Thirty three and a quarter years ago today, Wes and I were married in SanFrancisco. The glow we had that 4th day of February truly was the glow of love, but it was also the glow of a high fever — a fever that led us to go to the doctor for meds and a fever that led to us to cancel our honeymoon plans to go to Hawaii — to Maui. We’ve often commented over the years that we knew the Lord was in control of those plans — those cancellations — and had a better plan for us…
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Living long. I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. I’ve been wondering to my self: what would I be doing today if I had been living long for the last thirty-some-odd years? What would I have accomplished or done differently had I been living long all these years of marriage and motherhood? This train of thought is the sort of along the same track of thinking as the question: How would God have used me (or my life) had my whole life been yielded to Him? Where would I be today if my whole life had been yielded to…
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The lacy green leaves are slowly appearing and daffodils are beginning to bloom around the old willow tree. Isn’t it an awesome wonder: Every year, every passing season, has its marvelous reminders of the lavish mercy and everlasting kindness of the Lord. May I never take this for granted nor think it not majestic. Passing through many seasons in thirty-three years of marriage, I so hope I never again take for granted my husband’s care and thoughtful gestures. You know, it’s something we all do — take for granted things that are or have been long present with us. …
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Can you believe we’re living in these days? That in the history of the world — His-story — we’re alive in these days! Remarkable! Truly remarkable! These thoughts and more came to me while reading in 2 Thessalonians 2 and elsewhere today. All over the world there are great surges of sensational events — and they truly are worldwide; the world is in chaos. And the catastrophes are piling up! The multifaceted cataclysmic tragedy in Japan seems to me to be a great picture of these days — especially within the church. And a subtle, but similar rumbling is afoot…
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So many times — so many times over the years I’ve asked the Lord to help me learn… Lord, help me learn from this expensive lesson. Lord, I know the situation I’m in is from You… help me learn. Lord, if You have handed me this experience… then help me learn. Lord, even if I say to You, I cannot do this, please do not leave me to myself… please help me learn. These have been the pleas of my heart many, many times through the years. There have been many “monuments of trust” or markers of faith in my…
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A mother hands a child a coat as he prepares to head out the door. You’re going to need this, she says, it’s cold outside. Another time, she hands the child an umbrella. You’re going to need this, she says, it’s raining out and you’ll get wet if you don’t open it as you step off the porch. The child might dutifully accept the coat or the umbrella; he might also be trusting her judgment; in addition, he might be reflecting and acting on past experience. Whatever the case — obedience or experience — in the coat or umbrella scenarios…
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Do you find yourself asking the “why did that happen?” question? Why in the world did that happen? Or, why did this happen to me? Or, how could this have happened? We all ask some such question from time to time. Even when we don’t mean to bring up our doubtful questioning in conversation, our comments betray us when we say something like, I don’t know how that could have happened, or some similar statement. I think we all seem as though we’re surprised when things happen — as if we’d missed something in our vigilant attempts to prevent all…
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What do you have in your hand? Are you wanting to send opportunity away? Most of the time, that’s the basis for our willingness to obey the Lord… our willingness to obey or our willingness to serve is based on what we’ve got in our hand or what we think we can do. Our response to the prompting of the LORD generally goes through a process of reasoning. We think, well, it looks like this situation is doable; or, yes, I think I can do this because I have enough time, money, experience, etc., etc. The real testing of…
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Today’s mess news: Eyes on Wisconsin… then keep ’em open toward DC, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, California — and Idaho. Just keep watching… this looks to be the groundswell of a massive eruption, an avalanche of chaos and destruction. Omy, it’s just so incredible to be alive during this time in history. I frequently find myself marveling: the whole world’s gone mad. It’s all around us — just open today’s paper, click on whatever news media you favour or whatever social media you frequent. The words, the sounds, the grumbling… like the rumbling of the land before a volcanic eruption. The…
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Reading today in the Word… Over a cup of coffee with you. Mark 13 7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. 9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall…