Cultivating Faithfulness

I enjoy cooking. The whole process of it. Searching out the ingredients, choosing the right size, color and texture of the produce. Measuring and chopping and mixing. Sautéing, stirring and simmering. Plating and garnishing with just the right flare. Long before the first forkful is savored by a guest, I’ve already feasted on the sight of sun-colored vegetables, the smell of piercing herb aromas, the smooth feel of a sharp knife slicing through berries, and the delicious sound of meat sizzling in olive oil. For me, preparing heightens the joy of partaking. While I like being a cook, I am not as enamored of baking. For one thing, baking is…

What is the last thing God said to you? Possibly, you heard Him speak clearly to you just this morning. Or, maybe it’s been some time since His Word spoke directly to your heart, specifically to you regarding your situation. I trust you know the sound of His voice, the power of His Word, the leading of His Spirit. The Word of God is given to all. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the…

I AM WHO I AM. When Moses encountered God at the burning bush, and God commissioned him to lead the Israelites to freedom from slavery in Egypt, he asked the Lord, “Who shall I say has sent me?” God answered, “I AM WHO I AM…tell them: I AM has sent me.” (Exodus 3:1-14) Who is this I AM? Have we encountered this Presence? He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — a personal God. He is the author of life — Creator God. He is the Covenant Maker — a Promise Keeping God. He is the Resurrection and the Life – an eternal God. Are we actively seeking…

Mother’s Day is a special event in our family. We have so many of them. My mother, my sister’s mother-in-law, my brother’s mother-in-law, my daughter-in-law, my sister’s daughters and her daughter-in-law. Including my sister and myself, there are ten mothers, and after church today, most of the family gathered at the home of one of my nieces to celebrate. We ate and talked and laughed and fed children and held sleeping babies. Then we settled on the porch to give an opportunity for children, young and old, to share a tribute and honor their moms. We are, as you know, a closely knit family. We’ve shared, with open hearts, so…

Jesus is alive. This is fact. But it’s also the truth. He actually rose from the dead, presented Himself in His glorified body to His disciples and as many as 500 others and walked around for 40 days before ascending to sit at His Father’s right hand to pray for His people while He waits for the signal to return to Earth again. Can you imagine the chaos and turmoil of the days immediately following His crucifixion? How the disciples, who had hoped He was going to be their salvation from Rome, truly felt? They were afraid, and they were in hiding. Jesus had told them the truth about His…