Sacrifice
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world…” (1 John 2:2)
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer in the US. Here in Oklahoma, people cook out, go to the lake, shop the sales, and use this weekend as a springboard to start summer vacations. Continue reading “Sacrifice”
“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (Prov. 31:31)
During my growing up years, my parents were very hands on. My mom baked and decorated my birthday cakes for many years. Four in particular stand out after all this time—Strawberry Shortcake, a Care Bear, a Cabbage Patch Kid, and Barbie. I remember how she worked for hours to get the icing just right. It looked perfect, and it tasted divine.
I loved watching my mom cook. She made almost everything from scratch. In fact, I didn’t know brownies or casseroles came from a box until I was an adult. Except for Jiffy brownies, which I thought were an exception made just for kids like me whose grandmas kept boxes on hand for them to stir together. Continue reading “A Mother’s Day Tribute”
But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. (Jer. 10:12)
My word for the year is “create,” but lately, finding the time or energy to create has been a struggle. I believed God gave me this word because he wanted me to create new things this year. I have two book projects along with numerous small projects to complete. I still believe I’m to create new things, but now I also believe he wants me to learn the best ways to do that and to leave behind projects that don’t help fulfill my mission of reaching people for him with the written word.
When I’m busy, when I’m stressed, my creativity dries up. A migraine or exhaustion results, and I know I have to stop and take care of myself. Rather than hurting my productivity and creativity, taking a break rejuvenates me and gives me the strength I need to finish the project at hand. How quickly I forget this when the pressure of a deadline looms! I would do well to remember it. Continue reading “The Creativity Struggle”
This entry was first posted on May 26, 2019.
“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” (Ps 18:32, NLT)
Years ago, my parents and I worked on a house painting project together. Usually, my dad and I work well together. However, for that project, it seemed neither of us could do anything right. I wanted the room to look perfect when we were done, and I had a vision of the final version in my head. My dad didn’t do things my way, and I didn’t do things his way, so I almost scrapped the entire project before we started. My mom, caught in the middle, gave up and left us to it. In the end, we talked it out, compromised, and finished the job, which turned out better than I had hoped. Continue reading “The Specter of Perfectionism”
“You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.” (2 Sam. 22:29)
At this time last year, we were still in the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown. Originally scheduled for three weeks and then extended to six, we believed we would get the virus under control and be back to our normal lives by Easter 2020.
Well, we all know how that turned out. Continue reading “What the Light Revealed”