Church Life
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Spiritual Beauty
A couple of weekends ago, I spoke at a ladies’ day on the topic of spiritual beauty. As I prepared for this topic, I consulted Sheila Butt’s book, Seeking Spiritual Beauty. In chapter 4, Sheila writes, We need to make sure that young ladies in the church are taught and demonstrated the right priorities. We need to let them know that they are made in the image of God and that they are very special. We need to praise them for visiting the nursing homes and taking care of a young mother’s children for her. We need to praise them for their modesty and their love and concern for others.…
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What Have You Done for Him Lately?
I love hearing Christians tell stories about people they have helped. It encourages me to hear about someone they have taught the Gospel to who is now a faithful Christian. It motivates me to hear about a missionary they have supported or a case where someone needed benevolent help and a Christian stepped up and provided it. Personally, I do not ever try to listen to these stories as if my brothers or sisters are bragging. Rather, when we have a “win,” we like to talk about it. And that is great! However, I sometimes hear something in these stories that truly concerns me. [Disclaimer: I am just as guilty of…
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A World War II Veteran and the National Anthem
Last Monday evening I was given the opportunity to speak at a small congregation during their series of gospel meetings. At the end of the service, as we were exiting the building the local preacher introduced me to an elderly gentleman who was walking out. I noticed he was using a cane to steady himself. The preacher informed me that this man had fought in the Battle of the Bulge. This immediately encouraged me to have a conversation about the man’s work and sacrifice in that effort. He was still fairly light on his feet and his eyes had not dimmed. He was mentally intact and well-spoken, yet humble, quiet,…
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[Quote] What the Abundant Life of John 10:10 Means
Source: God’s Game Plan: Strategies for Abundant Living (page 18)
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Let’s Get Together and Eat
How often have I said those words? How often have those words been said to me? I couldn’t even begin to guess how many times in my life as a minister’s wife I have extended that offer, or had that offer extended to me. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear, “Let’s get together and eat?” If you’re like most people you begin to think of all of the restaurants that are in your town or city. We all have favorite places that we love to eat, and we frequent them often. But, what happened to the time when an invitation to get together and eat meant preparing…
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Could Football (or Any Other Sport) Cost Us Our Soul?
I love sports. That needs to be said right at the outset of this article. Often, I read or hear people talk about how sports are ruining society, but they are people who do not like sports in the first place. (It would be somewhat like me writing about how shoe shopping is ruining us!) It is great to go to games and relax in front of the TV at times to watch a good game. As I said, I love sports. All that said, today I am writing a post to me first, but one I pray will be read as it is intended. The title of this article…
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Can Anything Good Come from 9/11?
Fifteen years ago this past Sunday our nation was devastated by the worst act of terrorism we have ever witnessed. 2996 people died, over 6000 more people were injured, and the economic effects of the 9/11 attacks were estimated in the trillions of dollars. Of course, the main thing was that innocent people were murdered by evil Al Quaeda operatives. These attacks shook us to the core and we won’t ever forget what happened on that day. In truth, the people who were directly affected by this terrible tragedy are in a different category when it comes to grieving. And so I tread lightly as I ask the question, “With…
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Misplaced Respect
You’ve probably heard it. You may have said it. When the name some politician comes up in a discussion, you can rest assured that somebody will at least be thinking it. “I do not respect him/her, but I respect the office.” Those few words say a lot. Most of what is said is not good. Part of the message is that some particular individual is (at least in the eyes of the one making the statement) unworthy of respect and honor. Their character may be flawed. Their abilities may be very limited. The people with whom they associate may be unsavory. Any number of reasons may be given. The bottom line is that they are deemed unworthy of respect.…
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Enough
My friend, you have been looking a bit harried lately. Not to say you don’t look beautiful, but I can see it in your eyes. You feel like you are falling short. And not just falling short in one or two areas but all across the board. Your husband needs some attention and all of your children seem to have an activity or school project due this week. And those lesson plans don’t write themselves! Or maybe you are the friend whose aging parents are competing with your job for who or what can cause the most stress. You know God teaches to respect and care for those in your…
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Keep Looking
My mother lost her diamond solitaire 30 years ago. It was her engagement ring from my father. She used to take her rings off in the evening and set them on the arm of an expensive chair they had purchased for the house. One night the ring fell down into the chair. They tried to get it out but had no luck retrieving it. They didn’t want to tear the chair apart, so they decided to look later. Over the years our family has experienced many unsuccessful attempts in locating the ring. We moved in 1985 to a different house about five hours north. In the move, we discovered that the bottom of…
