And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me” (Genesis 21:6 NKJV) There are few things as contagious as the laughter of a toddler. The sheer innocence and often unexpectedness takes hold of everyone within hearing distance. When our first grandson was still a baby, we would put … Continue reading Laughter, by Lori Altebaumer
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3: 13-14 (CSB) Recently I started playing a game on … Continue reading Goal, By Kristi Ann Hunter
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:5 Whatever. Such a wonderfully teenage phrase of dismissive ambivalence. I’ve lost track of how many times this word has been unleashed at me as a means to end a discussion or show lack of interest in any particular conversation. If I’m really honest, … Continue reading Whatever
You were born for this exact moment in time. (Esther 4:14, Becky’s No-nonsense Paraphrase) Time of Opportunity Throughout the Bible, the idea of a moment of opportunity at a particular time is important. “Heroes of the faith” like Jael, Rahab, Esther, Jonah, Joshua, and even Jesus acted for a specific purpose at a particular time … Continue reading Time
“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18 My mom died a few weeks ago. As she enjoyed extremely close, attentive and loving relationships with her family for 90 plus happy years here on earth and died suddenly with little pain, … Continue reading Father, by Melissa Carey