The people of Israel stacked stones and I make photo albums. I’ve just spent time each day, for ten days, down-sizing photo albums. It has made me melancholy and 17 of my closest and dearest friends are getting envelopes from me with photos too precious to round-file. I condensed and am now looking at eleven…

The people of Israel had a habit of murmuring in their tents. I’m calling this complaint theology where we believe in God and thank Him for how He has saved us in the past but complain today because circumstances are falling below our expectations. Complaint is a human condition and quite the opposite of gratefulness….

One of my favorite Bible characters is the woman with the issue of blood. You may stop reading here if this is not your favorite. Her tenacity has encouraged me in difficult times and I have pictured myself on my hands and knees grasping at Jesus garment. I have also seen the Hollywood version in…

I’m reading the very specific instructions that God gives to the construction and reconstruction of His temple. Beginning in Ezekiel Chapter 40, God gives a vision of a man with a measuring rod in his hand. Thus begins the measuring and counting of pillars, porches, guardrooms, courtyards, inner courts, and outer courts. I find Ezekiel’s…

I have a recent challenge with spam calls. I learned that, even if the call is within my area code, if there is a +1, it is likely out-of-area spam. I rejoined the “no-call list”, I thought I was already on. I also looked at the numbers on my phone and need an edit. When…

I did not realize that ‘Don’t shoot/stone the messenger’ is from the Bible in the Book of Jeremiah. The phrase is not exactly there but certainly the sentiment. Jeremiah is faithful in the calling God has assigned him. He is a mouthpiece for God and another precursor of Jesus. There are many books, short and…

When you don’t know what to do – do the dishes. A friend shared that wisdom with me a decade ago and you will rarely find dishes in my sink. I had a new contact today from a missions group serving in a difficult US city. Every idea of service excites me because I know,…

Yesterday I had lunch with three friends, all widows. One has been a widow for 22 years. That is a long time to be alone when you chose a man who loves you but God calls him home. That might sound like an oversimplification but if God is sovereign, He gets credit for everything –…

In Psalm 115 David writes detailing the impotence of idols. It begins with the fact that our God does whatever He pleases. Idols have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear, noses but cannot smell, hands but cannot feel, feet but cannot walk, and cannot make a sound with their…

There are people who are blessed by their name. Pamela means honey and I continue to work on being sweeter. I met a student at YWAM named Joy and her smile was infectious. What a beautiful person. I have been making frequent trips to the post office lately and am a sucker for the cards/stationary…