Category
Encouragement
Even the best relationships encounter times when we have to communicate a hard truth to other person or people. Since most of us don’t relish this or feel we have the “ministry of rebuke”, it feels uncomfortable. So we either… Continue Reading →
People are often surprised by encouragement. Why? 1) Low self-esteem—they don’t believe they deserve encouragement. In their minds/hearts, they’re not good enough. Or what they did wasn’t good enough. Or what they plan on trying to do won’t be good… Continue Reading →
Everyone needs encouragement, even if they don’t look like it or won’t admit it. There’s: Family members— Our spouse; kids; parents; siblings; cousins; aunt; uncles; nieces; nephews; grandparents; grandchildren; in-laws (yeah, them too!)… People close and/or significant to you– Our… Continue Reading →
Our neighbor around the corner and up the street owns a very LOUD motorcycle. The kind everyone within a mile can hear approaching. If you live on the corner with the stop sign, like we do, you can also hear… Continue Reading →
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Cor. 4:16 Musings on my birthday (last week): Remembering when I was 37 (NOT last year!)– I wore a new… Continue Reading →
Midnight Friday night. My husband and I had slipped into slumber, when, first came a clatter, then the dog-barking “chatter, then me asking “What’s the matter?!” Then came the knocking, our dog leaped over the blocking, we found it shocking—… Continue Reading →
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not… Continue Reading →
The historical account of the resurrection of Jesus is recorded in all four of the Gospels and is described by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. In this chapter, Paul revealed the reality and significance of the resurrection for… Continue Reading →
“Passion Week” – Starting with Jesus coming into Jerusalem, being welcomed and cheered by a huge crowd, and treated like a king. Something like 1st-time Superbowl winners coming back to a parade. Or, better yet, veterans from World War II… Continue Reading →
There are times when we’re not sure what we should do. We can be so close to the situation that we can become biased in our thinking. We need to have discerning friends who can provide an objective perspective to… Continue Reading →
Guess what—if you’re reading this today, it’s not yesterday anymore! For real! We can act like it’s still yesterday. We can focus on yesterday and get so preoccupied with it that nothing else matters to us. We can talk about… Continue Reading →
Stradivarius violins are not meant to be treated or played like trumpets, no matter how nice a trumpet may sound! Or, as Oscar Wilde put it, “Be yourself– Everybody else is taken!” What does this mean? Even as a child,… Continue Reading →
Think about this: Sometimes we need to treat people like we’re meeting them for the first time, because in a way, we are. But what about the people we’ve known for a long time, or even met before? Doesn’t that… Continue Reading →
“Groundhog Day” also happens to be my husband Tom’s birthday. This year, after four days of “polar vortex” (sounds like a funky fingerprint), neither groundhogs nor people felt like venturing outside to seek their shadows. But, I had planned… Continue Reading →
Have you ever felt discouraged? If not, stop reading this. But my guess is, since you’ve been alive long enough to be able to read, you’ve felt discouraged! We all have. It’s discouraging when we think we’re doing well, only… Continue Reading →
