You. Yes you. The one who’s had a hard week.
The one whose body aches. Whose heart hurts. Whose emotions bubble over.
There is hope. There is strength.
Stop for just a moment and breathe in words of hope from the One who is your strength.
There is Strength for Your Hard
“God’s strength in your weakness is His presence in your life. ~Andy Stanley
The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe. Proverbs 18:10
“Nothing on earth compares to the strength God is willing to interject into lives caught in the act of believing.”
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Happy Valentine’s Day!
44 years ago, I waited in Rev’s dorm room for him to return from his part-time job at the post office. He walked in, hugged and kissed me, grabbed something out of his top dresser drawer, and dropped to one knee.
And I said, “Yes!”
13 months later we walked down the aisle. My parents gifted us with planning and hosting a beautiful day. Mom designed and made my dress taking ideas from my favorite parts of dresses I’d tried on at Bridal stores and from pictures I showed her in Bride magazines. And Rev wrote the service as a class assignment.
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Praise the Lord!
For he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
Psalm 28:6–7
What is on your list of blessings today?
We want you to know that we are thankful for you…
our friends and family who visit us here and encourage us with your comments.
We thank God for you!
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We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it to life. ~Edwin Markham, American Poet
We memorized the words as children:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Have you ever wondered about the origin of those words?
They were spoken by Jesus as part of the “Sermon on the Mount.”
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (You can read the whole sermon in Matthew chapters five through seven.)
We know the words, but have we committed to live them?
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You and I know the battle well. We live it day after day.
Watch your toddler. He will wander past the street, the stove, the electrical outlet, etc., completely ignoring the potential hazards, and then one day he gets too close and you say, “No.”
And that’s all it takes for you to spend the next hours, days, or weeks moving him, distracting him, scolding him, and and putting him in “time-out” . . . all in an attempt to prevent him from doing something you know will hurt him.
Paul wrote in Romans:
21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.
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Happy Father’s Day, Dads!
I know this is 5 Minutes for Faith/Mom, but just for today I want to focus on a Father’s love.
Each of us has a father, a man who participated in our genetic make-up. And God chose that particular gene pool for a reason. Maybe you were blessed to have a wonderful man as your earthly father; maybe you were not . . . but whatever his parenting ability God chose him to form you. He was part of God’s plans and purposes for you.
So regardless of your feelings about today’s holiday, I’d like to take a few minutes to invite you to celebrate your Heavenly Father.
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A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver. ~ Thomas á Kempis
I have a box full of cards, notes, and hand-made treasures from my children and grandchildren. There is nothing like those early drawings and words made by tiny hands to express their love. They would never sell at an artist boutique or become literary classics, but to me . . . they’re priceless.
I’ll bet you have similar items. Things precious to you simply because you love for the giver.
When you love the giver the smallest gift becomes a masterpiece.
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How do you see Him?
Pleading and praying in the Garden of Gethsemane?
Broken and bleeding on the cross?
Preaching and teaching followers on a hillside?
Being baptized in the Jordan River?
As an almost teen, amazing teachers in the Temple?
Forgiving and giving hope to a Samaritan woman?
In the street triumphantly entering Jerusalem past cheering crowds?
Welcoming and blessing playful children?
Defending a women from stones aimed to kill?
Surrounded by hurting ill people waiting for miracles?
Toppling tables in the Temple courtyard?
Greeting Mary Magdeline as she weeps near the empty tomb?
Laughing with friends at the Wedding in Cana?
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