Encouragement

Choosing to be a Hummingbird

1 Comment / October 6, 2026

The other week I heard an analogy that was most helpful. I thought I’d pass it along to you.

The lesson was being given to elementary students and the topic was about our speech and how to be sure it glorifies God.

This is probably a great topic for us all. How easy it is for us to complain or to gossip! Complaints and gossip about others often pour from our mouths much more easily than words of gratitude and encouragement.

The teacher that day compared our words to two types of birds.

First, he mentioned the buzzard and how this bird goes into a field to search and find what is dead. He feeds on the dead things.

Now, from a practical perspective, we can be glad God designed buzzards to do this! They do a great service to the earth that God created.

But, as people, we don’t want to be like the buzzard and hunt down all the negative, bad, “dead” things.

Next he mentioned the hummingbird. This tiny bird goes into a field to search and find the beautiful flowers.

While the buzzard feeds on dead things, the hummingbird feeds on the nectar from the flowers.

And the question that begs to be answered is this: What are we searching for and speaking about? The negative, ugly stuff or the positive, beautiful things?

Philippians 4:8 puts it like this—

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

And, according to scripture, the greatest way we can tell what someone is thinking about is through the words that come out of their mouth—

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

One of the greatest challenges in this current Christian culture is the tendency to twist scripture into a false Gospel that isn’t biblical. This is often done by placing improper significance on certain things and eliminating or disregarding others.

One of the things that has gotten much emphasis over the past years within Christian circles is this idea of positive thoughts and words. Only speak the positive and never speak the negative.

But this isn’t what the Bible teaches, is it?

And so, as believers who want to grow in our faith, we need to navigate these wrong emphases by serious study of the scripture.

Speaking positive, thankful, uplifting words is a good thing. In fact, it’s a great thing!

May we not, in our efforts to distance ourselves from a wrong movement within Christianity, distance ourselves from the Truth of scripture.

May we be known among our family, friends, and co-workers to be more like the hummingbird than the buzzard. May we strive to look for the good, to speak words of gratitude, and to keep those unkind words and complaints to ourselves.

In doing this, we will not only be pleasing the Lord but we will find much more willing listeners when we do find ourselves needing to speak something that is perceived as negative.

God has given us mouths to speak. I am not sure I always consider what a serious responsibility this is.

As James reminds us in his third chapter, the tongue is a powerful tool. May we use it to glorify and honor God. May we use it to build up and encourage others. And may we use it to point others to God, to His marvelous plan of salvation, and to His perfect Word.

The “Easy” Hike

2 Comments / September 29, 2026

I spent a great week in Gatlinburg last week with my family. We did lots of things and had lots of adventures (I’ll write about one specific adventure at the end of this post) and just enjoyed being together.

On the last day, we decided to try to find an easy hike to take with all the grandkids (Twelve of them, ages ten and under!) One of my son-in-law’s has an app that rates trails. He searched the app and found a hike not too far away that was rated “easy”. We all loaded into our cars and headed there.

It wasn’t long before those of us over 50 were questioning the “easy” label. There were rocks and roots throughout the trail. Certainly, it would get better?

But it didn’t. I have a rather bad knee and was struggling myself to keep my balance so when I saw my mom struggling, who definitely doesn’t want to fall at her age, I was a bit perplexed. A vision of us, falling together and laying hurt on that rocky path, danced through my mind.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before I watched my son and son-in-law come alongside her. They continued to walk with her, supporting her as she walked through all those rocks and roots for the entire mile trail.

Sure…the hike was easy. For someone who is sure-footed, without physical issues, and without concern for balance or falling. We watched the grandkids hop like little goats across all those rocks and roots. But for those of us who are older, it presented an unexpected challenge.

As I watched my mom walk with those two young men, I had to think about what a beautiful analogy it was of the family of Christ.

When one of us is on a rocky path, we are to hold each other up and support one another. “Bearing one another’s burdens” as Galatians 6:2 puts it.

Is there anyone in your life who needs supported today? How can you encourage them?

And there’s another side to this, too, isn’t there? Perhaps you are someone in need of support but you are too proud to accept it.

My mom was very humble as she gratefully accepted the help offered to her. I called her this morning to ask if I could write about this and, as she gave me her permission, she noted that this her life and there’s nothing she can do to change it.

She has accepted her limitations as she has grown older with grace and humility and is a wonderful example to me and to my kids and grandkids.

Grace and humility…do they grow in importance as we grow older? Without them, we will end up miserable and discontent.

So let’s ask ourselves two questions today:

  1. Who can I help or support today?
  2. Am I too proud to accept help or support when I need it?

Things to think about as we walk through the path of rocks and roots in this life with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

(Now…I want to share an adventure we had in Gatlinburg, but there is really no spiritual lesson to it. Unless it is to be careful not to think you are “above and outside” given warnings!!)

One morning I sat on the porch drinking coffee. As I went into get a refill, I heard lots of loud talking outside. I went to the front door to look out and, lo and behold, several car doors were open and trash was strewn about.

We quickly figured out that, during the night, a bear had come down the hillside and had had a feast. Three of our cars were ransacked.

Our son’s car was first. It was full of mud because the recent rain had made for a very muddy bear. The sad thing about their situation was that they thought their car was locked. Unfortunately, their extra key was in there and the car didn’t automatically lock as it always does. The bear had a real heyday in their van and carried their backpack up the mountainside. Strewn all through the hillside was all sorts of sundry items. We were thankful that the extra set of keys had dropped out of the backpack first and were laying on the driveway! (When my son climbed a ways up the hillside he found that their backpack wasn’t the only thing stolen by the bears. All kinds of things were up there on that hillside!)

The second car to be hit was our oldest daughter’s. She and her husband had even had a conversation in bed the night before about the cracker they had left in the unlocked van. Should they go lock it? They decided a bear wasn’t going to enter a van for one cracker. They were wrong. It did enter their van and found that one cracker!

And the third car was our car. My husband likes candy and had quite a bit in the car for our drive there. I guess bears must also like candy because it was all gone! It had entered in one of our back doors, climbed over the console, and must have sat on the passenger seat enjoying the treats because there was a bit of mud there, too. The funny thing was that I had suggested to my husband that we lock the car and he thought it was a ridiculous suggestion…!

We had heard the stories before we took our trip but we never believed it could happen to us! But it did. So if you are going to Gatlinburg, lock your car doors! Those bears are getting braver and braver.

Ironically, the following day, Eric was outside playing with the older grandkids. He was throwing a ball to the kids for them to catch, when the bear (I am assuming the same bold bear who broke into our cars) came wandering down the bank right behind the kids! Eric calmly told the children to come to him and they all went inside and then we all headed out to the deck, where we watched the bear ramble on to the cabin deck next door, go down a set of steps, and play in the yard between us for a time. It was quite the fascinating experience.

So, yes, bears are a “thing” in Gatlinburg. The stories aren’t just exaggerated for hits and likes. Some things you read are true! We’ve become a bit skeptical, haven’t we??

So that’s our “BEAR ADVENTURE” from last week!

Just Take the Next Step

1 Comment / September 10, 2026

I heard a quote the other day: “Relationships are a series of steps and you can only take the next step.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about this. In regards to relationships, as well as in regards to the rest of life.

I find that I often want to solve a problem immediately and completely. Please, Lord, give me the shortcut!

I want the relationship fixed or the issue resolved right away. I want to move past the hurt and the pain and the work and the effort parts and get to the solutions and the rewards.

But there are a few reasons why we shouldn’t hurry the process, aren’t there?

(The following are in no particular order.)

First: We learn and grow in the process. If we skipped right to the happy ending and avoid the hard things, we miss out on becoming more like Jesus and learning to think eternally.

Second: The process is a vivid reminder that we live in a fallen world. This world is not our home. These things serve to weaken our grip on the things of this life and to think instead on “things above”.

Third: These things teach us about ourselves. They show us vividly that we are a sinner in need of a Savior. If we are honest with ourselves, then God will reveal blind spots and personal sins as we seek to heal a relationship or resolve a difficult situation. We are usually not just an innocent bystander. Our sin and flesh have often contributed to the problem. We need a Savior and these things reveal that to us in a very real way.

Fourth: We realize God’s deep love for us in His small mercies and little kindnesses along the way. We cannot comprehend the depth of His care until we see the answers to the small prayers we pray and the little mercies that are given to us that we never even thought to pray for!

Fifth: These unresolved and insurmountable difficulties teach us to bow our knee and to surrender our will to God’s will. They teach us that we are not in control, after all. And they teach us to stop trusting ourselves and to trust instead in the Lord—day by day and with each passing moment. I have to think of one of my favorite hymns “Day by Day” as I reflect on learning to trust (see lyrics below).

And Sixth: Along with trusting, these things teach us to pray. Prayer is a gift from God and so often we don’t use this gift as we should. But when we are walking through something very difficult and puzzling, we grab hold of it more tightly and make better use of this wonderful gift God has given us as we journey through life here. Trials help us understand the value and the necessity of prayer in our lives.

There is coming a day when we will no longer have to learn anything. We will be in a perfect place with no sin, no sickness, no hatred, and no conflict. There will be no world to battle, no flesh to deny, and no demonic enemy to stand against.

Until that day, God is using the seemingly unresolvable situations and the difficult relationships of this life to teach us so much.

Rather than searching desperately for an escape or shortcut, may we simply take the next step that the Lord has revealed to us.

With faith in God, may we simply take the small step and trust the Lord for the ending.

And, while we don’t always have happy endings here on earth, we can be assured that a happy eternity is coming for all of us who have put our faith and trust in Jesus as our Savior. 

DAY BY DAY

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then, in every tribulation,
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation,
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till with Christ the Lord I stand.

Revolutionizing and Restoring Relationships

3 Comments / July 29, 2026

I’ve been thinking about something for a while now. Something about which the Lord has been both convicting me and teaching me. I am not sure I’ll be able to write it all out very well, but I’m going to give it a try.

Once upon a time, there was a person I knew (going to be vague purposely) who left many different people with some pretty bad memories when they left this earth. Things were never made right and the harmony and love that was hoped for was never realized.

I spent quite a few years very upset about this. Not necessarily for my sake but for others that I love very much. My opinion about that person was extremely negative for many years.

And then one day, not that long ago, I had a good memory come to mind of that person. A really good memory of a time shared together. And when I remembered that, other good memories started to surface. They had been deeply buried underneath all the hurt and angst that surrounded their last years.

And these memories taught me something: People just aren’t a “cut and dried” good or bad, like we’d like them to be. We tend to assign labels (even if it’s in our own minds) as to what we believe them to be. But it’s just not that simple.

Some are worse than others. We cannot deny that. Some are more challenging than others to love, for sure. But we can’t control them, can we? We can only control our own thoughts and actions. And that’s what today’s post is about.

We want people to be a certain way. And when they aren’t, we tend to write them off. Or we fight with them. Or we are discontent and we complain. There are many ways we show that we are not happy with the way someone is.

But I am beginning to understand the importance of accepting people where they are.

This doesn’t mean we don’t pray for them. It doesn’t mean we stop trying to make our relationships better. It doesn’t mean we do not confront sin or worldliness because of our love for someone.

What it does mean is that we love them despite their faults. We stop nitpicking and fussing. We lower our expectations and we stop basing our love for someone on those expectations (which are often impossible for someone to fully meet).

It means we stop trying to change them. Rather, we pray for them and, instead of harsh criticism, our conversations of confrontation are filled with our love for them.

And…we stop allowing our peace to be destroyed by them. Because our peace is to come from Jesus, not from people.

And I have had to think…if God would have only offered His love and salvation to me when I was perfect, I would not be saved today. Instead, God reached out to me while I was still a sinner (Romans 5:8). We love Him because He first loved us (I John 4:19).

Perhaps it is time that we start following God’s example in His love towards us. It’s time to eliminate the conditions. It’s time to stop getting so offended. It’s time to stop trying to fix people.

Instead we need to love them right where they are at, as God has demonstrated for us.

After all, am I that easy to love? Are you? If we are honest, we all will admit that we aren’t.

People just aren’t cut and dried. None of us are.

So instead of focusing on the things that drive us crazy, why not focus on the positive things we appreciate? The good memories rather than the bad memories?

Most people in our lives have some qualities for which we can be thankful. Why do we so easily focus on the negative??

Over the course of the past years, I have learned so much about having grace for others. And I have grown in this area. But God has been showing me lately that it’s not just having outward grace, while inwardly being annoyed or frustrated. It’s about both outward and inward grace towards those whom I don’t understand; Towards those that act in ways that frustrate or confuse me.

Everyone is shaped by so many things. My life experience is not your life experience. We often do things for reasons even we don’t understand. And so does everyone else.

People just aren’t always going to be how you want them to be. For example…I will always talk too much. I don’t want to and I try to work on it. But, so often, I go home from church or some event and I think…now why can’t I just be quiet?

But the people that are annoyed by my “over-talking” have no idea that I am actually annoyed with myself, too!

I need so much grace… I’d rather guess you do, too. So why not offer that same grace we need to the people around us?

People are struggling with sin issues and going through hard things, just as we are. They, too are responding or reacting in a certain way because it’s simply a personality trait they struggle with; or perhaps it’s due to a sin (which they may or may not be aware of yet) and God will show them eventually, just as He faithfully reveals our sin to us; It may be that they have had an experience in life that is causing their response; or any number of other things that affect how someone talks and acts. Just like us.

We all have different struggles and challenges. We all have blind spots. We all, if we are sincere believers, desire to be more like Christ. Unfortunately, we do it so pathetically imperfectly. That flesh is a real foe for most of us.

So perhaps it is time that we stop being annoyed and frustrated and just accept people where they are. Perhaps it is past time to offer genuine grace to others—the same grace that God offers to us and that we desire from others towards ourself.

The person I spoke about above chose not to reconcile with those that loved them so dearly. The situation felt utterly impossible. And there will always be great sorrow surrounding the whole thing. But in the midst of this, God brought to mind something that was good.

I want to be a person that can understand that life just can’t be broken down into “good” or “bad”. It’s so much more complex than that.

And that people aren’t all good or all bad. We are all a mumble jumble of both. (FYI: Yes, I do believe we are all depraved sinners in need of a Savior. I am referring here to the average person, both saved and unsaved to which God, through His amazing “common grace”, grants positive personality traits that are beneficial to humankind.)

I used strong words in the title of this post. Revolutionize and Restore are both words that bring to mind big change. I used those words because I believe if we begin to approach our relationships with an attitude of acceptance, rather than an attitude of dissatisfaction, it will revolutionize and restore our relationships.

I believe if we begin to love someone without condition, instead of waiting for them to love us according to our expectations, it will revolutionize and restore that relationship.

According to scripture, we are to live according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1-2). It really is this that sets us apart from the unsaved in this day-to-day world. And one of the ways we can live according to the Spirit is by becoming more like God in how we approach our relationships.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

A Lesson from the Red-Winged Blackbirds

2 Comments / June 30, 2026

We have two Red-Tailed Hawks that take up residence in the field behind our house every year. They change their location slightly, picking a different dead tree to perch on each year, but they always show up. This year there are three, so I assume one must be a juvenile? I am uncertain. The hawks are actually awesome creatures to observe, albeit I have to admit their cry is a bit unnerving.

This year, for I think what may be the first time, we’ve personally observed their ruthless hunting practices. My husband saw one grab a songbird out of mid-air in our greenhouse area and I saw one soaring above the field with some unfortunate creature, its limp tail hanging out of the side of the hawk’s mouth. These predators are merciless in their quest for small (and even larger) creatures.

Something that has been interesting to watch over the years are the birds that attack these hawks. There are several species that do so, but the ones we see most often here are the Red-Winged Blackbirds. Brave and fearless, these birds will harass and poke at the hawks in mid-air to drive them away.

The other day, as I looked up at the sky, I saw this unique phenomenon yet again. High in the sky were two relatively small blackbirds relentlessly attacking this large, predatory bird as it flew in the sky.

And suddenly, I was reminded of something. Something rather important in our Christian journey. This analogy isn’t perfect. But I think it has value so I am going to share it.

But first, a little background.

Over the years, I have noticed an interesting dynamic among believers. There is an increasing distaste for anything even slightly controversial or convicting. And, in fact, if I post anything that is even slightly either of these things, I inevitably lose subscribers or followers.

I’d like to think this has not affected me, but as I am currently in the process of backing up each of my posts of the past sixteen years individually, I realize that it most certainly has.

Watching those birds made me realize that I have grown more timid and scared than I should have. I have been spending too much of my time hiding in the trees, hoping the relentless, persecuting hawk won’t find me. I’d rather guess, many of you do that, as well.

This is a difficult subject. Particularly in a Christian culture that doesn’t particularly love the truth, preferring instead to make up their own truth. It’s especially difficult because we are in a culture that accuses anyone who stands unapologetically on the Word of God to be arrogant and prideful; a Christian culture that has placed experience and feelings above biblical doctrine.

I don’t think I realized how much I’ve bent into the wind of these changes. Not until I read some of my old posts and I think…I can’t believe I wrote that.

And, while there is most certainly wisdom and discernment needed as we determine when and how to go about writing the hard things about sin, about false doctrines and false teachers, and about worldliness, it is so very important that we continue talking (and writing) about them—clearly, honestly, and without apology. Even when no one seems to be listening.

I often think of Jeremiah, who seemingly saw no fruit from his ministry. And, yet, perhaps there were a few individuals who heard and applied his message?

And I think about Jude, where we are told to have mercy on believers who are in doubt (in other words—who are interested in listening and have a humble spirit). We are to snatch them out of the fire of apostasy. (It’s probably important to note here that we, too, are supposed to be willing to listen to others and to have a humble spirit!) We simply cannot obey this passage if we are hiding, cowering, and never speaking up because we are afraid of a bit of ridicule and antagonism.

So back to the birds…

The red-winged blackbirds reminded me to stop hiding in a tree, hoping the devil doesn’t find me. They reminded me to courageously warn about the false teaching and the worldliness that is drawing so many Christians (or professing Christians) away from TRUTH. They reminded me to stop being apologetic for standing on the literal-grammatical-historical understanding of God’s Word.

FOR I am not standing on my own merit or my own intellect or anything else that is special about me. I am nothing.

But God and His Word are everything. I can confidently attack the devilish hawk with my sword of the Spirit. I don’t need to stay hidden when I am wearing the full armor of God.

I was encouraged by those small, brave blackbirds to be more courageous and bold. I thought you might be, too.

May I encourage you—whoever is out there still reading—to join me in standing courageously on the Bible, no matter what it costs?

The Greatness of His Power

1 Comment / June 23, 2026

Imagine you are a tiny, insignificant ant. One of thousands in a specific colony of ants. Just a few yards from you on all sides are other colonies, totaling millions of ants.

As you look up one day, you see a large shadow. It is the shadow of a human being, gigantic and awesome in its size. Capable of squishing you and dozens of your friends in a single footstep.

Now imagine the audacity (and silliness) of you stamping your six feet in indignation at this human being when he doesn’t do what you want him to do. Imagine the audacity (and silliness) of demanding something specific from this human being as one single ant in the midst of millions of ants.

It’s a silly, ridiculous scene, impossible to fathom.

And yet…

Aren’t we doing the same thing, when we shake our fists at God and demand our own ways?

As we contemplate the analogy, we can recognize that our situation is quite different in two very critical ways…

—we have an AWESOME God who actually cares about us personally. This is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!

—the difference between ants and people would be as nothing when compared to the infinite difference between people and God.

One of the things I love in the *Prayer Journal I created recently is the last section, where there are Bible passages to pray for my family. This morning, I reached the passage from Ephesians 1, which reads—

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:15-23)

As I was praying through this passage this morning, I had to think about “the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe”.

If God chooses not to work in the way we want, it’s not because He can’t.

Rather, it’s because He can see what we can’t see.

We are like that ant, on the ground, with a very small, short-sighted view of the world around us.

Our perspectives are skewed by our sin, our environments, our pasts, our fleshly desires, and, yes, our human limitations.

We cannot begin to understand the fullness of God’s love or the intricacies of God’s plans. It’s impossible because He is so great and we are so small.

There are some amazing things to consider as we reflect on our likeness to the ant.

First, as mentioned above, the fact that we have a God that cares for His own redeemed children to such a personal extent is simply amazing. I never cease to be in awe over this.

Second, when I consider the arrogance I must have when I get angry or sulky at God for not giving me my way, I am ashamed.

Third, when I consider the worry and anxiety that can sometimes overwhelm me and then remember that I am personally cared for by this wonderful and loving Heavenly Father, I am stymied. Why would I be worried or anxious, when Almighty God is looking out for me?

This passage from Ephesians, chapter 1, not only gives us wonderful things to pray for our families and others that we love, but it serves as a powerful reminder that our loving God has all power to do anything for us.

If He chooses not to, it is because He knows what we don’t know. It is because He sees the pasts, presents, and futures of ALL people in the minutest detail. He sees that what might seem beneficial to us will hurt someone else. Or that the future will be changed irreversibly and terribly should we get our heart’s desire at this very moment.

Just as a person can see so much more than an ant, God can see infinitely more than a person.

I think that sometimes, in our efforts to define Jesus as our friend, we forget how great He really is. In the normalcy of our culture’s self-absorption, we forget that God doesn’t exist to serve me and my wants but I exist to serve Him.

Just some things I was thinking about this morning…

*I published a prayer journal earlier this year. If you are interesting in checking it out, you can find it at this link.

Staying in Our Story

Leave a Comment / April 21, 2026

The other day I heard the phrase “stay in your story” and I’ve been reflecting on it ever since.

The phrase was said in reference to a persecuted Christian who spent years in prison and, as a very old man, was able to see his son actually serve as chaplain in that very same prison. Only God, right?

But only by “staying in his story” was he able to see the miraculous way God would work.

Obviously, there are times we must escape our stories. There are lots of reasons we must choose to leave a particular aspect of our story—heretical teaching, abuse, the future for our families, etc.

But, let’s put those very valid reasons aside for a moment and think on the ways we leave/change our stories every single day by walking away from people or situations. How often do we just escape our problems rather than facing them and learning from them?

This phrase has had me thinking about how much easier it is to walk away from a person or a situation than to stay in the thick of it and figure it out.

My husband and I will sometimes watch House Hunters International and, occasionally, there will be a couple who walks away from family and friends to go live on an island somewhere.

Sometimes that looks like a good option, right? Just leave. People are messy. Relationships are hard. Situations are sticky.

I am not implying that it is wrong for a couple to do this. I am sure some have really good reasons. But can I be honest? There are times when escaping to an island looks quite appealing to me and it isn’t for good reasons at all. I’m sure you have felt the same way at times.

Many times we find ourselves in situations we simply can’t escape and we can find ourselves “chomping at the bit” for a nonexistent escape route.

We live in a culture that tells us to run. If someone is “toxic” run. If you don’t have personal peace, run. If you aren’t happy, just…run.

If your spouse isn’t making you happy, run to someone else. If your church doesn’t do something the way that you like, just leave. If someone is annoying, just ignore them. If your friend hurt you, just avoid them.

Run away, leave, ignore, avoid…

But, yet, in doing these things, we don’t leave any room for God to work.

When we choose to stay in our story and have faith that God will work all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28) we leave room for God to work in amazing ways.

But, oh, that’s so much harder to live out than it is to type. And, in reflecting back on my life, I will readily admit that I have probably left people and situations that I shouldn’t have. And when I am in a situation I can’t escape, I can become grumpy and anxious. Oh, I have so far to go when I examine my heart regarding this particular subject!

Do you, like me, find yourself laying the same unsolvable puzzle or frustrating situation at the foot of the cross over and over again?

Sometimes—maybe even oftentimes—the way God changes a situation is by changing us. The verse that comes after the very popular Romans 8:28 is Romans 8:29, where we read that God’s purpose is to conform us into the image of His Son.

Frustrating people don’t generally become “un-frustrating” (only by God’s work in their lives is that even possible); Frustrating situations don’t generally disappear overnight.

But…

God will use these people and situations to work in our hearts. Puzzling, unfixable situations and frustrating, difficult people can teach us so much. We learn how to love unconditionally. We learn how to forgive. We learn how to offer undeserved grace to others. These situations release our grip from this world. They teach us to stop trusting in our own strength and help us understand how much we need God. Walking through these valleys will often cause us to evaluate what is important to us and…perhaps…show us what has become an idol in our life without us even realizing it.

When we stop making our comfort and happiness our idol and, instead, surrender our will to God’s and then turn to Him in prayer, seeking His will in His Word as we travel our dark valleys…well, this is when God will work in our own hearts and minds to conform us into His Son’s image.

I don’t know what you are facing today. I only know what I am facing today. May we both consider the value of “staying in our story” before we choose to run away.

Familiar Dirt

Leave a Comment / April 9, 2026

I shared the following on my Facebook page at the beginning of this week and I thought my email readers might appreciate it, as well. Hope it’s encouraging to you!

This past Sunday, as we all know, was Resurrection Sunday and my husband and I had to drive separately as we had to be at church at two different times.

In our church, we can purchase flowers to help brighten the sanctuary for this particular morning and so, after the service, I grabbed one the color of the sunset and took it to my car for the drive home.

I didn’t worry too much about situating it perfectly as I only had a five minute ride that had only one turn. I could hold on to it for that turn. All went very well until…

There was a second turn I hadn’t really thought about…the turn into my house. I am not sure what happened. Perhaps I grew distracted thinking about my day. Or I just had forgotten the tulip was there. But as I turned into my house, the tulip went flying, and made a royal mess on my recently swept car floor.

I was so annoyed.

But I took a picture. Because it seemed like there must be a lesson here (always, right?!)

My mind went to my sin, in this instance. We are so careful with a besetting sin. We pay attention, we work with the Holy Spirit, through prayer and scripture, to rid our lives of that sin.

And then…

Life throws us a curve ball. Or we allow ourselves to be too busy. Or whatever the reason…we start functioning on “autopilot”. We don’t pay as close attention.

And, plop! Just like that tulip slipped on to the floor and spilled dirt everywhere, we slip and find ourselves in a familiar pile of dirt. It can be very discouraging.

While a vacuum cleaned all that dirt in my car right up, a vacuum is absolutely useless in cleaning up our sinful messes. Thankfully, we have something far greater to cleanse our lives from the messes we make. We have a faithful God who forgives!

I John 1:9 puts it like this—

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we make a mess (which is almost every day, right?), we have a Savior who not only forgives and cleanses us from all unrighteousness, but who gives us a brand new fresh start each morning (Lamentations 3:22-24).

Praise the Lord for His amazing grace and abundant mercy! Today is a brand new day.

May we redeem the time, confess our sins, and use the gift of each day to seek the Lord in all our ways.

Here Lies a Man…

Leave a Comment / March 30, 2026

Yesterday, My Sunday School teacher (also my father-in-law) shared this epitaph that someone had found on a tombstone:

Here lies a man who went out of this world without knowing why he came into it.

Is that not one of the saddest things you ever heard? To never know purpose? To flounder and to wander through this world, always asking the question “why am I here?”

I don’t believe he is the only person who died not knowing why they were born. And even those who find some semblance of purpose through their jobs, their manmade religions, their families, or charity work still feel empty if they take a moment to actually examine their hearts and be honest with themselves.

This is because we all have only one true purpose and that is to worship, glorify, and obey the One True God in the way He demands, according to His Word, the Holy Bible.

There is rebellion in a man’s heart that keeps him from having a natural desire to do this. And so he searches in all kinds of places, hoping to fill that desire to worship with inferior, temporal things.

It’s only when we bow our knee to Jesus Christ and turn to Him alone as our Savior from sin and death, that we can even begin to understand our true purpose in this world. Jesus is not just one way. He is the only way to be right with God (John 14:6).

We can choose to bow our knee to Jesus Christ now and acknowledge Him as Lord….or we will be forced to do this later. It’s our choice. God leaves it up to us. For now.

Paul puts it like this—

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)

Believing this—that Jesus is our Savior and Lord and our only way to be right with God—is life-changing.

I came across these verses yesterday (also from Philippians) and found myself meditating on them and what they mean for me (and for you) today, in this current time we find ourselves living in.

Here’s what Paul writes—

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:7-14).

Paul tells us to follow him as he follows Christ (I Corinthians 11:1). His example has been providentially given to us by God. If this is true, then what can we learn or be looking to attain for our own lives, based on this passage from Philippians?

First: All things are considered loss when compared to Christ. Counted as garbage, even. While these verses are nice to read, they are very difficult verses to actually live out. God has been revealing some idols in my life over the course of the last few months. Things that have taken too high of a priority in my life. While it can be painful, I am so thankful that God is opening my eyes to this.

Second: Christ alone is my righteousness. We stand before God clothed in Christ’s righteousness. There is nothing good in us and we can do nothing to make ourselves right with God (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10) Any good works we do for the Lord should be because we love Him, and not because we need to do them to attain salvation or because we think He will be mad at us if we don’t do them. We can get a little mixed up with our motivation for good works, can’t we? Even those of us who know and believe this truth with our whole hearts.

Third: We must stop looking behind us and press toward the mark. One of Satan’s biggest tricks is to get us focusing on all we’ve done wrong in the past. Or to imprison us in our disappointments, our grudges, our unmet expectations of yesteryear. Again, easy to read and be inspired by these verses, but much more difficult to actually live out.

As we approach Resurrection Sunday and take time to reflect on what Christ has done for us, may we also reflect on the change His victory at the cross has wrought in our own lives.

May we remember our true purpose and turn from those temporal things that call to us, demanding our allegiance. May we turn back yet again with bowed knee and surrendered heart to the One who loves us most.

It’s Not One or the Other

1 Comment / February 11, 2026

I’ve had an interesting past week, which included visits to a surgery center and the hospital. As I reflect on these visits, I realize they are a great analogy as to how we are to approach the “love vs truth” dichotomy we find in Christianity today.

A nurse or doctor who is loving and kind is worthless if they won’t do the hard stuff. If they won’t give us the medicine that we need because it will make us “feel bad”, they can be as nice as can be but we will understand their complete incompetence, won’t we?

As we grow sicker and sicker—or even lose our life—their “love” will mean nothing. In fact, we will recognize that it wasn’t love at all that drove their actions, but rather a self-love that made them want to avoid our “bad feelings”.

On the other hand, a nurse who is mean and gruff who gives us the right medicine, in spite of how it will make us “feel”, is certainly not the blessing they could be. They can do everything right, but if they do it with a frown on their face and a mean spirit…well, love is important, isn’t it?

Love and truth aren’t enemies. They are the greatest of friends.

I’ve noticed a really strange dichotomy in the recent years and I really want to encourage my readers to avoid it. It seems that many Christians are drawn only towards the “love and grace” posts, podcasts, sermons, and books. While another group is drawn only towards the “truth and discernment” posts, podcast, sermons, and books.

This ought not to be. As believers, we need to highly value both. I strive very hard to be balanced here because God has clearly shown in scripture that BOTH are important. I am well aware I don’t do this perfectly but I am trying.

If we step back and really think about it, we will recognize that there is no genuine love without truth.

Truth, no matter how it’s spoken, will save your life. To confirm the salvation of someone who has no fruit and zero interest in repentance or being more like Christ is not true love. No matter how that truth is spoken, if someone who has been deceived repents and believes on the name of Jesus Christ, they will receive eternal life.

But love does change everything. It makes [some] hearers much more willing to listen and plants many more seeds than a harsh, critical word. I write “some” in brackets because, at this juncture, we find many who have no interest in hearing the truth, no matter how lovingly it is said.

We are told that people will turn from the truth in the last days (2 Timothy 4:3-4). We are told there will be many false “Jesus”s in the last days and they will deceive many (Matthew 24:5). We are told that there will be perilous times in the last days with people following their lusts and calling it godliness (2 Timothy 3:1-9). And we are told that people will be deluded in the last days because they did not love the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).

No matter how close we are to the actual return of Christ, we are most definitely seeing these things the Bible warns us of. Christianity is getting more and more confusing every day because so many things are done in the “name of Jesus”.

But is it the real Jesus? When we compare this “Jesus” to scripture, we can see most definitely it is not our beloved Savior who died for us and calls us to forsake our sin and the world and follow Him.

The Bible is true or it isn’t. Our faith is either based on the Bible or it’s based on human philosophy and opinion.

We can’t just define Jesus to be the way we want Him to be and then call ourselves a “Christian”.

Honestly, I think many of us Christians thought we would be in jail by now, being persecuted for standing up for the true, biblical Jesus.

Instead, we find ourselves being persecuted and rejected by those who either profess a different Jesus or are deceived to think all of the “Jesus”s are the same person.

So let me go back to the beginning of this post. As genuine believers, who desire to follow Christ wholeheartedly, we need to understand that there is a very concerted effort to move the world towards a one world religion (which is exactly what scripture tells us will happen! The Bible is 100% true!)

This is something that can’t be done without taking the eyes of the people off of God’s Word. And so there has been a real effort to move the hearts and minds of Christians from the Bible and to, instead, value more highly human opinions and their own personal experiences.

As we live in the midst of this crazy, confusing migration of “Christians” from Bible-believing religion to mysticism (let’s call it what it is), we must be passionate about both truth and love. We cannot—we dare not—eliminate either one in this very dangerous time.

And by doing this, God will use us to plant seeds for His Kingdom. He is still working in the midst of the “Christian” chaos and He is still using His people here on earth. We don’t want to be deceived into unbiblical thinking or a wrong focus, lest we be rendered ineffective. We don’t have to choose one or the other because, as believers, we must choose BOTH, just as Jesus shows us so perfectly in scripture.

We won’t change the world, but one day at a time, we can make a difference in the lives we touch. May we be courageous enough to speak the hard truths of scripture with love and grace. May we love others well and stand boldly in the swelling tide of apostasy.

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