I saw an old friend today. A man of God and a mentor. We were talking about trust and what it means to trust the Lord. He said people often ask him, “How do I know I’m trusting God?” His response: “You know you trust Him when you have peace. If you don’t have peace, you are not trusting Him.” Trusting God does powerful things for us. It enables us to be patient. It gives us hope. It steadies us in the storm. When we have a patient hope, we are energized and mobilized to press in and press on. Steadfastness, then, is becoming in us, and others will be…

The Lord, in His infinite wisdom and lovingkindness, gave me to a prophet and his queen, and I learned to love His Word and to think of others more than myself. I knew the sweet mystery of reverent affection for my father, and it was my mother who showed me how to be a student. A life-long student herself, she doesn’t face a day that does not also hold the fascination of making a new discovery. She turned 80 today. My husband, my siblings, and their spouses took her to lunch to celebrate and give honor to her, as is appropriate. Her presence with us in these golden years of…

“Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” A quote attributed to the late John Wayne. And I think from a human perspective, this is absolutely true. Having the courage to move forward regardless of how you feel is a mark of good character. In this respect, taking courage is a discipline that enables one to acknowledge emotion without letting that emotion be the director or motivator of one’s choices. Shortly after the crucifixion of Jesus, His disciples were huddled behind closed doors, in fear for their lives. They were in mourning, and they were in hiding. They did not know what to do next. When Jesus appeared…

As the years go by, the three elements that comprise our being are changed. Our bodies become infirm and are less reliable. Our souls, if we are fortunate, become wise and enduring. And, our spirits, being renewed day by day by the Spirit of God, hopefully become fit for eternity. This is the order and progression of our current state of being in this limited space-time continuum. I believe it is important to understand that I am a spirit, I have a soul, and I live in a body. This knowledge is key to keeping things in perspective. First, I am a spiritual being, and consequently my ultimate destination is…