored girl. A girl who desired to do God’s will. Mary has a beautiful song found in Luke 1:47- 55. “and my spirit…
Perseverance Through the Wall
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving in the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:11-12 This past week I watched an interesting home improvement project in my house. The week of a holiday, a holiday we were hosting out-of-state family for three days, mind you,…
Thanksgiving: Thanking God in Tough Times
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 This week, those of us in the United States will celebrate Thanksgiving. We remember what the Pilgrims did, thanking God for seeing them through their first year here in their settlement. They…
Complacency in the Comfort Zone
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 Years ago, when I first began homeschooling, I received a gift. The gift was a simple coin enclosed in a pendant. But, that coin meant the world to me. I placed it on a…
Compassion for the Clueless
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34 I was sitting in the high school parking lot, waiting for my daughter. The final bell had just rung. Some students were strolling out the doors, catching up on texts, others were dashing about, probably hurrying to jobs or after school practices….
Drawing Closer In Contentment
“Come nearer to God and He will come nearer to you.” James 4:8 James 4:8 is a promise. If we work at drawing closer to God, He will come closer to us. When do you draw closer to God? If you’re like me, I tend to draw closer to God during the trials of this…
Service With A Smile, Part II
“Serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13 Last week we focused on serving one another. This week, let’s focus on how we can continue serving, with a smile! Does service ever become mundane, or even, gasp, drudgery? do you continue to serve because, well, you feel you have to? To continue to pour yourself out…
Service With A Smile, Part I
“Serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13 Recently, a few friends and I attended a conference. We were there with our daughters to learn, encourage, and motivate. We were not part of the team planning the day, nor we were members of the church hosting the event. At lunch, a friend from our group needed…