Life does not stop after a great achievement. Instead it should be an encouragement to move ahead. Looking back on life as a check point is an opportunity to see which actions promoted the greatest accomplishments. Looking back at other situations in life that were...
The spiritual heart has many doors. When Christ is invited to live in us and to be our Savior and Master He wastes no time moving in. He is a perfect gentleman and will fellowship with us in the rooms of our hearts we open to Him. The more rooms He is allowed, the...
We sometimes wish we could take back the words we say to people, oh, if we only could. A glass of milk gets spilled. Even if we picked up the table cloth to squeeze it back into the glass and mop up every last drop that hit the floor we can never get it all back. ...
Our ways of thinking do not even compare to God's. Sometimes we listen while a friend talks about a hardship day after day. They pray, cry, talk, try to stay busy and they still need someone to hear them. It happens with us too sometimes when we need to pray, cry,...
Have you ever tried to water your garden with a hose full of holes? It’s not a very powerful stream. It takes much longer to water and more effort to walk around to each section just to reach it. How about prayer? Are your prayers reaching God with the greatest...
There are times when prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and hit us in the face. The feeling of being all alone is overwhelming. Not just one or two circumstances come from behind but numerous situations come to slap us in the face. One thing is bad enough but...
One of the most exciting things in life is to learn something about ourselves after reading God's word. God will reveal something we did that pleases Him. Other times He will reveal something we need to change in order make the next step. Whether He instructs us to...
Somebody gets a good job with a great boss, super benefits and lots of pay. It's the type of job most people have always wanted. We wonder sometimes why that person can't be us. People will say that the person who got the job was just at the right place at the...
Jesus is worthy to be praised in all things. As we walk the path of righteousness there will be opposition. That is a fact of life. Most people never realize when they have offended another person yet there are those who purposely set up a trap for another. While...
The fact is most of us suffer from the MMI Syndrome, me, myself and I. As we grow into the likeness of Christ one of the first things we learn is how bad this syndrome can be. There are advertisements on TV and radio that feed this self addiction yet they never tell...
People will not always respond like they should. Sometimes they will be totally mean in return for kindness. We do not have to keep a list. We do not have to get even. God notices. Proverbs 17:13 states that if you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your...
The most handsome man has a heart that beats. The most beautiful lady has a heart that beats. The most rugged mechanic has a heart that beats. The most fragile baby has a heart that beats. The town bully has a heart that beats. The most challenged person has a...
Have you ever known someone who takes, takes and takes? They call themselves Christians and speak loving and kind words yet they contribute nothing to society. The only time they speak kindly and respectfully to you is when they want something you can give them for...
25 years ago is just that.... 25 years ago. When a person accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior the growing process begins. Just like when a new baby is born he does not automatically walk and talk. A new Christian grows into the likeness of Christ over time. Each...
Jesus said the brick rejected by the builders became the cornerstone. This is true of many phases in life. A group of young friends get together to form a baseball team. One boy gets passed over to actually play each time because his talent is not baseball. ...
All things are possible with God. If we stray too far and the waters get too deep, He will rescue us. If people let us down, He restores. If we are judged unfairly, He will bring justice. If we are misunderstood, He bridges the gap. Just ask. Jeremiah 32:27 I am the...
When a person is truly sincere with God, He will do a work that cannot be comprehended. Humans are very limited and God understands that. When serving God if we lift a finger He gives a hand. When we take a step He walks a mile. When we are totally at a loss for...
There are times when friends argue and each person battles with words to defeat the other. Unfortunately the winner actually won the loss of that friend and the loser won the same. Another example is that of an employee who does his best on a job and is overlooked...
It takes no faith at all to look back at the good old days. When the Israelites left with Moses God provided miracle after miracle. He did not promise an easy journey but a safe one. They were provided manna for free, guidance with a cloud and fire, a tabernacle...
We all have people in our lives who occasionally will not be on speaking terms. These people could very well be walking through a situation they do not know how to face. It’s possible we made them angry with us and they do not have the courage to tell us so. The...
God sends answers to prayer and blessings in ways we do not expect. Many times people pray then immediately get in touch with people and discuss ways to manipulate people, places and things to make it all happen. What if God has a way to bring about our blessings...
God has a beautiful way of explaining things in a way we can understand. The Bible has numerous illustrations of how things we see in everyday life can be an example of how God works behind the scenes. In order for land to be ready for crops it must first be plowed...
When the wait for answered prayer is long and all signs seem to point to the opposite of the truth, that’s when we put our trust in God. Waiting is a reminder that we are not in control but God. It is reason to give praise because our perfect God has taken our...
You smell the hickory smoke rising from barbecue being cooked for hours or even days? The aroma is a constant reminder that a good barbecue is coming. When the dinner is finally ready it is well worth the wait. Tender, moist, flavorful barbecue that only time can...
There is healing, encouragement, peace and comfort in the living waters of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we trust Him more and more we are like ships on a journey that He guides and directs. There are days of blistering heat, raging storms and high waves along the way...
It is always an exciting testimony when a person bound up in habits does a complete turnaround. It is even more exciting when that same person encourages others to do better. He uses his own examples to show it can be done. The encouragement goes both ways. While...
A soldier is trained for full obedience to their officer. They make their main focus to be on the situation for which they are called. Their tasks may include risking their own lives to save others. There is much to be learned by this example when we choose to...
It’s this time of the year again. Many years of study has resulted in a well earned diploma. What now? Which college? Which field of study? After college, will there be a job in the field of long hours of study and achieving high grades? There are a lot of...
Celebrities get a lot of praise and recognition. There are cameras all around and huge audiences are everywhere they go. While the celebrity is on stage the cheers and claps are deafening. The crowd is so tightly packed it’s impossible for them to move around. At...
He knows everything anyway, so why not be honest. The more we are willing to turn over to Him the more He can fix. Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and...
A person wrongs us over and over again. We forgive each time yet it gets harder as time progresses. The absolute worst situation is one where we are walking through torment from a person for whom others admire. To have people compliment such a person to us while...
Joyce Meyer expressed so beautifully that the coat of righteousness that Jesus gives us in return for our sin is always a size too big. This allows us room to grow into His likeness. Growth comes from learning by our mistakes, forgiving others for theirs and having...
No matter how rainy of a day we have, the sun still shines. No matter how dark the night, the sun is still shining. To focus on the beauty of what we are not seeing at the time is to exercise the faith that pleases God the most. The clouds will give way to bright...
God tells us in His word in 2 Chronicles 7:14 Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. The most beautiful...
A new day, new beginnings and new adventures have been granted to us. God has everything in His hands. The hurts, differences and anger from yesterday are in God's throne room being worked out. His heavenly solutions are things we cannot even imagine. Rejoice in...
There are many disasters today such as earthquakes, floods, droughts and wide spread sicknesses. These type calamities will bring people to the house of God for comfort and He hears and answers them. In our hearts we know right from wrong. The continuous urge to...