“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:12 NIV “No one is listening to me,” shouted the petite teenage-girl, turning and dashing out the door, abandoning both the conversation and the home she dearly loved. The past few months had seemed like eternity,…
Grace Of A Father
“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will you Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 NIV Today is a day we in Western culture set aside to honor and celebrate fathers. Many good fathers have…
Expotential Growth
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 NIV Returning home from a college visit with our daughter, I reflected on just who this young lady is. Creative, intelligent, thoughtful, and spiritual all immediately come to mind. The day of her birth and…
Lessons From Tipper, Part III
“And without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe He exists and that He rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NIV Tipper, heel. Tipper, sit. Tipper, drop. Good dog! Tipper, no! Our thirty-pound puppy will lie on the floor, eyes rolling up to watch our…
Lessons From Tipper, Part II
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him and protect him, for he acknowledges my name.” Psalm 91:14 NIV Bright sunshine highlighting brilliant blue skies. Birds singing a jubilant chorus. The fresh scent of dew hanging in the air. At nine in the morning, tranquility was mine to be had in…
Lessons From Tipper, Part I: Choosing To Follow
How a nine-week-old puppy demonstrates how we are to follow God.
Words
“Lord, even before I speak a word, you know all about it.” Psalm 139:4 NIRV I read the words on the screen before me. They cut very deeply. I knew the judgment was not accurate but that didn’t quell the pain rising inside me. Anger flowed through my veins. But I knew my immediate…
Gifts
“Whatever you give is acceptable if you give eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.” 2 Corinthians 8:12 NLT It was Mother’s Day, 2002. Our precious three-year-old daughter carefully carried a beautifully wrapped box with a great pink bow resting just under her chin. Her eyes shone bright…
Unmasked
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16: 7b NIV He walked into church, a trained smile upon his lips; one that never seemed to reach his eyes. No one wants to truly know what I…
Altered to a T
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 A middle-aged husband asked his wife, “Do you know a good tailor?” Puzzled, she responded, “I know one, what do you need?” “Some of my pants need let out, they’re too snug.” She tried to hide her…