Have you ever wondered why the Scriptures say that God will forgive our sins as far as the east is from the west, instead of as far as the north is from the south? (Psalm 103:12, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.") I never have! Well, I hadn't until a few weeks ago! A friend brought this to everyone's attention in my Bible Fellowship class, and I have thought often about what she shared ever since. It is truly amazing what little "nuggets" the Lord places in His Word, and how He reveals Himself so personally to each of us (if you'll let Him). I'm so glad she shared this with us! There is an actual "north pole" and a "south pole," so that as you travel, at some point you are ending in one direction, and beginning in ... View Post
“Delightful” Abundance
I have this friend, and though she may not realize it, just about every time we share a conversation, I get to glean some wisdom from her. She is simply "delightful." This morning, I watched the clock waiting for an appropriate hour to call her. You see, yesterday my friend experienced an enormous loss, one that I was familiar with and anticipating with her. And though we both knew that loss was iminent, her sadness was inevitable, and so I wanted to comfort her - Because that is what friends do. She did share her sadness with me, but the conversation very quickly turned to "hope," as we discussed the great hope we have because we are believers in Jesus Christ. She then gave me the "delightful" details of her day yesterday - Dinner with a family who is (not struggling), but ... View Post
My Egg McMuffin Reward
Paying it forward. It's a lot of fun, and if you haven't done it - I highly recommend it. It's just fun to cheer people up, and those at the drive-through windows usually get a kick out of the gesture. And it's also fun to glance in the rear view mirror and see the look of surprise on the face of the person you just blessed. I've often gotten a big wave out the window. It's a nice way to start the day. But - What about when that "wave" doesn't come? What if the person taking your debit card for the person behind you's bill is absolutely stoic, and doesn't bother to say, "Oh my, that is soooo kind of you!" Does your attitude change to one of, "Wow, they didn't even say anything about what I just did!" Or, "Wow, they didn't even wave to say thank you." If that's your ... View Post
How To Get To Heaven
Let's just say, hypothetically, of course, you actually died tonight. You get up to the gates of heaven, and there stands Jesus. And He wants to know one thing. So, He asks you, "Tell me, why should I let you into heaven?" You know, my entire life, up until probably 8 years ago, I would have answered that question any one of the following ways: Because I am a good person. Because I am good to people. Because I try really hard to follow the 10 Commandments. Because my parents had me baptized as an infant. Because I was raised in (fill in the blank) denomination, the only "correct" one. Because I volunteer a LOT. Because I donate a LOT of money. Because I, I, I, I, I............ But the problem is - NONE of those answers are correct. NONE of those ... View Post
My Thirsty Shamrock
I can't help it. I work 12-hour shifts and I'm gone the majority of the day, often-times forgetting to water the plants. This cute little shamrock actually looked like it was going to CRY when I got home from work one night! My dear friend Edna gave it to me as a gift. I love Edna - so I couldn't let it die!!! "That poor little plant," I thought, as I sat there at my kitchen table, feeling guilty as I thought about my neglect of its most basic need! I gave it a drink of water, but it still hung there, looking sad and forgotten. Recovery was clearly going to take more than a minute. That poor little shamrock plant was going to need consistent drinks of water to nurse it back to life. That was going to take some discipline on my part. Keeping house plants alive has never been one ... View Post
To Those In My Dressing Room
Setting my alarm in order to give myself only enough time to brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed and out the door, I scrambled to make it on time to my appointment. But before I did, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror and had a good laugh at myself. My hair stood straight up on the right side, and was flat as a pancake on the left. Some spritzes of water and a hair brush cured that, but I was not looking real attractive this morning. As I sat down to put some make-up on, I thought about my friend who called me last night, the one who had facebooked me, and about my other couple of friends who sent me text messages. And just as I was thanking God for them, I received a text from yet another. And the string of text messages that ensued after that was so insightful, ... View Post
Stop Opening Doors!
Do you ever feel "stuck" in your circumstances? I do. I wonder when God will reveal my ultimate "life's call" to me. I wonder when He will place me in that "dream job." I wonder when the next, more exciting serving opportunity will come along. I wonder when, when, when, when, and yes, of course, I get VERY impatient while I'm waiting on Him for all of the answers. It seems as though despite many examples of Him moving in HIS way and in HIS timing over the course of my very own life, oh, I trust Him - I'm just lacking in patience.... Yes, I am majorly lacking in the patience department. And in that fleshly impatience of mine I search (a lot). I look for serving opportunities, and job opportunities, and relationship opportunities, and, and, and, and.............. (fill in ... View Post
A Season of Friendship
Remembering so many of Dad's gardening tips he shared over the years, I pulled up every weed from around the patio this morning. Here in Michigan, it's that time of year again when we spend hundreds of dollars for flowers that live only a few short months. Careful not to pull up the perennials I planted last year, I yanked every tall, short, wide, and skinny weed I could. I dug up the soil and prepared it for new flowers that would last only for a few months, but would provide for a gorgeous patio to sit on while reflecting on my day. "Shake the bottom of the weeds real hard" Dad would say. "Get all of that good, rich soil back into the ground that you can." He was a perfectionist when it came to his lawn and flowers, and he passed his skills on to me. Not a spring passes that I ... View Post