The Struggle Is Real

God’s love is steadfast, eternal, constant. He will not abandon us. At times I question why things happen — the reason for traumatic events. Even though I wrestle with pain, struggle through trials, I do not doubt God’s love for me. His grace is abundant enough to feed my famished soul. Yet I read Romans […]

God’s Skipping Ripples

Walking the beach for me is a great time to think, to ponder God’s word. If you’ve followed this blog for awhile, you’ll notice many of my post have pictures of the beach near our home. One characteristic of Lake Michigan beach is that some stretches have lots of rocks. Sometimes this prompts me to […]

Prayer Journey—Goodness

During the next few weeks, each Monday I will be praying through the fruit of the Spirit, focusing on one word in Galatians 5:22-23. Today’s word is goodness. Your goodness dear Lord stands out like the purest light in a dark world. It shines brightly against evil intent. It radiates warmth to those shivering from […]

Sunday Praise

Enter His gates with thanksgivingAnd His courts with praise.Give thanks to Him, bless His name.For the LORD is good;His lovingkindness is everlastingAnd His faithfulness to all generations. – Psalm 100:4-5 (NASB)

The Dirty Laundry in Our Life

As a culture, we seem obsessed with whitening things. Laundry detergent ads boast about how they make whites whiter and toothpaste ads boast about whiter teeth. But no matter how white they make things, teeth and clothes can soon become dingy. It reminds me of our efforts to purify ourselves of the “sin which so […]

Caught Between Past and Present

Sometimes it’s hard to look to the future and see the good God has promised us. We are caught in the struggles of the present and yearn for the good things left in the past. The challenges facing us seem insurmountable, impossible to overcome. Yet God calls us to press on, to overcome the challenges […]

Prayer Journey—Kindness

During the next few weeks, each Monday I will be praying through the fruit of the Spirit, focusing on one word in Galatians 5:22-23. Today’s word is kindness. You are filled with kindness dear God. You desire to shower us with your kindness. You know our needs, our hurts, our suffering, and you long to […]

Sunday Praise

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,With the lyre and the sound of melody.With trumpets and the sound of the hornShout joyfully before the King, the LORD. – Psalm 98:4-6 (NASB)

Have Mercy On Me

In Mark 10:46-52, we read about a blind man named Bartimaeus who was sitting by the road begging “when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene (47, NASB)” approaching with a large crowd. He immediately cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me (47)!” Many in the crowd tell him to be […]

The Motives Behind Faith

What is your motivation for following Jesus? Is it for personal gain, or is it driven by devotion to Him? People can profess loyalty, a belief in Jesus, but their actions express something else. Jesus saw this played out in the temple. “And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep […]