Thank You, Husbands and Fathers: Who remember… The Lord IS YOUR LIFE and the priorities of your life; marriage, family, and then, work. Who spend quality time with your wife and family, being attentive to their hearts and concerns. Who listen to the needs of your wife and family with patience and grace, not with your ears alone but your hearts. Who affirm your wife and family rather than criticize, belittling, or making them feel less…
Our Bridegroom Who Calls Us His Flawless Bride My Precious Sister In Christ and friend Kim Francis just released an awesome devotional called “Fifty Days in His Pursuing Love.” If you haven’t purchased it already, you have to! It is an amazing love letter to us; those who have given our lives to Jesus Christ. Kim describes her book this way: Experience the Depths of Christ’s Cherishing Love for You! As a Christian, you are…
The Collector of Our Pain and Garbage This blog was first posted in April 2017 but I was encouraged to share this again. This blog goes perfectly with our last blog on “Jesus the Shepherd Who Knows Us.” I remember reading a story from a book called “Be Transformed” by Scope Ministries in Oklahoma, a sister ministry and member of Network 220 of which I am a member. The story went similar to this (I added a little spice to…
The Intimate Shepherd Who Knows Us John Piper of Desiringgod.com says, “Jesus knows those who are His. What is this knowledge? John 10:3 is a close parallel to John 10:27. It says, “The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.” So, when Jesus says, “I know them,” this means at least that He knows them by name; that is, He knows them individually and intimately. They are not anonymous, lost in…
The Gentle Shepherd Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me[following Me as My disciple], for I am GENTLE and HUMBLE in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29 Amplified Bible) How many of you have ever heard of Hermit Sheep? I learned about them from my husband as he shared his Sunday…
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of mothers. They are like the touches and kisses from Your sweet lips. They are like the sweetness and gentleness of Your face, And the strength of Your Amazing Grace! Some of our mothers are gone home to be with You, So there is an emptiness still left in our hearts only you can heal and fill. And in Your time and way I know You will. Some of our mothers were loving,…
The Good Shepherd “Thy Rod of Correction and thy Staff of Protection, they both Comfort me. Psalms 23:4 (paraphrased)” One of my most favorite passages of scripture in the Bible is the 23 Psalm. Most of us can recite it by heart. I am so enamored with sheep; they just fascinate me! When our Lord described us like sheep who go astray, every man after his own way in the scriptures, He is exactly right! I remember being just like…
The Compassionate Father I don’t know about you but I longed for my father to love me, to cherish me, adore me, and think that I was one of the greatest joys of his life. As a child, I longed to be held and carried securely in his loving arms. I longed for him to impart his wisdom, guidance, and share his experiences about life and the world around us. I also longed for a father who when I failed,…
WE ARE RISEN WITH HIM, OH YES WE ARE RISEN WITH HIM INDEED! In this glorious season of celebrating the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, I want to reflect on the reason for our Lord coming into the earth in the first place… it was for OUR SAKE. On Easter or Resurrection Sunday, the Orthodox, Catholic, and other liturgical churches greet each other with, “The Lord Is Risen” and the other person responds, “Yes, the Lord is…
In our last blog if you recall, Restore means, to bring back to its original purpose or plan, to set back in order or into its former condition, place, or position. It also means to repair or renovate like a building to its former condition. Once there was an orphan who lived on the streets of Timbuktu, begging and scrounging for food every day to survive. Her parents died when she was five years old; she had no relatives…