Christmas Carol: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” When I think of Christmas carols, I think of joy. Celebration. Cheer. But the Advent season (the four weeks leading to Christmas day) is often ushered in with a song that can be described as melancholy. Mournful....
Gratitude Prompts There’s a saying traveling the internet these days that goes something like this: “What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?” (Was that as convicting for you as it was for me?) Thanksgiving Day is the...
Be the One, Not the Nine We’ve all heard the advice: Don’t buck the crowd. Go along to get along. Don’t rock the boat. When I’m with a group of people, often the last thing I want to do is buck the crowd. Teens are especially vulnerable to this feeling, but...
Where Do You Live? Where do you live? I don’t mean your street address, or your city, state, or country. Where do you live spiritually and emotionally when the storms of life break over you? Where is your hiding place when your stress level is off the charts?...
Is It the End of the World? The 2024 presidential election is finally over and while many are celebrating, others are convinced the end of the civilized world as we know it has arrived. Can both polarized opinions be correct? The “end of the world” seems to be...
Is it Easier to Give or Receive Love? A conversation with a friend sparked this question. In her daily quiet time a few years ago, she had asked God to show her how to give absolute love. Aware of the many ways the Lord has lavished His love on her, she wanted...
Four Things to Do While Waiting Are you in God’s waiting room? Have you been praying for something, waiting for an answer, hoping your circumstances will change? I confess, waiting is not my favorite activity. And right now, I’m in a season of waiting. During...
Please Don’t Say That! Last week another hurricane hit Florida. Yet another powerful storm, this one bringing the added danger of record-breaking tornadoes. We endured Category 1 winds in my hometown, but not the Category 4 and 5 originally forecast. Worse than...
Storms of Life, Trust, and God’s Sovereignty Hurricane Helene roared up the west coast of Florida and left devastation in her wake across several states. Two weeks later, Hurricane Milton blew up in the Gulf, sliced through Florida, and left more devastation...
Celebrating Victory in Christ When you think of victory in Christ, what comes to mind? For many of us, we think of victory over death. Eternal life with God. New bodies. No sin or even the presence of temptation. But did you know your eternal life has...
Trusting God: Reluctant Resignation or Joyful Choice? Do you trust God because you have no choice or because...
Who Are the Least of These? Who are “the least of these”? The answer may not be what you expect. The phrase,...
My Name is Barabbas He was a rebel and a murderer. Condemned to die without any chance of appeal. He was guilty...