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Wealth: Another Possible Self-Protective Sinful Strategy
What do you depend upon for your feelings of security or love or peace or satisfaction? We've been looking at the book of Obadiah to discover the self-protective sinful strategies that we may not even be aware of in our own lives. In verses 5 and 6, we find out...
Nesting Close to the Stars
Let's continue our reading of the book of Obadiah to find another kind of self-protective sinful strategy. Verse 4 says, "'Though you build high like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down,' declares the Lord." Remember,...
What Rock Cleft Are You Dwelling In?
We talked in my last post about how things we're currently facing could be happening so that we'll deal with things from the past. The Apostle Paul wrote, "You'll reap what you sow." This is not supposed to be some meanly intended rap on our knuckles. It's...
Reaping and Sowing: It’s Happening in You!
Larry and I were promised a refund from a Christian company for a service they were unable to provide. Over a six month time period, I tried to prompt them to actually send the refund but there were excuses after excuses or else, "It's in the mail." NOT! I was angry...
The Joy of Surrender
I wanted to add a little more to my last post. I suggested we ask ourselves, "What lie am I believing? How am I protecting myself from seeming danger or rejection or _______? How can I trust God instead?" In addition to that, we need to move into repentance and...
Stop Believing the Lies!
Larry and I were headed home when I remembered I wanted to drop in to get a few things at the grocery store. "Hon, drop me off at the grocery store and I'll just be a second." Larry pulled the car into the parking lot and even though there were many open spaces close...
The Connection Between Love and Faith
Are you ready for the third empowering way to love well? (Read my previous two posts for the other two ways). I Timothy 1:5 gives it to us: "a sincere faith." At first I wondered how faith figures in with giving love for the benefit of the other person--and...
Is Your Conscience Clouding Your Love?
We're looking at I Timothy 1:5 for instruction on being able to love well: "But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." I defined "loving well" as being able to love with pure motives for the good of the other...
Do You Love Or Do You Love Well?
Do you love your spouse? Do you love your child? Do you love your best friend? I'm sure you said "yes" to each question. Of course. But here's another way to ask: Do you love your spouse well? Do you love your child well? Do you love your best friend well? Hmmm. I'm...
Procrastination, Another Thought
Writing about procrastination a short while back has actually helped me to become more disciplined in taking action and avoiding that "p" word. I've become more aware of the tendencies that feed my procrastinating. And one of them is my leftover "all or nothing"...
Tribute to My Mother
My mother, Vivian Dauer Collard Daugherty, has been an amazing example of unconditional love in my life. Of all things, when I think of my mom, her love has been expressed as support, encouragement, and interest. When I skyped with her this morning, she wanted to see...
Who Me? A Procrastinator?
Who me, a procrastinator? Can't be. That's a dirty word, isn't it? At least, it sure seems like it at times. I think the word "procrastinator" is given other words that don't sound so convicting. You know, like we say, "I'm not angry, I'm just a little...
Stop Blaming Yourself for Everything!
Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Have you recently asked God what "heart change" He wants for you? I asked Him that question this morning and I thought about my inclination to blame myself for everything. Even since childhood, I carried that...
It’s Hard to Figure Out God
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.netI was taking my morning walk along the street of our housing development, when I noticed a squirrel in the street, a distance ahead of me. "Oh, look at that. I've never seen a squirrel around here before." I continued to stare at it...
Thank You, Mr. Johnson
Mr. Johnson was my high school journalism teacher. He looked like he really fit in with a newspaper job. He looked like he came right out of some smoke-filled newspaper editorial office. The only thing he lacked was a cigar in his mouth and smoke encircling his head....
The Lesson from Spiral Galaxy M100
I'm sitting out on our patio watching the sunset and I remembered when our grandson was here, we looked at photos of the galaxies that the Hubble spacecraft had taken. I told Raffi that his great-grandfather (Larry's dad) had helped to build the Hubble spacecraft, but...
Remembering Chuck Colson (1931-2012)
I don't often get the opportunity to drop celebrity names but I can when it comes to being influenced by and meeting Charles "Chuck" Colson. In 2006, my husband, Larry, came across an opportunity called Centurions Program founded and taught (among others) by...
Repentance Because of Pleasure? Amazing!
Wouldn't it be fun to repent because of pleasure? Doesn't that sound attractive? A wonderful motivation?It certainly was a strange and amazing thought to me when I read John Piper's idea of that in his book, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals. (Even though I am not a...