The sun was shining through the window on a Sunday after church. I was five and had learned about Heaven that day and told my Mom I was going. She explained how I get to Heaven and I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. No turning back. Baptized at nine, camp counselor, youth and…
How to Make Your Mark
I’m enjoying the holiday weekend at my sewing machine. It is a summer marathon doing my bit for WatsonandMayberry.com, my daughter’s brilliant shop. She is every bit the creative genius and I’m sewing dresses from her fabric pics and the pattern she likes. I am also inventive but not to this degree. She has been…
Need-To-Be Basis
What if God behaved like us? We function on a need-to-be basis. If we need to behave a certain way in a certain place – we do. Example: we are speeding down the freeway and see a police car ahead. Most drivers tap on their brakes. When the coast is clear we tap on the…
Health Week
It has been about six years. I was nervous like a newby. Last week was for spiritual health and this week is getting back to strengthening activities. Because I am a germaphobe, I quit the gym to avoid covid or at least gain a layer of protection. People sweat in gyms so no matter how…
Direct Advantage
I’m diverging from the study on suffering because of the errands I ran today. We had a great teaching on blessings from Eph 1:3 from Pastor Jeff. Then a generous lunch to celebrate the Fourth with my ~300 friends. It is easy to get off track and shift from the domain of Jesus-thought to the…
Through the Eyes of Scripture
In processing suffering my opinion is of little importance. Only through the eyes of Jesus through scripture, instead of through the broken lease of suffering, can I land on the truth that we live in an unfaithful world. Jesus’ life demonstrated betrayal even when He healed and never sinned against anyone. If suffering is intended…
No One’s “Got This”
My initial comments on suffering are – no thank you. Sometimes I think God built me tough for a reason and other times I’m all over the place. I’m afraid of the dentist chair, fire, heights, disapproval and rejection, fast-moving rivers (when I’m on them), guns (until this week when I had some fun learning…
No Regrets
This is one of my favorite titles because it is a declaration of how I would like to be living. Regret-free is a zone that few of us occupy. You can learn so many valuable lessons from your parents but a few of the others can be absorbed. My Mother had many regrets and expressed…
Seeing Clearly
A recent devotion by Philip De Courcy referenced a quote by Thomas Carlyle which directed me to many quotes by Carlyle. I’ll never conquer the many books I should’ve read but I hope I am reading the best ones now on this side of Glory. The quote is as follows, “Our main business is not…
Keeping Score
This is a tough one. How does God remove sin and offense as far as the east is to the west? How does He forget and remember our sin no more? We keep score – some more than others. The bitter who eventually take their own revenge exceed the original offense. No, they do not…
Resources
God owns it all. Do not doubt it. I belong to a church that has some accomplished members. Their accomplishments are recognized by the world and they are compensated. Yippee for the good guys that can accumulate wealth and use it for Kingdom things. They support missionaries carrying the gospel to places far away and…