Bible
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A Place to Prepare
As a child, getting ready for Christmas meant braving the wind and cold each Wednesday evening for Advent services. Cloaked in scarves, mittens, and sometimes snow-covered hats and boots, we’d stomp and brush off before entering the sanctuary in silence. The dimmed and cozy lighting invited each parishioner into warmth and worship. Near the altar, a horizontal wreath displayed one pink and three purple candles. The flickering wicks cast strange shadows on the darkened, gothic stained-glassed windows, yet the evening services were anything but scary. Rather, they brought joy and anticipation as we counted down the weeks: four-three-two-one—until finally—Christmas Eve! Each Advent worship service with its evergreen visual helped prepare…
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Winning the Waiting Game
I have played the waiting game since childhood. As a kid, I eagerly looked forward to summer. In adolescence, the countdown to obtain my driver’s license began. As a young adult, I couldn’t wait to get married and have children. After standing up in eight weddings before my own, I felt like an eternal bridesmaid. Often, when our desires are delayed, such as when waiting for a job or the healing of a sick loved one, fear and anxiety kick in. So how do we cope while waiting? Here are three truths to help you win at the waiting game. God is at Work in the Wait We’re often…
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Worry or Worship? It’s a Choice
I hate to wait. Doesn’t everyone? Additionally, I am that person who, after perusing a menu a dozen times—making others wait—says to the server, “Take their orders first.” However, once my choice is made, it better come quick. You see, my chronic indecisiveness exacerbates my impatience. Once I settle on a matter, I want it now. Incidentally, I suspect indecisiveness is a family trait, but I haven’t quite decided. So, what are you waiting for? Are you a teacher or student waiting for Christmas break? Are you a parent waiting for a child to come home? I have a friend waiting for a job, another praying for a child, and…
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From Despair to Joy: An Unexpected Journey (Part Two)
Road trips have always been a part of my life. Changing scenery, picnic lunches, and stretch breaks generate mostly happy memories. Each trip usually involved a good measure of planning, the most important being where and when the day’s travel would end. Having that final stopping place chosen ahead of time helped everyone cope with the long hours in the car. Have you have found that true in life as well? Although I know of a few “free-spirits” who relish the spur-of-the-moment adventures, most need to plan. We need to know the plans for the holidays: where we’re going, and who’s cooking what. Yet, if Covid taught us anything, it’s…
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From Despair to Joy: An Unexpected Journey (Part One)
Driving home recently through an unfamiliar area, I realized my GPS could not pick up a signal. Knowing I was headed in the correct direction, I searched for something recognizable. There should be a turn coming. But where? I sure missed that familiar voice telling me, “In four miles, turn right.” I don’t know about you, but I like those little nudges. It reminded me of a time when God whispered in my spirit that a change was coming. My journal entries from that season attest to the promptings of God, through prayer and Bible reading, which led me to understand about an upcoming “turn in the road.” This doesn’t…
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I AM JESUS’ LITTLE LAMB
My love for lambs started as a child when my mom would sing “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb” to me and my siblings. Then the death of my dad, when I was 10, left me feeling like a lost lamb. Verses like “He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (Isaiah 40: 11) brought comfort and enhanced my love for these soft, gentle creatures. Soon a collection of lambs began, including ornaments, mugs, knick-knacks, and plush lambs. When my children were born, lambs and sheep adorned their nursery, and we sang the old hymn at their baptisms. Recently, a wonderful thing happened—a live lamb…
