These are uncertain times, and we are witnessing the harsh reality of our broken world in the midst of hardship, divided interests, heartbreak and tragedy. It is tempting to become despairing in the face of such sin sickness, tempting even to become disillusioned and hopeless, or bitter and angry. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4 not to be surprised by the fiery trial among us, but rather fellowship Christ with an understanding of His suffering and keep on rejoicing so that we may see the glory of God (my paraphrase). Waiting on the Lord in the midst of difficulty and uncertainty and chaos requires faith and hope. Faith in…

Psalm 33:1-5 Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;Praise is becoming to the upright.Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.Sing to Him a new song;Play skillfully with a shout of joy.For the word of the Lord is upright,And all His work is done in faithfulness.He loves righteousness and justice;The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord. This is a favorite Psalm of mine, and I am always particularly affected by the phrase, “play skillfully with a shout of joy.” I believe there is an aspect of worship in the skillful execution of a talent, whether that talent be musical, artistic, scientific, mathematic or literary. Ability is God-given, and discipline that…

Last year was one of many challenges for my husband and me. On January 2nd, my maternal grandmother went into the hospital, and she passed away on February 12th. This was a hard time for my mother, and I handled the bulk of my grandmother’s estate work. In early April, My husband was rushed to the hospital and had two stints placed near his heart. His recovery required a complete overhaul of our diet and lifestyle. In May my mother developed shingles that led to her complete physical breakdown later in the Summer, and she was placed in assisted living for two months while recuperating. During the time she was…

My mother has been a champion of the under appreciated, the lost and forlorn, and the unloved her entire life. It is not a cause for her, but rather it stems from her ability and desire to see the worth and value in a person. She is always looking with keen interest at the people God puts in her path. I believe she has lived a life of evangelism in this way, and we will not know until we are on the other side what is the measure of her life of interest and care for others. She has laughed with them, cried with them, been angered on their behalf,…

Do you ever feel that you’ve lost substance, that you are “thin”? I’m reminded of that saying, “He’s just a shadow of his former self.” What gives us substance? The dictionary defines substance: essential nature; ultimate reality that underlies all outward manifestations and change; practical importance, meaning, usefulness. For me, this loss of substance, or the sense of it, is usually perpetrated by a lack of purpose. Like I’m just going through the motions, or not much that I’m doing really matters. The antidote? Faith. Faith in the One Who holds all things together by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). Scripture tells us that faith is a gift…