Spiritual Lessons

March 23 2023

If Jesus Tells Us To Knock On Doors, Why Don’t They Open?

“Help me!” Even before I heard her plaintive cry, I heard the thumping on the door. The doors in our house tended to stick and my little one lacked the strength to push this one open. After a few unsuccessful attempts, she asked for help. Smiling, I opened the door and greeted her with outstretched…

March 16 2023

God Always Has A Plan B, But What If It Is Really Plan A?

Opening my planning notebook, I stared, fixated at the date of the last entry. It had been exactly three weeks. Vivid memories of that day rushed through my mind. A week of back-to-back appointments had left me feeling exhausted and out of control. Wanting to break the pattern of overcrowding my days, I had set…

February 23 2023

How Can I Love Someone Who Constantly Gets On My Last Nerve?

Biting my lips, I smiled and miraculously managed to hold back the critical words forming on my tongue. I had a long history with this individual. And while I could say I felt a genuine concern for her, our personalities definitely clashed. As a Christian, I know Jesus calls us to love our neighbor (Mark…

February 16 2023

When Is It A Good Time For A Christian To Be Pushy?

Sighing with frustration, I continued to press the very courteous, yet unyielding, customer service representative. Even though I understood he could only uphold his company’s policies, I hoped for an exception. I had missed canceling my subscription by one day. According to company policy, automatic subscription renewals did not qualify for a refund. I now…

December 8 2022

In This Troubled World, Where Do We Find The Peace Jesus Promised?

After hearing the loud pop, I glanced up at the windshield. To my dismay, I saw two less-than-dime-size holes. Immediately my heart dropped. Why did this have to happen? Some generous and longtime friends had lent me their car during my short stay in Colorado. And on this, my last day, traffic caused gravel to…

November 24 2022

Why Do We Engage In The Frustrating Dance Of Gift Reciprocation?

In a panic, I rushed to purchase a sweater from the store where I worked. Even with my employee discount, the sweater cost more than I wanted to spend ~ especially since I had not planned to give a gift to this colleague.  But when my coworker showed up with her gift for me, I…

November 17 2022

How To Keep Your Thanksgiving Holiday From Being Absorbed By Christmas

As I walked through the department store it occurred to me: I am no longer shocked at how quickly Christmas displays pop up. This year, they even began to appear before Halloween. The same is true with the Christmas movies ~ which began as early as October 21st. And as always, I ask: What happened…

November 10 2022

When Do You Need To Remember That God Is Bigger Than Your Heart?

Still groggy, I stumbled into the kitchen and poured myself some coffee. In my determination to finish a project, I decided to work late into the night. Now I suffered the consequences. Sipping my cup of joe, I shook my head at the irony. I’d shortened my hours of sleep so I could  rework an…

November 3 2022

Learning To Choose Wisely Because One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Slipping on my robe, I suddenly froze with a new realization. The robe, which had once been tight and uncomfortable, now fit, and even felt loose. This is one of those non-scale victories.  For several months I’ve worked at getting back to a healthier weight and lifestyle. I purposely decided against using the scale to…

September 29 2022

Studying God’s Word Lights Our Path To Do Good In This World

As I looked out at the pool, I noticed all three lanes designated for swimming laps had been taken by other people. Approaching the lifeguard, I asked if he could rope off one more lane for me.  “Usually when the lap lanes are full, people just swim in the open pool area,” he responded. “I…