How many of us give God ultimatums? When we ask for specific actions by specific times or dates or proof of a personal sign from Him, those sound like ultimatums. Or if we hear God asking us to do something we’re scared to do, we attach more than a “yes” to our answer. If God nudges me to do something, if my “I will” to that request is always connected to “when I want to”, I will always be disobedient. If I say “I will” and it is connected to “when you do” such and such, I am

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.“ Prov. 3:5-6 Fifty three years ago this week, I went forward at VBS and accepted Christ as my Savior. Some things have happened recently and as I look back over the last 55 years, I can see God‘s hand in everything and saw it is all connected. When I was praying recently, it came to me that my life is like a numbered connect a do

“Noah walked with God.” Gen. 6:9 “Walked with” means it was a walk that was with deep intimacy, and constant communion so when God spoke to him, it was not necessarily a “surprise” revelation. When God asked Noah to build the ark, it probably didn’t seem foolish or out of character to Noah, but it sounded foolish to the rest of the world who were NOT walking with God or they walked with Him in seasons. Walking with God was not seasonal or a patterned formula for Noah. It was

Have you ever been so focused on something and you go to turn around and you find someone is standing right behind you? “BAM!”, there is a person right there you didn’t expect to see. You gasp! It startles you and surprises you! You try to slow your heart down. Once you both calm down, you both laugh about it. Sin is like that. When we’re sinning, we’re so focused on it that we don’t see anything else around us. We have tunnel vision. We have kept ourselves occupied and when

In II Kings 6:1-7, the Prophets are going to build a place. They go to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the axe head fell off a borrowed axe and flew into the water. That man cried “Oh no!” Elisha, the holy man, asked “where did the axe head sink?” The man showed him. Elisha then threw a branch, or stick, at the spot and the axe head floated to the surface. He said, “Grab it!” God brought the axe head to the surface, but NOT to t

We have now been in Indiana for one year. It still feels new to us to live here. Our home and neighborhood are new to us. Having a grandchild with cancer was new. People here are new to us. Rules and laws here are new. Our church here is new to us. There is a lot of new for us. Usually I love new things (I am not a rut or routine person) but, sometimes, new is a threat. It’s trying to move in and take over. Maybe I want the old back because it is easy, familiar and comfortabl

“Concerning your wife Sarah, I will wonderfully bless her, and I will certainly give you a son through her.” Gen. 17:16 Abraham and Sarah desired a son for a long time. God told Abraham he would have a son. He and Sarah waited and waited and waited. Twenty five years later, Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. Life was good but then God asked for Isaac back. He asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham didn’t know why he was being tested. Abraham had to decid

When I look to the cross, I remember all He’s done for me. I remember it bought our freedom from our sinful selves. It was a necessary tool used by a skilled Carpenter to build a bridge from us to God. We see crosses everywhere, especially during Easter. They are decorated, they are hung on our walls, they are worn around our necks. What do I see when I look at the cross? It is a beautiful thing, but a stark reminder at the same time of what He did for ME. Me, specifically c

“My people are guilty of a double sin: they have abandoned me, the spring of living water, and they have dug for themselves cisterns - cracked systems that hold no water.” Jer. 2:13 By abandoning God, we have traded being filled with living water for a broken, useless cistern. When I say abandoned God, I mean we return to other things for fulfillment such as wealth, status, career and achievements. Turning to anything other than God for fulfillment is a form of idolatry. Ido

Do you know what a squatter is? It’s one who settles on property that is not his or hers. “Squatters Rights” is a concept that someone who occupies a property owned by someone else without legal permission can eventually claim that property as their own. Our mind is part of the temple of the Holy Spirit. Before we accept Christ, our brain is open for whoever and whatever thoughts want to come in and occupy our mind. Squatters will come in and settle in your mind and try and t

Twelve years ago today, I was given a diagnosis of stage 3C cancer. I was devastated and struggled to have hope. It became one of the hardest realities in my life. It seemed God was silent when I had been living my life to please Him and yet here I was experiencing great suffering. I had no explanation for why I should go through this. Early in my Christian walk, I would stay away from the book of Job because it was scary to me what Job suffered through. He was tested to an e

n the movie, the Princess Diary’s, Mia is a young girl living a regular, normal life and going to school like everyone else. One day, the Queen of Genovia comes to visit Mia Thermopolis. She tells her she is not just Mia, but her granddaughter. She tells her she is the princess of Genovia and is in line to rule the country. She explains to her that she can help her learn to become royalty. Mia is shocked and in disbelief. The Queen says “the truth is you ARE a princess.” Mia

Why don’t we step out in faith more often? Fear of failure is often why we don’t step out. The what if I fall scares us. The “what if’s” in life scare us. The more out of the ordinary it seems, the more we question “what if”. Moses had several heartfelt “what if’s” for God. God told Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery into Egypt to the Promised Land. Moses said “What if?” What if they ask me who I am to deliver a message from you? What if they ask me who you are? What

Do we call ourselves a “Christian”? We know every Bible verse but does our life show we actually believe every verse we can recite? Have we been on mission trips and seen God work but the lessons don’t stick? Do we know the Christmas story, the books of the Bible in order, the names of the 12 disciples? Do we taken great notes on every sermon but we put no action to what we write down? Can we quote current Christian phrases like “faith over fear.” If I was asked if I’m a Chri

“Giving brings a far greater blessing than receiving.” Acts 20:35 TPT It’s the time of the year when we receive gifts and give gifts. I know most of us love to receive gifts, but, at the same time, giving is a blessing also. I love to give someone a gift that I think they’ll “like” and it turns out they LOVE it. It brought them so much excitement, you can see the joy on their face for what you’ve given to them is truly better. The tradition of giving gifts at Christmas comes

“ I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 Often people who are not facing death, talk about not being able to wait to get to heaven. Though I faced a strong possibility of dying from cancer, I could wait. I wasn’t in a hurry. I was still enjoying life and there was still so much more to do and to taste of life. Life is a full, abundant, bountiful Thanksgiving feast. My life was a full and delicious, satisfying dinner. I was

In your life, do you have a situation where there’s an obstacle or block that needs to move or change? You need a change in your situation. Have you prayed about it and nothing seems to be happening? In John 5:1-9, there’s a pool called Bethesda. It’s where sick people, blind, lame, and paralyzed are waiting to be healed by the moving of the water. They need a change in their situation. There was a particular lame man who had been there for 38 years. Jesus asks him “do you wa

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything, according to His will, He will hear us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him.” I John 5:14-15 Today, when I asked Siri and Alexa for some information, it occurred to me that I may be speaking to Siri and Alexa more than I talk to God. When I call, I know they’ll answer. They respond quickly and have the information I need. When I talk or pray t

Where is the Blessing? Yes, I talked about “pending” and our move a lot this summer. God just keeps showing me things with Abraham. First...

The cut of a diamond 💎 refers to it as the proportions, shape, size and polish. In other words, it’s value is determined from the way a...