Ephesians 6:10-17 tells us what our spiritual armor is. We need this armor in order to stand against the devil’s schemes. We need spiritual armor because we are not fighting a conventional battle, but a spiritual one. Pages and pages could be written about each piece of armor that is listed: the belt of truth, …
The account in Mark 2:1-12 of four men getting their friend to Jesus for healing by removing the roof of a house reminded me of a children’s song we used to sing in Sunday School and at Vacation Bible Schools. Sunday School was held at 9:45 on Sundays before the Worship Service, and there was …
When I lived on Whidbey Island, I had lots of room to grow things. We lived on 2 ½ acres. The only drawback was that there had never been a house on the property, so it was not cultivated. Anything I put into the ground was new. I wasn’t an experienced gardener; I just knew …
I was born into a Christian home, the oldest of four siblings – three younger brothers. So my Mom and I were outnumbered!! I didn’t have a close relationship with my Dad, although he was very kind, and provided wonderfully for his family. I didn’t miss that when I was younger, but when I got …
Ephesians 5:1-2 in the New King James Version says “Therefore be Imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Other versions of the Bible use the word “live” in place of …
From the time I was a baby, I have been fascinated by the piano. One of the best baby pictures of me is of me sitting on a blanket on the lawn in front of a toy piano. When I was about 4-5 my parents would tune into a radio program (before the days of …
My husband and I, along with our children, lived in Holland for four years, doing ministry with Dutch-Indonesian people. We had only been in Holland for seven months when our third son, Teddy, was born. During our first summer in Holland, we took a trip to Austria as a short get-away. The country is so …
One of the things some people like to do, especially during this time of social distancing and isolation, is to put together jigsaw puzzles. There is nothing more frustrating that to get the whole puzzle put together and find that there is a piece missing – especially if you are a perfectionist. Some of the …
Have you ever met a person who obviously had an exalted opinion of themselves? How did it make you feel? I can remember one such occasion in my life. A couple was trying to get us involved in a commercial endeavor. They came to our home and spent the night. I felt that they were …
Psalm 16:8: “I know the Lord is always with me, I will not be shaken.” NLT There are many places in Scripture that give encouragement in the face of difficulties or difficult times. The Psalms are full of encouragement while acknowledging difficult times. David often bemoaned his trials, the people who were trying to take …