A Blessed Mess
Are you a neat freak? Maybe you like everything nice and orderly. If so messiness represents chaos and confusion in your life. If that’s the case, anyone who is messy can be an annoyance. Children with their dirty hands, teenagers leaving all their stuff on the...
Searching for the Speck
Nothing is more irritating when you wear contacts than a speck of dust or a loose eyelash. That little irritant will make your eye burn and turn red faster than anything. You feel like you have a log in your eye. Often you need someone to help you find the culprit....
Important Resolutions
Every new year brings a new focus. Many people make resolutions that this year will be different than the last. We are determined to have new priorities that will change the trajectory of our lives. Jesus addresses those very same issues in today's devotion. He tells...
What are You Investing In
Many people are making resolutions for the new year, and usually part of that is getting their financial house in order. You will see several news articles on how to invest your money to get the most return. All of these are important, but as a believer in Jesus...
Time to Shine
The world tells us that if we want to be noticed, we have to stand out. We need to post on social media and remind people constantly of how good we are. They also tell us that if we don’t tell people no one else will. Since we are a society in constant need of...
Start Off on the Right Path
Typically I will start my day with a two and a half mile walk. I do it early in the morning so that I can avoid the crowded streets. It gives me a time to pray, listen to a podcast, and think about what the day holds. One of my typical prayers is to ask God to lead me...
Pursue Wisdom in the New Year
There is a lot of information out there but very little wisdom being used. We have more data and analysis at our fingertips than at any other time in history yet people seem to be making more foolish decisions. Knowledge may be power, but wisdom is what leads to...
Don’t Waste Your Life
In the farming industry, plants that don’t produce are cut down and replaced by one that does. To a farmer, a non-producing plant costs him profit. They don’t have the time to nurture it back to health because the costs of water and fertilizer are too high. As...
Finish the Race Strong
“It’s not how you start the race; it’s how you finish that counts.” That’s how the old adage goes, and that is what my coaches used to yell at me when I played sports. The same can be said for our walk with Jesus. Finish the race strong because the prize goes to those...
The Reward of the Selfless Servant
Most of us are recovering from a busy Christmas season today. Some are still in celebration mode as they spread it across families. Wherever you are at in that process one thing is clear; Christmas takes a herculean effort on the part of several people for it to come...
The Gift of Life
I am always touched by those videos where people meet for the first time because a loved one donated their organs after death. One dad biked 1400 miles to meet the person who received his daughter's heart. It was touching to see the man express his gratitude to the...
The Joy of the Lord
It's the day before Christmas. As family and friends gather to celebrate the newborn king, there is an anticipation for what is about to happen. A joyful mood fills our hearts and our houses as we enjoy time together. Are we aware that joy comes from our Lord Jesus?...
Finding the Perfect Gift
We can spend hours finding the perfect gift for Christmas. Scrolling through Amazon or braving Black Friday we can exert a lot of time and energy finding just the right present to give our loved ones. You're not alone. Three very smart men traveled a long way to see...
The First Christmas
What is your house like Christmas day? With four children our house is full of energy. The kids wake up way too early, and the noise level raises significantly once they begin to open up their gifts. After that, we have our traditional breakfast with our neighbor...
Joy to the World
The most popular song at Christmas is Joy to the World. Isaac Watts wrote it in 1867 and later it was put to the music of Handel's Messiah. The song was part of Watts writing hymns through the Psalms and Joy to the World was a response to Psalm 98. As you sing it this...
Home for the Holidays
There are a lot of movies out there that chronicle someone trying to get home for holidays. Some are funny as we watch the main character go through ridiculous circumstances and horrible weather just to be with their family for the holidays. Joseph and Mary took a...
What do you mean you are having a baby?
The news of a baby coming is one of the most exciting you can share. So many people rejoice with you as they look forward to being grandparents, aunts, and uncles. The only time it isn't exciting is when it isn't expected. Joseph and Mary can relate to that. They were...
Good Things Come in Small Packages
We've all sang "O Little Town of Bethlehem" at one time or another. It is one of the classic Christmas carols. It started out as a poem written by an Episcopalian minister in 1868 and was put to music by his church's organist. The song is taken from this verse,...
A Righteous Branch
Have you ever looked at a website like ancestry.com or had your DNA tested at a place like 23 & Me? It's fascinating to see your heritage on paper. Most of these sites use a tree to show your family. There is a reason for that. The tree has been used for centuries...
Could You Use Some Good News?
Could you use some good news? Most of us could. With all of the bad news out there it is easy to get overwhelmed and think the world is crashing down on you. That is sad because we are in the Advent season, which is a celebration of Jesus coming to earth. That is the...