To have a heart like Mary’s is nothing natural at all. Before we talk about her immediate reaction when approached by the angel Gabriel, let’s remember that she was young (probably 14-15 years old), poor, and engaged to Joseph. These characteristics would make her seem quite unsuitable for much of any big task–but God!  Gabriel was clear in his message, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you…You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 28-32). Three points stand out which mark Mary’s immediate supernatural reaction: 1) Mary believed God. 2) Mary feared God more than man. 3) Mary promptly and willfully obeyed God. 

The Bible tells a story of a Father who loved His children so deeply that He made a way to bring them back when they fell.
When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden and sin entered the world, God made provision to deliver mankind from sin and the dominion of darkness through the promise of a Savior,
One who would pay the heaviest price by coming to earth in human form and laying down His life.
He took upon Himself the judgment we deserved so that we might not only be reconciled to the Father, but also receive the gift of eternal life.

Happy Thanksgiving! Do you enjoy cheesy turkey jokes as much as I do? Did you hear about the turkey prom? It was a Butterball. How about these ones: “When is turkey soup bad for your health? When you’re the turkey!” “What’s the difference between a turkey and a chicken? Chickens celebrate Thanksgiving.” “Why did the turkey run across the road? It was time for dinner.” “What did the president say when presented with a poorly cooked turkey? “Is it too late for a pardon?” “What do you call a turkey the day after Thanksgiving? Lucky!”

Over the past few months, the Holy Spirit has continued to impress upon me His call to a life fully surrendered to Him. As I look in the rear view mirror, upon a seemingly respectable life, I realize so much of it has been filled with striving and straining, self-effort; agendas and checklists, the desire to please or impress others; and achieve “success” in the eyes of the world. I recall many decisions made from a place of fear, anxiety, insecurity, pragmatism, or a reliance on worldly wisdom.

Have you ever heard of the word “APOLOU”? The Greek New Testament uses the word Apolou for forgiveness and release. In Luke 17:4, Jesus told His disciples to forgive. In Jonathan Cahn’s book, “The Book of Mysteries”, he writes about “The Power of Apolou”: The word interpreted as “forgive”, is the Greek word Apolou.

The words “all day long” stood out to me as I read Psalm 71, highlighting and circling in neon markers and doodling all over the page of my Bible. Each word in verse eight grabbed my attention. There was something about the simplicity that drew me in for a closer look.

One of my brothers as a teenager, who worked on the bridge, fell off into three feet of water. He landed on his back, if he had gone in headfirst, it would have been fatal. He remembers seeing the ferry coming in, upside down as he fell. On climbing back up to the bridge deck, the superintendent from the ferry asked if anything had fallen off the bridge. My brother said, “yes, that was me.” He is still with us, though I think his days of working on bridges ended there.

Do you ever have trouble keeping your mind focused on Jesus during your quiet time? Thinking about this issue reminded me of trying to teach my dog to “stay!” That’s one of the hardest commands for a dog to learn because they don’t want to stay still. There’s too many things going on, or going by, like a squirrel, or another dog, or a car, to name a few.

We’ve all experienced times in life where we feel like the rug has been pulled out from under us. Then you feel you’ve reached your limit. Then something else happens. It’s really overwhelming. It’s a weary place to be. 

You know, sometimes, I just want to be mad. Sometimes I don’t want to be joyful, and you can forget about rejoicing! Sometimes I just don’t get why God doesn’t answer my prayer when I’ve applied every scripture I can possibly find to address the problem. Or when I have bruises on my knees for all the hours I’ve been in prayer and petition.

We tell God that His ways are better and that we trust Him, but do our lives prove it? How do we trust Him with the things we want most? What does it look like to have faith for something big without putting it first or ending up disappointed when it doesn’t come in our desired timing?

Paul writes these words while imprisoned, yet his tone is overflowing with joy and encouragement. That’s the striking power of this passage.  Joy is not tied to our surroundings, possessions, or ease of life. It’s rooted in the unshakable truth that the Lord is near. No matter what storm we face, His presence is constant.

The word rehearsed jumped off the page at me! One of the reasons I believe the Lord highlighted this word to me is because He knew that I would understand the depth of its meaning since I graduated from college with a major in theatre and rehearsing is essential to our productions. And yet, I’ve never read a scripture before that used the word “rehearsed” in it until I read this one.

Have you ever found yourself holding on to guilt, shame, or old habits, even after being set free in Christ? The story of Lazarus being unbound after Jesus raised him from the dead is a powerful reminder of how Jesus calls us to step fully into freedom and new life. Through Christ’s love and compassion, we can shed the remnants of our old life and walk boldly into the blessings and spiritual abundance He has prepared for us.

Y”You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

Whether you sit atop the glorious mountaintop or in the depths of the valley of long-suffering, we know this: there is a time for everything. When you sense a shifting of the season, no matter your vantage point, it can feel scary. We become comfortable and make our proverbial homes, despite the lifelong reality that not one season is created to be forever in the Lord.

A warm summer’s night, a weathered hemlock dock, stars so close you believe you can reach out and touch them, the Milky Way, hauntingly a shadowy band of glimmering light against the night sky, a friend to share the majesty of this show and together following satellites and looking for that one which we will watch as it crosses the sky and then disappear. We then time it, knowing it takes about 90 minutes to circle our small earth and then, there it is again. Wow!

The things in my world, my house, land, and possessions, are so temporal.  None of them will be my companion on the final ship out of here.  Nothing I own can comfort my heart, fill me with peace, or rescue me in times of trouble.  So, what am I afraid of? Sometimes, challenges come to reveal the true treasures of our heart and help us understand what’s truly important.  God’s ability to prioritize is unique and revelatory. He sees both the intentions of our heart and the priorities.

The enemy had placed a stronghold over me, feeding me lies that kept me from doing the things I wanted to do; namely, share my faith without fear. I was deceived into believing that to be an effective witness, I needed a masterful, eloquent, memorized speech comprised of every answer a nonbeliever could ask. I felt deficient in scriptural knowledge and worried I might turn people away from Jesus should I engage in those conversations. The enemy told me I was unworthy to be an effective witness. What a liar!

When Jesus cried "Tetelestai" from the cross, the world was forever transformed. This single Greek word—stamped on paid receipts and announced in court when sentences were completed—was His declaration that our sin debt was finally settled.  Jesus’ shout from the cross offers the promise of forgiveness, suggesting that every wrong we have ever committed is nailed to that wood and cancelled. Yet, have you ever felt the weight of a mistake so burdensome that it seemed impossible to let go? Even with reassurance, it can be hard to completely trust in redemption, leaving us caught between doubt and hope.