"I trust that God is at work in me. I feel His presence. I sense God changing me, softening my heart." She continued, "But trusting that God is also at work in other people, that's my biggest challenge." By nature, we want to save and to fix, to make peace and to control. It is hard for us to [...]
Good morning... “Linger” has always been one of my favorite words. Inviting and multifaceted, to linger means to remain in a place longer than expected. To pass time, waiting, in a leisurely way. To persist, although gradually dying, ceasing, disappearing. To stroll, shuffle, stick around. To tarry, trudge, traipse. To dwell, dawdle, dillydally. Linger is slow not fast. Linger [...]
Good morning... Every year I gift words from my school-year blogs to Northside Church, where I am the Women's Ministry Director, and the Creative Arts department creates for our community an online summertime devotional. For June, July, and August my messages are recycled in a new order, given a title, and adorned with beautiful cover art. This year's devotional [...]
Good morning... Today I wake to the perfect "Verse of the Day" from Bible Gateway, the online site that helps me to treasure hunt for companioning Scriptures for each of my morning messages. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one [...]
Good morning... After reading and re-reading yesterday's post, "What do I want for Mother's Day?" I deepened my thoughts for everyday living. What do I really want each day of my life? I want me, the real me. I want my best self to keep coming around. I want to be the kind of person with whom family and [...]
Good morning... A friend who has thrived through many transitions sent me the lyrics and the link to her favorite music video. If there is any link to touch on for two minutes of encouragement, this is one special gift I hope you will give to yourself. I am grateful, first, that God hand-builds for each of us a [...]
Good morning... When I posted yesterday's message, "The gift of tears," I did know know I would be crying within a few short hours. As he told his personal story through heaving waves of tears, he struggled to say, "These have been the best years of my life." His gut-wrenching tears wrenched my gut and I began to cry. [...]
Good morning... Heading into a difficult day, a close friend wrote to request my prayers of solidarity. God crafted through me the message below, a message I sense He wants all of us to experience. As we face various challenges requiring the brute strength of what my friend calls our "faith and courage muscles," we tap into the power [...]
Good morning... After yesterday's post, one subscriber wrote: "How to have faith and belief in God when you can’t KNOW everything is something I struggle with all the time. Your daily words help so much. I especially love your last words this morning and will keep them with me: 'My sinking heart can rise up and trust what my [...]
Good morning... My heart sank when my close friend texted yesterday morning, four days into her unexpected hospital stay: "Waiting for the pathology from the spinal tap. Yes, no doubt there is an abnormality. They have it in one of two camps: a very rare syndrome that causes recurrent meningitis or a malignant tumor. Praying no malignant or other [...]
