Very recently I turned on a news program on TV and, of course, most of the news had to do with the war in Israel. The video, the comments, the sad faces, the rubble, and the commentary on this war were hard to watch and listen to. I did hear one commentator make some statements that caused me to stop and think for a few moments. Now before I tell you what he said (to the best of my memory), I want to tell you that this post has nothing to do with me taking sides in this war. It has nothing to do with the leaders of these nations and…

If you have lived very much of your adult life, you have been through some “highs” and some “lows” in life. Even teenagers go through these periods of being on top of the world one day and down in the pits the next. Sometimes senior citizens feel as though all they have left are the lows of life and that all of the high points in life are passed and gone. This topic came to my mind as I have been studying through the book of Jeremiah, the prophet of God. You remember him, don’t you – the weeping prophet? God, in His infinite wisdom, knew Jeremiah before he was…

I use 1 Peter 5:7 in sermons and lessons a lot, probably because I need the reminder as much as (if not more than) anyone else. In that famous verse, Peter reminds us to be “casting all your anxieties on Him; He cares for you.” That verse is often used in lessons on prayer, worry, faith, and many other subjects. But, just for a moment in this post, I want to ask you: have you ever considered what the word “anxieties” means in that verse? Obviously, Peter was not specifically addressing what we might call “clinical” anxiety. He wasn’t writing about taking some diagnosis to God. Instead, the original word…

I was blessed to sit in Adam’s Sunday morning Bible class this week where he began leading a study of Ruth. This great book is set during the time of the Judges. As part of our discussion, he mentioned the idea of a roller coaster with the ups and downs during the days (years) of the judges in Israel. I would like to expand that thought a bit and then make application to our lives. Any good roller coaster rider knows that in between the super highs and low lows, are times that are essential to make those occur. The good old-fashioned coasters are the best with the buildup of…

I just recently became aware of the question that serves as the title of this post, but I discovered that it has been around for quite a while. Apparently, it is used in many circles to assist people in finding purpose in their lives, to provide motivation, and to do a host of other things. The question is even used in some circles to help people discover what they are really, truly passionate about. The idea seems to be that we all need to examine our purpose for doing what we are (or are not) doing. I suppose that this could be illustrated by two people working for the same…

There are times in life when it seems difficult to count your blessings. It seems as though everything that comes your way in life has a negative effect on your thoughts and emotions. It may even seem at times like God has left your side and is letting you flounder in life. By the way, nothing could be further from the truth! God doesn’t leave us; we turn our backs on Him. Satan is at the center of our behavior because we have forgotten to count our blessings. The more we focus on the negative things, the more he enjoys seeing us suffer. I’ve just come away from a week with…

College football is back, which means one thing: we are closer to college basketball (the sport that doesn’t take 5 hours)! When watching a basketball game, you will often hear a commentator talk about how a shooter was able to make a tough shot. Maybe the commentator talks about how the shooter kept his shoulders “square” to the goal, or maybe there will be a comment about the balance that the shooter maintained. But ask any great shooter or coach and one of the things they will talk about is how, to consistently make shots–especially tough shots–, you have to keep your eyes on the rim. That is one reason…

I was blessed to attend a ladies’ day this past weekend at a sister congregation here in Cookeville. Laura Jenkins was the speaker and was covering some of the much-needed and well-studied information from her book Thought Garden. A group of ladies from my congregation has been basing devotionals on this book for some time so it was good to hear the author add more insight to some of her thoughts. While there, she referenced some of my “special” verses – special to me because of a time in my life where they upheld me and gave me strength. They are so special that my sweet brother and sister (in-law)…

Today’s post is short, but oh-so-heartfelt.  Who knew that pushing the gas pedal could be so hard?! I had put the car in reverse, but I had to force myself to push down on the gas. Why? Because I was leaving a part of my heart there. It took actual mental and physical effort to make my foot push down. Once I stopped heave-crying and began to just ache, my heart and mind turned to God. I knew I couldn’t do this without His help. And then, another thought intruded. I was leaving my son in a place where he was loved… Where he was excited to begin his life…