But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. – Titus 3:4-5 My husband was telling me about a new contractor that he has been doing some work for and how the man constantly challenges him and his expertise. Perhaps it’s because he is the new kid on the block and is trying to make a name for himself or maybe he simply doesn’t know the details and he’s trying to learn. Either way, my husband asked me to pray that he would have patience for…

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”  – Matthew 7:1-3 What does biblical kindness look like? The simple answer is Jesus. Kindness is selfless, compassionate, and merciful which perfectly describe the heart and actions of our Savior. He made time to meet those in need and even went out of His way to make sure their paths crossed. No one was too…

 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’  When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.  Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” – Luke 11:24-26 I was watching a woman at a small store the other day taking inventory of some t-shirts on a display rack. It got me thinking about how important it is to take an…

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32 Look in a mirror and what do you see? What do you want to see? Each morning I see a reflection of myself and often rush through the daily routines without taking a deeper look. At home my mirror in the bathroom only shows a portion of my body, but the mirrors in our camper are full length floor to ceiling and show a more complete picture. One day while sitting on the bed I glanced at myself in the mirror and saw the full image, rolls and all. At first it surprised me because I always see myself standing up which creates…

 Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5:19-20 On Sunday a young woman shared a short story about her experiences over the week that taught her a lesson in gratuitude. She had been camping with friends and been eaten by mosquitos. Her husband’s new iphone had been lost in the lake and she was unable to sleep due to all the itching. She began to rehearse her favorite bible verse of Philippians 4:6-7,  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your…

 See then that you walk in a careful and prudent way, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. – Ephesians 5:15-17 The other day I was speaking to a man who had recently lost his wife to cancer. About a month before she passed she told him she knew her time was short. He asked her if knowing that made her want a drink and she responded absolutely not. She was a recovering alcoholic who had recently celebrated over 15 years of sobriety. She wasn’t going to finish her race giving in to the enemy.…

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. – 2 Corinthians 4:17 We all have those people, circumstances or even animals in our lives that can push our buttons in a moments notice. Over the weekend my buttons got pushed to the breaking point and I didn’t handle the blow up very well. After my own version of a volcanic eruption I had to take a time out and think about how I could have handled the situation better and definitely more Christlike. I was reminded as I read through a devotional that people, circumstances and even our pets can be character builders in…

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.- Matthew 19:21 You’ve no doubt heard the bible story of the rich young ruler that came to Jesus and asked what he should do to inherit eternal life. After Jesus gave him an answer he said he already followed all the rules and asked what he was still lacking. Jesus’ answer was today’s verse which basically says, “I want you to give up…

 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” – John 21: 21-22 My Monday morning started with a strong dose of reality. After stepping on the scales way to many times I finally realized that it was not going to give me the number or the validation that I was looking for. Instead of stopping right there and taking my thoughts and actions captive, I proceeded to mentally complain about what my husband was doing or not doing on his time off. My thoughts then spiraled into judging others…