Reconciliation in marriage is challenging, but is worth the effort. Marriage begins with the hope of living happily ever after, as we've been taught from fairy tales. However, because …
Pray for Hope in the Mess
Do you need hope in the midst of the mess and chaos in the world? When we look at crisis after crisis, it is natural to feel despair. On a large scale, the terrorist attacks, …
Worship Through Prayer in Times of Uncertainty
Worship appears throughout the Christmas story, not just at the birth of the Savior. When Mary learned that she would be the mother of Jesus, she asked the angel "How can this be?" The …
Are You Weary in Prayer? Press On!
Do you ever feel weary in prayer? Waiting for an answer seems long. We get impatient and want to give up. At those times, we have to remember Jesus’ words in Luke …
Why is Prayer Important?
The pandemic has been challenging to keep in touch with family and friends; sometimes it is easy, other times it is hard. If I don’t communicate with loved ones, how would they know me? How would I …
Simple Prayer Instructions
Have you ever attempted to do something without the instructions? The other day I decided to bake a favorite recipe for baked oatmeal, one that I've created many times. I glanced at the directions …
Journey Into Lent
Lent began on Ash Wednesday, marking the forty days before Easter. Ash Wednesday is the day of remembering our human condition of sinfulness and our need for God's forgiveness. Lent can be a time …
What’s the Difference Between Praise and Thanks?
What the difference between praise and thanks? Many times we use them interchangeably in our prayers. Both of the words are nouns and verbs. Each word has a specific objective, yet the words …
Uninspired? Need Motivation? Four Keys to Power Through
Have you ever felt uninspired and stuck? A main symptom is lack of motivation. Lately I've felt that way. Tired, not motivated to do much or go forward on writing projects. Perhaps it's a …
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Stand Strong Against Stress
Stress is a normal part of life. We deal with some type of frustration nearly every day. Some stressors we bring on ourselves due to poor planning, lack of organization, over commitment, or …
Prayer, the Language of Relationship
When our hearts ache for peace, we can turn to the Lord and know His presence. Prayer is the love language for our relationship with God. We can turn our hearts and thoughts toward heaven, knowing …
What Do You Rely On?
We rely on many things to begin the day. The alarm clock wakes us up. We anticipate everything we need to be accessible as we begin the day, especially coffee. Throughout the day, we rely on …
Wake Up and Pray!
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will …
Verses for the Faith Journey Essentials
In Essentials for the Faith Journey, four necessities are given for our spiritual growth: reading the Word of God, prayer, worship, and fellowship. Here are additional verses for each of those key …
Essentials for the Faith Journey
Hiking is a physical pilgrimage that parallels the spiritual faith journey in challenges and adventure. In our eagerness to start a hike in the dense forest on the Napali Coast of Hawaii, Rick and …
Praise and Thanks
What’s the difference between offering praise and thanks? Praise and thanks are closely connected but separate. Each has a specific objective, yet they overlap in purpose. In thanksgiving we list …
Praise and Thanks
What’s the difference between offering praise and thanks? Praise and thanks are closely connected but separate. Each has a specific objective, yet they overlap in purpose. In thanksgiving we list …
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Friendship develops by spending time together, talking and sharing life together. It takes time for the friendship to grow deep. A true friend loves and accepts us as we are. So it is with our …
Prayer: Where Would We Be Without It?
Prayer. Where would we be without it? When I wondered what to write about in this blog post, I reviewed my past week and realized that one thing I had done often was pray. I'm not saying this to …
Daydreaming a Prayer
Remember the fun of daydreaming? Gazing at fluffy clouds imagining different creatures in the sky? What a simple joy! On my walk the other day I couldn't help but notice the clouds. The bright blue …
