Good morning... I just experienced a surprise blessing. In the midst of my quiet time, God coaxed me to read the beginning of each of the four gospels (Matthew 1:18-25, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 2:1-7, John 1:1-18). Melting together all of these accounts, these words shimmer for me this Christmas morning. What is conceived is from the Holy Spirit. Give [...]
Good morning... With her husband and kids away, our friend invited a cool group of women to a "Pop-Up Christmas Party." Yummy food. Water and wine. Great conversations. "It's been a very hard year," said one person I see periodically. Her husband, in his fifties, has faced life-threatening health scares. "It has been humbling to need people in a [...]
Good morning... On the first Christmas morn, what was born? Our personal adoption into the family of God. "Think of it this way," explains Galatians 4:1-7 (NLT). "If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their [...]
Good morning... After our recent post, God's Crazy Love, a handful of you wrote affirmation. "Love this!!!" "Today's devotional was so beautiful." "Thank you for this message especially in this crazy time of year when it should be so quiet and calm. He is a good good Father." "Merry Christmas and thank you for making each morning brighter for me." [...]
Good morning... He shared one simple quote after yesterday's post, Primary Or Peripheral? “The first wise men gave Christ treasures from their kingdoms. Today’s wise men give Christ the treasures of their heart.” - Holley Gerth Yet, complicating the gift-giving process, our heart-treasures are wrapped in our human nature. Anger and anxiety. Stress and selfishness. Depression and defensiveness. These [...]
Good morning... I wondered as I left an important meeting, "How and when will I know which steps to take?" Driving home in silent turmoil, music from within surprised my meandering mind: "I need You, God, I need You. Every hour I need You. My one defense. My righteousness. Oh, God, how I need You." Wisdom dawned. I do not [...]
Good morning... When caught in grief's riptide, how do we survive? Rip currents are powerful, channeled currents flowing us away from the safety of the shore. To learn about surviving grief, I google "What to do when caught in a riptide." Here are the eight top tips one article teaches. Watch the waves. Remain alert for storms brewing on [...]
Good morning... Morning after morning, I choose a different coffee mug for a different reason. Today I sip from a big, blue mug bearing the words: "Donut Hole - Established in 1978." A few years back, our 22-year-old son and I bought matching keepsakes after enjoying a yummy breakfast at the Donut Hole restaurant near Rosemary Beach, Florida. I [...]
Good morning... A few months back I agreed to facilitate a Sunday school class at a large, local church this morning. I have loved teaching this class in the past and was looking forward to collaboratively learning with this great group again. Earlier in the week, I had exchanged emails with the organizer, sharing the topic, finalizing the details, [...]
Good morning... There are many reasons why today our posts are changing format. Streamlining my writing process in the early morning hours will be a time-saver for me. Touching the "Everyday Blog" tab, you can easily scrolling back to enjoy old messages you may have missed. It drives me crazy when the print font is funky and inconsistent; this [...]
