Rooted in Faith

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.—Colossians 2:6-7

Years ago, I planted a tibouchina tree at the front edge of a clump of trees in our backyard, right where I could see it from (more…)

Facing the Reality of Aging

Now Moses was 80 years old, and Aaron 83 years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.—Exodus 7:7

We stayed with our daughter during Hurricane Irma and returned home to find our house undamaged but our yard covered in trees and pieces of trees. Little wonder, considering we have more than 200 trees on our property. The next morning, cleanup began.

Our son had (more…)

The God of All Grace

Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen and support you after you have suffered a little while. – 1 Peter 5:10

This verse jumped out at me as I read through my Sunday school lesson a few weeks ago, so I immediately wrote it on an index card (more…)

Giving Thanks in All Circumstances

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

We think of Thanksgiving as a time to give thanks for our blessings, but sometimes the holidays don’t bring to mind thoughts of abundance. They instead remind us of loss and want.

The empty chair that just a year ago was filled. That familiar (more…)

Eight Reasons to Love Romans 8

The morning hadn’t started out well for me. In my distraction, I raced through my Bible reading time at breakfast, even though I happened to be in my favorite chapter, Romans 8. So I left my Bible at the table, opened it again and lunch and prayed, “Lord, speak to my heart through Your word.” And boy, did He.

Here are eight (more…)