Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 Today was one of those days where the Lord graciously opened my eyes to a dark truth about myself with the intent of helping me to change for the better. Most of the time I consider myself to be a woman of faith. I love the Lord and often say that I trust Him. But, today He showed me how my thoughts prove otherwise. I was thinking of the closing date for our home and then thought, “What if it doesn’t happen? Then…

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 For a person with a to-do list mentality it is very easy to get overwhelmed with what needs to be done. Often my lists include today, tomorrow, next week and next month issues. While sometimes it’s necessary to note events for scheduling purposes, to dwell on everyone all at once can be exhausting. Another helpful quote from Grief Share was to turn your cares list into a prayers list. The program encourages you to write down all the things that concern you, cause you fear and bring stress into your life. Things that you think you can handle and those…

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20 What an incredible night the Lord gave me at Grief Share. The topic was on fear and the program made the following comment, “Trace the fear back to the blessing.” It was at that moment the Lord gave me words to speak. I shared about my fears when Brock was nearing death. I prayed that I wouldn’t be alone and that he wouldn’t be in pain. The overwhelming fear of losing him was always on my mind. How would I live without him? How could I carry on?…

What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:21-23 When we take our dogs, Roscoe and Lulu on hikes they both start off on a leash through the campground. They are excited to run and explore and pull against their harnesses. But for their own safety, from other dogs – especially the neighbor’s pit…

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice today and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 We are on the move again. For the last year we have been searching and praying for a new home and God answered those prayers in a mighty way. Once the offer was accepted the clock started ticking. It would take 30 days for the necessary paperwork, appraisal and inspections to be completed. During that time there would be mountains of paperwork needed and many questions asked. Without a doubt I knew that this home was the one that the Lord had been preparing for us. Every little detail started…

Blessed is __________ if she is merciful, for she shall obtain mercy.  Matthew 5:7 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with ___________, not wanting her to perish, but to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9  If ___________ confesses her sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive her, all of her sins and purify her from all unrighteousness.           1 John 1:9 Because of the Lord’s great love, ___________ is not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23 Be merciful, _____________, just…

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. – Matthew 5:7 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”  Remember when that was the prayer of your heart and God’s response was His unfailing love and forgiveness, wrapped up in His mercy that is new every day. Mercy is an unmerited, unearned favor from God that was made possible to us by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  Our sins separated us from God and when Jesus paid the penalty for everyone one of them, He made a way for true believers to be forgiven and experience…

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 7:3 I read this quote today concerning self-righteousness: “Self-righteousness is being more concerned for, and motivated by, the knowledge of the sin of others than your own.” (Dr. Paul Tripp) He then said and asked the following; “Be honest right here and right now as you’re reading this.” Those questions took me back to a devotional I read years ago by Stormie O’Martian called, “The Praying Wife.” When I started the study it was with the intention of praying for my husband and the things that I…

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord. Colossians 3:23 I have often thought of today’s passage in the context of work and serving others, especially when the tasks seem to keep rolling in. When I become frustrated and impatient either with the task or the person, I say to myself, “Do it as if you were doing it for God.” That usually helps me to have a better attitude and helps me finish the task. But sometimes afterward I have felt a bit unappreciated, used, or even rejected for my efforts. It’s in those moments that I find myself thinking, “Jesus would…