When I gaze to the skies and meditate on Your creation— on the moon, stars, and all You have made, I can’t help but wonder why You care about mortals— sons and daughters of men— specks of dust floating about the cosmos. But You placed the son of man just beneath God and honored him like royalty, crowning him with glory and honor. – Psalm 8:3-5 (Voice) On one of my last nights at our summer retreat I had the priviledge of being awakened by God to take in the scene of the endless starry sky that displayed His mighty and magnificent creation. Thousands of stars painted the sky as the bright full moon shone over…

“Walk across the floor of your upper room and wash the feet of your Judas.” – Max Lucado When I read the quote above the word that caught my attention was “upper.” My week had been full of comments from different people about the privileges that their social and financial statuses should give them, as well as my own prideful thoughts of the value I was placing on my time and paycheck. How often we strive for some resemblance of significance that we hope to find in what the world defines as important. Prestigue, sofistication, wealth, influence and appearance are nothing more than steps leading to our “upper” room of…

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds. – Psalm 77:11-12 One of my favorite pages in the Royal Records book is called checkpoints along the way. It’s a page that prompts you to write down your expectations, your memorable moments and the harvest that you reaped during the month while applying the theme of the month. The best part about reviewing a past month’s journal entries is the opportunity to see just how God has been working in your life. Re-reading your daily tasks, prayer requests and new discoveries in…

Be steeped in the word; encourage one another in it, and let thanksgiving drive you to perserverance. – Colossians 3:16 Last night as I was reading through my journal and reviewing events from last month, I was convicted by the theme of faithfulness. It was the title of October’s Royal Records and sadly, was not my character in my calling. There were very few posts on the website and as I looked further I saw that throughout the year, I have been lacking when it comes to faithfully writing, which is something that God has called me to do. It was a painful truth to know that I was neglecting…

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” -Philippians 4:5  One of the characteristics of a true believer is their gentle spirit which can be described as a strong hand with a soft touch. They have a tender, compassionate approach toward others’ weaknesses and limitations while speaking truth, sometimes even painful truth, but in a way that others can receive it. Gentleness shouldn’t be confused with weakness, nor does it come naturally. It is a learned trait that demonstrates the proper temperament or attitude for a servant of God that is in tune with the Holy Spirit. Jesus displayed gentleness when He met the woman caught in…

Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. – Revelation 20:15 Over the last couple of weeks the Lord has lovingingly, yet boldly, been correcting areas of my life and ministry that need some attention. While sharing the message of heaven with the Grief Share group I was asked if a family member of one of the attendees would be in Heaven. This individual did not believe in God and chose not to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Thankfully, whether or not this person will be in heaven is not for me to decide, it is completely up to…

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. – Colossians 4:5 I read another translation of today’s verse that really touched my heart. It read, “walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.” A few weeks ago I met a woman who recently moved to this area. Shortly after settling in she was diagnosed with cancer and began chemotherapy treatments. Just as she was finishing her treatments, and before she was to begin several weeks of radiation, her husband unexpectedly died from a heart attack. She contacted me about the Grief Share program and by God’s Divine intervention, needed a…

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 I am a summer girl. The hotter, the better for me. So while the cooler temperatures are bringing a repreive to many, my heart is sad that the long sunshiny days are growing to a close. Along with the shorter daylight hours come some added perks, no need to mow or water the lawn for example. And when the really cold weather arrives, there will be many days inside next to a warm fire. On my walk today I thought of bears hibernating and how they eat large amounts of food as they…

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. – 2 Timothy 4:2 What a timely passage for the fall season. This passage came to mind today while we were winterizing our RV. I was thinking about how different things will be in the coming months. Running and biking will take place indoors at the gym rather than outside on the open trails. Many other activities will take place inside with everything covered in pumpkin spice, warm blankets and cozy sweaters. But just because the seasons are changing, it doesn’t mean that progress has to stops. It will just look different. And that different…