I’ve been wrestling lately with a thorn in the flesh. Do you recognize that phrase from the passage in 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 where the apostle Paul talks about suffering from a thorn in the flesh issued to him by Satan to make him miserable and styme his work for the Lord? We don’t know ...
Near-Misses
I hope you haven’t tired of the incessant grace notes I blog about whenever I can, because I’ve got a doozy for you today. It’ll make you cry and give you God bumps at the same time. I’m doing ’em both as I write this. Now please don’t stop reading before you get to the ...
Conduit for Blessings
I’ve been rereading one of my all-time favorite books, God’s Smuggler, about the true experiences of a Dutchman called Brother Andrew in smuggling (then illegal) Bibles behind the Iron Curtain in the 1950s and 1960s. The remnant of faithful Christians in repressive Communist and Socialist countries was being systematically snuffed out when God placed it on Brother ...
Faux Grace
I know I post about grace a lot, but that’s because I need grace a lot. And I need to learn to extend it better to others. Do you? Am I alone in my gracelessness? Maybe all my BFFs (Blessed Friends Forever) have this grace thing down cold and whenever somebody acts like a horse’s patootie ...
My BIG Announcement!
Since the beginning of this year I’ve been promising you some BIG news when the time is right … and today it is! I’m excited to announce that I’ve just signed a contract with CAG (Christian Art & Gifts) for a new 365-day devotional to release in 2025 (title TBA – hopefully within the next ...
Meeting Our Knee-ds
Many thanks for the get well cards, texts, and emails from my cherished community of BFFs since my knee replacement surgery Feb 5. I’m doing well (although it doesn’t feel like it at 2 a.m.) and my P.T. says I’m hitting the right rehab milestones at the right times. Apparently knee replacements are basically having ...
Something Good
I received a request to endorse a new book this week and a memory came to mind that I’d like to share with you today. It wasn’t a happy memory, in fact, it was a learn-from-your-pain kind of memory. But it was an important lesson that I still ascribe to twenty years later. I had ...
Beauty IS the Beast
It’s the first of the year so I’m currently on my annual January-February diet struggling to lose the 15 pounds I gained last year. Yep, it’s a bit bizarre but it works for me. This is the seventh year I start the year out by shedding the additional weight and then gradually gain it back ...
Shower Caps of Blessings
An offbeat thing happened this week and I’d love to get your feedback. It was a little thing, really, but got me thinking. As a backdrop, you may know I’ve been working on a new devotional for months, and have lately been focused on the topics of healing and restoration. To me, they go hand-in-hand, ...
Splashing Joy
I think the beginning of a new year is a good time to take stock and assess goals for the coming year. For me, that means sitting on the wooden swing in my backyard beneath the canopy of oak trees and spending some quality facetime with Papa God. This year, I feel compelled to get ...