How do you respond when things don’t go the way you thought they were going to go? I heard a speaker ask this question several years ago, and every so often it will find its way back into my thoughts.

One of the greatest lessons we can learn from Jesus is in John 15:13 when He said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” As followers of Jesus, we are asked to lay down our lives — not only for Him but for others because this is the mark of love. As I have grown in my career, marriage, and now motherhood, I have seen the true beauty and fulfillment of laying down our life to serve another. 

We are so often quick to evaluate people or circumstances by external appearances that we miss the real heart of the matter. I believe this is what Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians 5:16 when he says, “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!”

"…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"(NIV, Hebrews 12:2). 

I grew up with an undeveloped faith.  I loved God, but was clueless concerning the Word. As a matter of fact, I found the Word dull and boring so it put me to sleep when I attempted to read it.  When I met with Jahan Berns several years ago, it became clear I needed the Word, but there was no activation.  So, I had to pray for it.  I told God the truth of what I felt, which of course He already knew and I shared with Him my desire to love and study His Word.I realized it was up to me to feed and water the seed He had planted in the vault of my being. I treasured it, I depended upon it, and I experienced it as my source of life. 

This is the Great Commandment, in which Jesus calls us to love Him wholeheartedly with all of our lives. He says this because this is how He has loved us. He spared nothing in His love for us, and He calls His people to do the same. He doesn’t want to be confined to the “spiritual” box in our lives, only meant to be uncovered when we do our daily devotional or when we attend church. God, in His fiery love, has much more for us than that. He wants to give us a new life, one that deeply satisfies, one that is exciting, and one where we truly experience Him in our everyday lives. 

There is something deeply uncomfortable about trust, especially when clarity is absent. We prefer explanations, timelines, and guarantees. Yet Solomon invites us into a different posture: full-hearted trust, not partial confidence mixed with self-reliance.

One of the toughest life lessons from the book of Jeremiah to learn is that there are consequences for actions. What we do or what others do,good or bad,will have an effect on us. Like a pebble dropped on the smooth surface of a pool, the consequences of our actions move outward like waves from the impact touching everything in their path.

Before I was born, my father was working in a factory creating bombs for WW2. He was 27, tall and handsome, with a head full of dark wavy hair. It’s easy to see why my mother fell for him. They had two little boys, Larry, six and Richard, just one year old. During his time at the factory, he was exposed to extremely toxic materials and prided himself on being one of the men who could stay the longest in contaminant filled areas without seeing repercussions.

Gentleness is often misunderstood in our culture, especially by leaders. Many equate it with weakness or passivity, but biblically, gentleness means power under restraint—strength that’s submitted to the control of the Holy Spirit. It is self-controlled strength expressed through humility, kindness, and grace toward others.

This verse has always stood out to me. The prophet Samuel is speaking the word of the Lord to King Saul, informing him that God has decided to remove him as king and has chosen someone else. Examine what God says about the person He intends to choose. God will use this to touch our hearts if we allow Him.

Do you make light of your sin?

The Holy Spirit has revealed to me how culture is numbing believers to the weight of sin. I see this all over social media, where even Christian influencers and accounts are posting “relatable” memes, which, at the root, endorse our sinful nature.

Some of the most important and useful insights in Scripture are found in this chapter and until now, I have missed them. God has given each one of us a stewardship that we must answer for one day. In verse 2 Paul writes, "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." That is, we must exercise great care to get the most out of what God has committed to us.

Do you want to know God’s marching orders for you and me in 2026? 1 Peter 1:16 and Hebrews 12:14. These passages are like mighty waves splashing into our faces, rousing us from our beguiled stupor, making us realize that our certificates of salvation are merely ground zero; and that there is a lot more to God than we have experienced or even been willing to embrace thus far.

As a small boy being raised on our farm at the foot of Gordon Mountain, Christmas was a very special time.

Each year, our family, in our valley, looked forward to it. Finding the right Christmas tree in the woods behind our farm was the mission. I spent much time through the year in the forest area, building forts. I was always on the lookout for that evergreen, that Dad, my brother and I would go and cut down for our small living room.

“You crazy people! Did someone put a spell on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it’s obvious that you no longer have clear focus in your lives!” Can you imagine receiving a letter from one of your dear friends that started off with them calling you crazy and under a spell? That’s exactly what the Apostle Paul wrote to his Galatian friends in Galatians 3:1 (The Message Bible). If you think the Message Bible is too harsh, check out the New King James version:  “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

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.