“This is the way. Walk in it.”

We have a home that was built in the early 1900s.  Our master bedroom and bathroom was an addition to the home, and used to be the sunroom.  Our bedroom door is a full glass door.  The bathroom door is a barndoor that Michael crafted for the space, complete with a roller track.  Our bedroom is just a few steps away from our living room, and one step away from our sitting room.  Needless to say, there is not much privacy for us.  Our big dog has figured out how to open both the bedroom door and the bathroom door. It’s pretty clear that he has full access to us at anytime.   Similarly, our children feel the freedom to walk into our bedroom and bathroom at any moment.  (Part of me finds this incredibly annoying and part of me finds this endearing.)  Oftentimes I will be showering and a child will come in and say “Hey Mom! Whatchya doin?” My usual response is, “I’m just showering buddy. ...

  We have often met with couples in disagreement or strife.    Sometimes the issue has been due to one struggling in sin.    What I have found more often than not is that idleness can at times provide the perfect environment for dabbling in sin.    The Bible warns us about being idle.    Scripture states that idle hands are the devil’s workshop, and the common phrase, “idleness is the devil’s playground” echos that Proverb.    Idleness stems from boredom and the need to be entertained. i·dle·ness ˈīdlnəs/ noun 1.     laziness; indolence. "he was punished for his idleness at school" o     a state of inaction; inactivity. "we suffered a period of enforced idleness" Proverbs 12:24  Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor. Proverbs 21:25   The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.  1 Thessalonians 5:14 ...

I was driving home from the grocery store today and I saw a nice vehicle with a logo on the side. The logo said “Owner’s Pride.”  Of course I had to look it up and see what it was. It’s a detailing service for automobiles.  The Logo caught me off guard. Instantly when I saw it, it created a picture in my mind. Just like the car had a sticker put on it of “owner’s pride,” I feel like the Lord feels that way about us. In my opinion, the Lord’s jealousy is a concept that is difficult for many people. Our God is a jealous God and he wants all of our heart and all of us. He knows he competes with many things that are vying for our attention.  Any parent of a teenager can probably relate.    You probably have a good idea what it’s like to compete with a iPhone for the attention of your teen. Exodus 34:14  The Lord, whose name is jealous, is a jealous God.   Deuteronomy 4:23  For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jea...

I've been reading a book that is all about sheparding and leading by sheparding.  There is so much in the Bible that is already modeled for us.  If we want to live a life like Jesus, we need to understand what He did really well.  Sheparding is one of the things he did super duper well.  What pops up in most people's minds when they think of shepards and sheparding?  Psalm 23 Aside from John 3:16 and the Lord's prayer, I think this one of the most widely known passages of scripture.   The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2       He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3       he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths      for his name’s sake. 4  Even though I walk      through the darkest valley, [ a ] I will fear no evil,      for you are with me; your rod and you...

“If you like what I’m doing, comment below.” These were the words out of my sons mouth as he was playing nicely with his trucks in my living room.   I walked in and looked around to see who he was talking to.   The room was empty.   It occurred to me that he is simply repeating what has been modeled to him on youtube videos.   Like so many of my fellow Mom friends, I have resorted to youtube videos at times to keep a kiddo content while at a restaurant, keep a kiddo quiet while at a dentist or doctor’s office, or just give myself a few minutes of peace and quiet while using the bathroom or showering.   We are embarking on a new era, one that our parents and grandparents never experienced.   We have the power of so many things in our hands.   We can communicate with people overseas at the click of a button on our cell phone.   We can pay bills and order groceries and receive them on our doorstep. Some of us can see who or what is at our front ...

I watched an ant crawl across the floor. It instantly caught my son’s eye. The ant crawled under the dog bed. My son lifted the edge of the dog bed. He was puzzled he couldn’t find the ant. Then he lifted the other side of the dog bed. Out crawled the ant. Fin followed it with his eyes, unsure of the desired fate for this ant. The dog came over near the ant and immediately Fin cupped his hands around the ant exclaiming “Let him live! Let him live! He needs a life too!” He carefully escorted the ant to safety.  We have the innate desire to want to LIVE and LIVE well, just like that ant was doing. He was trying to survive by being hidden underneath the dog bed. We rally around those we know are fighting to live. Just like my son, rooting for the ant to live and acting on his behalf.  I have a wonderful, smart, sensitive, kind, innovative and inventive, determined and brave 14 year old in my life who has been fighting to live well. He was diagnosed with cancer of ...

We are testifiers: story tellers (Yes “testifier” is a word. I checked.) I don’t know about you but I absolutely love hearing stories. I was always that one person who had a great story but could never hold people in suspense and deliver the end well. My husband, on the other hand is a phenomenal joke teller and storyteller. Of course he never exaggerates and according to him, I am the world‘s biggest exaggerator ever. The problem for me is usually that when I tell a funny story I am laughing even before I can get the words out. My husband will usually say “if you have to laugh at it in order to get others to laugh at it, it’s probably not that funny.“  Today I heard a great story by a great storyteller. This woman was so excited to share about what God had done in her life that she just got louder and more excited and more passionate as she spoke. She was working at the time, but you wouldn’t have known it because she was so determined to share all of the cool things ...