Personal journal entry, June 26, 2023: “Even after all these years of growing up in Christ, I still have knotholes of doubt that God will speak clearly to me.” Both the Old and New Testaments emphasize Jehovah as the God Who speaks. I’ve read, heard, and memorized it, but in some situations, I don’t expect to hear from God. Why is …
The early morning wet market was mostly dry by nightfall. Housed open-air under a corrugated tin roof, the stainless steel display tables and wire shelves stood chained together and ready. Except for a night breeze, an eerie silence was the only sound awaiting the coming day. Sometime before sunrise, generations of market vendors hosed down their stalls in preparation for …
There is an exhaustion so absolute that you find yourself counting minutes before you can crawl between the sheets. In my experience, that overload usually involved an overseas flight and jetlag. No matter how we adjusted our flight schedule, crossing the international date-line always depleted our reserves. I suppose any continual twenty-six-hour trip will do that. Our plane trip had been …
Standing at the base of the ladder, I allowed my eyes to follow its ascent upward. Taller than the giant sequoias, the uppermost reach of the rungs extended out of my eyesight. The view was spectacular, yet I remained focused on my intent. I’d come by way of invitation, and as I waited, light filtered around me. Brilliant, warm, and …
O Holy Father, As we direct our eyes toward You today, we see You sitting in a place of splendor and majesty. “Strength and joy are in Your place,” and nothing is too difficult for You (1 Chronicles 16:27; Jeremiah 32:27). Thank You for opening the heavenlies that we might peer into this place of final reality (Revelation 4:1). With …
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“I didn’t get anything out of it.” Sympathetic nods bobbed around the room. No, the topic wasn’t an empty milk carton or a dry sponge. Unfortunately, “it” was the Bible. This young woman’s statement is epidemic in our world today. In fact, we’ve heard it so often, we have begun to accept it as truth. “Maybe the Bible …
Holy Father, In the wake of school violence, much doubt has been cast upon the power of prayer. I’ve heard it said that prayer is insufficient to stop bullets from killing our school children. Thank You, Father that this is not true. You absolutely hear prayer (Psalm 65:2). Granted, in and of ourselves, we are powerless to …
“May I speak to your supervisor, please?” There had been a problem with my recent order, and I was having some difficulty removing the mix-up of the phone. As I awaited a manager, I intentionally calmed myself. This could take some time. “Mrs. Persall? I’m sorry for the difficulty,” came the reply. Then, with a few questions asked, the situation …
Since this new series is on marriage, I’m excited to announce that my husband, Mark will be joining me on a regular basis over the next several months. Today, he guest posts on a topic that is all too close to home for most marriages: arguments. Grab your spouse. You’ll want to read this one together. ——————————- “As young newlyweds, Kandy …
