“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 In the midst of great pain and anguish, life can be quite difficult. Pressures from others, from day-to-day existence and challenges within us can squeeze the life out of us and steal our joy. But, the peace and love of God is more powerful than any life event and …
Category: Hope
It’s impossible to fully put into words God’s love. It’s so wide and deep and unnatural from a human perspective. Yet, in a way, God’s love is quite simple and tangible. You can see it a neighbor’s kindness….in a heart-felt thank you….in someone going out of their way to help another who is hurting. Of course we know: God is love….and when He is present in others hearts, we see His love shine through in astounding ways. I was led …
Walking up the stairs one day after my first chemotherapy treatment, I had a bounce in my step that I’d not had in several days. I felt better than good; I felt really good. I had gotten really tired around noon that day and regained my strength late afternoon. In that moment of realizing the state of my health, I became overwhelmingly focused on gratitude and all the things I’ve been given from the Lord. A beautiful home and loving …
As we transition from winter to spring it stirs my heart to see life emerge in both animals and plants. It is surely a picture of Easter and resurrected life. Last week, on a warm spring morning, I saw several small birds flittering around our water fountain to get a drink of water. I was reminded of how well they are taken care of, yet how much more God loves and cares for us. Hope you enjoy this poem about …
At Easter we celebrate the beauty and life resulting from Jesus’ painful work on the Cross. He endured tremendous agony to carry the sin burden of us all, yet on the other side is abiding love and wonder. We get to experience a fullness of life that simply cannot be replaced by any work of man, no matter how great. Here at Easter, I pray that you yield your very life to Him so that you can experience the utter …
My mother died on a Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 10:30 in the morning in Indianola, Mississippi, a small town about 22 miles from Greenville, our hometown. She went on to a new life with the Lord while my sister Libby and I stood at her bedside. It was a sacred moment of watching a life well-lived end on this earth, then head to golden shores. I suspect it was the Lord that led me to write this poem some …
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 My daughter and I went to Texas recently to visit my sweet sister who is valiantly and gracefully dealing with cancer. Because her immune system is weak, the doctor suggested she and her husband move to a more secluded place away from the college campus of Baylor. So, they are now living with dear, sweet, loving friends they have known since the mid-1980s. …
I pray that we “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3: 18-19 Learning to receive God’s love has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my entire life. Without a close sense of His love, I tend to reject or minimize His nudges and …
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 I have often wondered why more people don’t do all sort of really bad things to get what they want. Why isn’t the crime rate much, much higher? There are certainly people down on their luck who could justify any numbers of crimes to get what they …
Separated…but loved In a still and darkened room Grandma waits in thin draped gown Her family waits across the town Laughing gone, now only frowns Concerns have come so near to roost Fear and angst they do seduce. No way to love or reach outside I only wish that I could hide In her room, there by her side Oh Grandma Jane, a joyful soul Without her here, there is a hole Within my heart I cannot fix I pray …