We love because he first loved us. – 1 John 4;19 I was thinking today about why we do the things we do. Sometimes our actions are motivated by the rewards we seek, whether they are tangible, such as money and things of this world, or intangable such as the praise of others and acceptance. What I’ve been learning, as the Daughter of The King, is that as His Holy Spirit lives in me and guides me, my purpose for doing the things I do is changing. It’s becoming more and more about Him and less about me. I’m learning that my responses and actions should be because I love Him. It’s in that…

I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. – Isaiah 6:1 My morning began with prayer and asking for the Lord’s leading about what to write today. I then opened my bible wondering where God would lead me for a message to share. It opened to the passage above and I was reminded about where it all began. My story of becoming a believer, like many others, had times of planting seeds, watering them and watching them grow. It began with two strangers praying for our family while at the children’s hospital. Then meeting new friends who would love us like Jesus,…

God, investigate my life;    get all the facts firsthand.I’m an open book to you;    even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.You know when I leave and when I get back;    I’m never out of your sight.You know everything I’m going to say    before I start the first sentence.I look behind me and you’re there,    then up ahead and you’re there, too—    your reassuring presence, coming and going.This is too much, too wonderful—    I can’t take it all in!- Psalm 139: 1-6 (MSG) Familiarity is a wonderful thing among family and friends. We’ve often heard the comment, “Oh, you know me,” spoken with the expectation that whatever has just occured is not a surprise. Isn’t it…

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”- Isaiah 60:1 Just looking at the cute little face makes my heart smile. It was 23 years ago today that Brock went to be with Jesus. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday. I am so grateful for the words that God gave me that morning in the form of a song sung by little children that Brock had on a recorded tape. They were singing, “Arise shine for your light has come and glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” I could just picture the angels singing as Brock closed his eyes in this life and in…

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. – 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4 (MSG) Over the last few months I’ve had the privilege of spending time with several women in a Grief Share group. Many are widows who have become friends as they have loved and encouraged each other. They have shared from…

 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding and then let off with a warning? What a relief not to have to pay a fine for something you knew you were guilty of. The bible tells us that we all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3: 23) It goes on to tell us that the penalty for sin is death, eternal separation from God, but what does that mean? What would eternal separation look like? Imagine being eternally separated from everything that describes…

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” – John 21:15 In this scene above, Jesus led Peter through an experience that would remove the cloud of his denial. Peter had disowned Jesus three times. Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. When Peter answered yes, Jesus told him to feed His sheep. It is one thing to say you love Jesus, but the real test is your willingness to serve Him. Peter had repented, and here Jesus was asking him to…

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. – Mark 14:38 “You probably face many problems that wear you down. You deal with irritating people whom you must love and serve; you face burdens of unfinished tasks or lack of obvious results; you cope with helpers who let you down or fail to comprehend. Remember that in times of great stress, you are vulnerable to temptation, even if you are a willing spirit.” When I read those notes in my study bible I felt as though someone had a front row seat into my life. It perfectly described how…