“He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him–the dark rain clouds around him–the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightening.” Psalm 18:11-12 Darkness His covering. Psalm 18:1-12 is poetic and beautiful–I wish someone would paint the scene. I would gaze at a painting of this…
Culture stress Africa-style: and maybe a lesson all of us can learn because no matter where we live, there’s always someone around that has a different culture than us. The squeak of the front gate announced the arrival of Fessehaye. I sighed and pinned another shirt to the clothesline. Why does he think he can just walk into our yard…
Twice a year my parents took me and my siblings to spend a week at the beach in a little town called Pangandaran. We packed our van with all the supplies we would need: food, snacks, towels, swimsuits, medicine for the inevitable minor injuries, games, pillows, and a table fan for Mom (the rest of us just had to figure…
Discouragement drags on slowly. But what if patience in trials is more than mere survival—what if it’s worship?
Whether I’ve lost my sense of humor, been silenced by suffering, or simply reached the end of my earthly days, know that I found joy not in circumstances but in a life penned ages before I was born.
When I ask myself, ‘Do I want God more than I want that?’ God frees me from my need for that thing. And chains I didn’t know existed, fall away.
“Don’t be a Martha!” “Be more like Mary!” Have you heard these comments in relation to the story of Mary and Martha? Mary practically wears a halo over her head while she sits, blissful, at Jesus’ feet. In the background, Martha is sprouting horns, her face reddens and her veins boil. With this visual in our minds, who would even…
Today we held our grandson for the first time and words cannot describe the thrill! A Prayer for Theo, from Psalm 121 (ESV) I lift up my eyes to the hills. As Theo arrives and grows, may his eyes Where does my help come from? always look to You for help. My help comes from the LORD, May his heart…
Consecrate Yourselves: Part 2 …But one man disobeyed. The victory at Jericho must have emboldened the Israelite army. They surely thought the number of notches on their victory belts would increase as they attacked each subsequent city in the Promised Land. Ai was next on the list and, just like with Jericho, spies collected intelligence to build a battle plan.…
Joshua 3:5b “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” What do you first think when I mention the biblical character Joshua? Maybe the song, “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho”? Or maybe the words of Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous”? Me too. That’s why I’ve enjoyed digging further into the account of Joshua and pondering…
