From My Heart

I have tried to stay out of the fray for the most part re: this election. And now that it is over, I have something to say. I have seen some divisive political campaigns in my life, but this one may top the list. I believe Satan has used it not only to divide one half of this country from the other, but to divide Christians as well. Christian brothers and sisters calling the faith of others into question because of their voting preferences or political opinions. James 3:10 says "From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so." 1 Peter 4:8 says "ABOVE ALL, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." I have seen so much hate and vitriol posted on social media this past year and much of it has come from fellow believers. As James says, 'this ought not to be so.' Not only are we at each other, but at opposing parties and candidates. Name calling, belittling remarks, etc. Where does...

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." I recently had a falling out with a friend. I said something she disagreed with. A lot. I disagreed with her. A lot. It was tense for a few weeks. We rarely spoke to each other and when we did it was... Well... Tense. I really thought we were done for. After a couple of rounds of "intense fellowship", we began to realize something. We valued the friendship and each other more than we valued the argument. We forgave each other. We became tenderhearted and said kind things to each other. Then, God did what He always does. Not only did He restore the friendship ~ He took it to another level. We now meet weekly for prayer. If we hadn't been willing to forgive, we would be missing out on a prayer partnership. Proverbs 17:17 says "a friend loves at ALL times". Good times, difficult times, times when we are unlovely, times when it would be easier...

Yesterday was not my best ... not a great ... kind of a bad day. I know it was partly my fault. But we all have "those" days. The whole day wasn't awful. I had a great lunch with my daughter and a sweet friend for her birthday. It all just seemed to go downhill after that. Here is the deal: My work load is almost overwhelming right now. My best friend is moving out of state. I have some family issues that are challenging at best. My mom had some medical procedures last week. My husband had a major surgery. It could be so much worse. Most days I know I am blessed. I am blessed I have a job. I am blessed to have a good friend who will stay my friend despite location. My mom is doing well. My husband is recovering nicely. And God's grace is sufficient.  So why the meltdown yesterday? I wasn't being heard. I tried to have one conversation and the person on the other end was talking to someone else.. I didn't feel heard. Then I tried to have another c...

Some days, you just need to look across the table into the face of someone older and wiser. Some days, you just need the tender touch of a hand and a word of encouragement over a mug of strong Irish tea. Some days, you just need to be reminded.... I have been having some areas of dread lately. Things in my life that are making me feel anxious and overwhelmed. It occurred to me, after having a talk with a wonderful mentor in my life, that dread is just another word for apprehension and fear. Fear of the unknown mostly. 2 Timothy 1:7 says God did not give me this spirit of fear - He gave me a sound mind. What I needed to be reminded of is that I am a child of hope. In Ephesians 1, Paul prays for his fellow believers and asks that they will KNOW the HOPE to which they are called. I am CALLED to hope! One of the most inspirational passages on hope for me is in Lamentations chapter 3. But to truly get the full impact of Jeremiah's words here, you must read the whole chapter...

It's not often I can say my days have a theme to them, but today was one of those days. The word for today was 'COME'. I went to a new (for me) Bible study this morning and the lessons were titled "Come". The first scripture was Mark 10:13-16: "And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdoms of God like a child shall not enter it.' And he took them in His arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them." (ESV) Jesus wants us to come to Him as children, but How do children come? I am a mom and a Nana of nine and I have spent much time on this earth raising and caring for children. Yes, children come to you with innocence and trust. But the times I always loved was when I walked in a r...