Give GraceSummer is here!  The school year has ended and the student's final exams have been graded.  Do you remember the stress of having to take final exams? So much seemed to be riding on getting a good grade.  For some, a poor grade implied a poor character.  Years later, we as adults can’t remember our grades in school and know that our character is different than our ability to pass a test. ...  Read More

Holiday TalkLuke 12:54-56  Jesus also said to the people, “When you see a cloud coming in the west, you say at once, ‘It is going to rain.’ And it does.  When you see the wind blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And it is.  You who pretend to be someone you are not, you know all about the sky and the earth. But why do you not know what is happening these days?”Although there may ...  Read More

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10YOU ARE A PIECE OF WORK!When Paul used the word “workmanship” he used the Greek word “poiema” a word we also translate as “poem.”   Regardless of the language, it may make us wonder what in the world is he talking about.  For me, workmanship conjures up ima...  Read More

With a sniffle here and a cough there, it seems that seasonal allergies are disturbing many people this time of year.  Spring rains and warming weather trigger trees, grasses, and weeds to release tiny pollen particles into the air to fertilize other plants while causing friends and family members to seemingly suffer endlessly.Depending on your genetic background,  you may experience symptoms this...  Read More

"God couldn't be everywhere, so He made mothers." While not theologically accurate, this old Jewish saying describes the significant role mothers have in our lives. Not one of us came into this world without a mom.As a child, I wondered if mom had “eyes in the back of her head” because she seemed to know whenever I was close to getting into trouble.Proverbs 31 describes a woman with Godly characte...  Read More

Bloom Wherever You Are PlantedRecently, while walking outside with Paisley, my 8-year-old granddaughter, we saw the first Dandelion of the season! She picked it. and brought it home to give it to her mom.  Have you ever seen the joy on a child’s face when they hand their mom a dandelion?There is an important moment that happens when a mom decides how to react to the occasional gift of a common wee...  Read More