September 5, 2026 The beauty of this world simply astonishes me. But when I realize that the new heavens and the new earth will be a million times better I am simply speechless.

September 4, 2026 One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 139, because it talks about how God knit us in our mother's womb. It is such a great visual!

September 3, 2026 Many people have not thought much about it, but the water creatures were not subject to the flood of Noah, though clearly many died. But God was wiping out all "who had the breath of life" in them. Because the flood was water, many sea creatures were just fine. And Noah did not take any fish on the Ark that we know of!

September 2, 2026 I spend most of my day oblivious to the beauty around me simply because I am busy focusing on other things. But every once in a while I am stopped in my tracks by the beauty that God has given me. Then I pause and thank Him and enjoy what He is showing me. I think it's His way of letting me know that although my mind was somewhere else, His wasn't.

September 1, 2026 Here we are in September already. It is the perfect time to take a vacation (if you don't have kids in school) and relax before all the "seasons" begin. (Fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas). It can seem like a crazy time, so take a break now and catch your breath.

August 31, 2026 Just a picture of a beautiful refreshing waterfall today. We have been thirty days without rain and in the 100's of degrees. It's been hot. So this picture looks especially inviting!

August 30, 2026 I know I just mentioned God's supply a couple of days ago, but I wanted to say a little bit more. Do we trust Him? Do we trust Him even when He doesn't seem to hear us or come through for us as we expect? Do we believe He has our best in mind? If the answer is yes, then we must simply accept from His hand what He gives, or accept that He is not going to give. He has a reason that we simply can't know. He is God and we are not.

August 29, 2026 As a Christian, we are not shielded from sorrows. But at the same time we always have God, who understands more deeply than we can know. So even within the times of sorrow we have peace and joy.

August 28, 2026 Birds don't worry about their next meal. We should not either. Trust God. He promises to supply. It might not always look like what we expect. But He always supplies.

August 27, 2026 There is such beauty in the world. Everywhere we look we see beauty. God didn't have to make it that way and we would never have known. But He is generous.

August 26, 2026 Rage is something we are seeing more and more. People no longer know how to control their emotions. Rage occurs when people simply don't get their way and they think they should. But the truth is that life is not fair. We all often don't get our way. It is part of being an adult to control our emotions.

August 25, 2026 Jealousy is a terrible thief of joy and peace. If you find yourself becoming jealous of someone, ask yourself why, and then truly consider the situation. Is it worth losing your joy over? Is it worth possibly losing a friend over? It is best to examine those feelings and then find a way to let them go.

August 24, 2026 Do you know someone struggling with sadness or depression? Maybe it can help if they know that the situation they are currently in will not last. Everything changes, except God and His goodness.

August 23, 2026 The word "joy" conjures up images of people who are just giddy with happiness. But I think there is a deeper meaning. It is an inner peace and happiness even in the midst of outward storms. Life can be a chaotic mess (and sometimes it just is), but that doesn't have to translate to a chaotic life.

When we are abiding in Christ, no matter what is going on we can have the joy of the Lord.

August 22, 2026 It takes a strong will to be self-controlled. It is easy to have self control when everything is going well, but to have it in the midst of storms? Well, that's something we all admire. So let's strive to have it for ourselves.

August 21, 2026 Do you think you're a patient person? Some people are more naturally patient, but some of us have to work at it. But it is a fruit of the Spirit, so it's worth working towards.

August 20, 2026 The fruits of the Spirit should come naturally if we are abiding with Christ. If we are struggling to produce the fruits, then we need to check which tree we are currently grafted to. We are to abide in the vine that is Jesus. Only then will the fruit naturally be produced to bless others.

August 19, 2026 Do you find peace in prayer? Or do you find prayer difficult? It is just talking to God. He is a real person. Even though He doesn't speak back out loud, don't ever think that He is not speaking. He speaks to us through Scripture. So when you pray, have your Bible open. Read and memorize, and develop all of that into a peaceful, joyful habit.

August 18, 2026 What does this remind you of? If you are older like I am, It brings back memories of what seemed like a simpler time. It may not have been simpler, but it sure seems like it.

August 17, 2026 My church building is located in a little town. It's little but booming and there are so many projects that it makes my head spin. This little town won't be little for much longer!

August 16, 2026 I had a discussion with a Muslim a few days ago, and he simply can't wrap his head around the Trinity. He tells me that Allah is very simple, a singular God all alone in the heavens.

I have tried to explain to him that the God of the Bible is much more complex than that. A God I can wrap my head around is too small. But the God of the Bible is triune - three persons in one being. He is community in unity.

Think about this. How can a singular God, all alone in the cosmos, be love? Who is there to love unless He creates something to love? But the God of the Bible was love before He created anything - because He is community within Himself. He loves completely, apart from His creation. But this is how we know He can love His creation.

August 15, 2026 Memorizing Scripture is not hard, it just takes concentration and effort. But the more we hide God's word in our hearts the more the Holy Spirit can speak to us.

August 14, 2026 Do you have young children? How do you talk to them about God and Jesus? When my kids were young I just spoke as if it was natural to talk to and about God and Jesus all day long. And so it became natural for them as well.

August 13, 2026 The concept of salvation by grace alone is a difficult concept, becuase nothing is ever free. But in this case, someone else paid for it. Here is what I mean:

God is perfect and holy. No matter how hard we try, we can never be perfect and holy. So God Himself paid the price to cleanse us and make us perfect and holy, if we want it. Why would He do that? Because He loves us and He wants to share our lives with us.

August 12, 2026 Do you have someone you're praying for? Hang in there and keep praying for them. You never know what events will transpire in their lives that will cause them to begin to question. And that's when they are ready to pay attention to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

August 11, 2026 While not my favorite, there is one proverb that always stands out to me, and that is Proverbs 19:11, which says, "A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense. This is great advice, but very hard to follow. Our pride often gets in the way. But I keep it before me so that I am reminded that Jesus never let His pride get in the way of saving me.

August 10, 2026 My favorite verses seem to change depending on my mood, my situation and things the Lord speaks to me about. This week I am really loving Psalm 16, especially the part where it says He has shown to me the paths of life and in His presence is fullness of joy, at His right hand are pleasures forevermore.

August 9, 2026 Why are there so many different denominations of Christians? The answer is simple. Human frailty. We misunderstand Scripture, or we misinterpret Scripture, or we simply twist Scripture. Or, we have our own opinions about things such as style of worship, the color of the walls and so on. Because humans are frail and not all knowing, we tend to split into various denominations as we have read and interpreted Scripture.

Not all denominations are bad. Some splits come down to belief about the Holy Spirit, or about music,. Those things are not salvation issues, and they are not as important as splits over doctrine.

Now, some splits happen because a denomination has compromised the Word of God for its own reasons. When that happens, a new denomination might spring up. Hopefully, one that is resting on the pure doctrines of Scripture.

August 8, 2026 Maybe I'm crazy, but I find reading the Bible comforting as well as inspiring, educational, growth-promoting, and so on. Here is what I mean. I read my Bible to meet God. I am reading about all the things He did, is doing, and will do. I get to know Him better. I get to understand Him better. That can't happen if people don't open their Bibles.

August 7, 2026 Do you know of any helpful apps? I would love to hear about them. I really love the Bible Hub app, and also YouVersion. I also find Bing Translator handy. I know there are thousands of apps out there. Which ones do you use the most?

August 6, 2026 I listened to a fascinating podcast about the ancient Sumerian writings and the book of Enoch. Both confirm that there were once giants roaming the land. But apparently, at least in the case of the ancient Sumerian writing, the scientific community wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. So the data is pretty obscure. However, it is out there for anyone that wants to look.

August 5, 2026 Have you ever heard a message that was life-changing? I've heard many, but the one that stands out was given by John Maxwell. Excellent speaker, excellent message, and it changed how I thought about evangelism.

August 4, 2026 The tenet of faith involving entire sanctification is often misunderstood. It doesn't mean you are now so clean that you are perfect and you will never sin again. It means that you have chosen to try and be so close to the Lord that you simply don't want to sin anymore. Can you? Yes, you can. But you discover that you don't have to, and you don't want to.

August 3, 2026 Did I mention how much I love my church family?!

August 2, 2026 Proverbs 3:27 has had a big impact on my life as well. Every time my pride wants me to withhold something from someone, these words ring in my ear. Bravo conscience! You win.S

August 1, 2026 An author that has had a big impact on my Christian development is A.W. Tozer. Especially his book "The Knowledge of the Holy." I think every Christian should read this book at least once.

July 31, 2026 - It's beginning to come around to the time when people start looking for devotionals for the next year. I recommend Daniel, a verse by verse mini-commentary, devotional. Packed with information and insights.

July 30, 2026 - Do you struggle with doubt? I did for many years. I tended to hedge my bets because I wasn't sure that Christianity was real. But then I discovered apologetics!

It turns out that Christianity is actually true, whether one believes it or not. And the evidence for its truthfulness is overwhelming. It actually takes more faith to be an athesit!

July 29, 2026 - A friend of mine was going to be giving her testimony at church and she was really nervous. But I told her to just get up there and speak from her heart.

Most people don't realize it, but in any public speaking scenario, the audience, whether it's your congregation or something else, is actually rooting for you. They are not sitting out there hoping you'll mess up. Think about it. They have to sit through whatever you do. So they want it to be good. Therefore, they are rooting for you!

July 28, 2026 - People have a lot of opinions about Mary Magdelene from the Bible. First off, the text never says she was a prostitute. Second, she did not try to shove her way into Jesus' circle. She just simply couldn't stop following Him wherever He went. Her devotion is admirable. Third, history tells us that she was an apostle to the apostles (read Augustine through Rabanas Mauraa and Thomas Aquinas).

She was the first to see Jesus alive after the Resurrection simply because she was the first one there. And Jesus sent her to tell the others. He sent a woman to proclaim. Imagine that!

July 27, 2026 - I believe God wants to move and I am excitedly waiting to see how He's going to do it. I am sure it will involve us. I just never know exactly how it's going to happen. But I know that it will, and I can be a part of it if I am willing to follow Him completely.

July 26, 2026 - Every now and then I go and read the Church of the Nazarene's tenets of faith, just to ensure I am still in agreement and that I am lining up with them in my life. This one gives me comfort

July 25, 2026 - Today is my oldest daughter's birthday. I can't believe I have daughters in their forties and nearly adult grandchildren. Where did the time go?

As John likes to say, the closer you get to the end of the roll of toilet paper, the faster it goes. That is a perfect metaphor for life. As a child, the time seemed to drag. Now I can't catch up!

July 24, 2026 - A lesson I learned a long time ago that stays with me today is that if you finally want something badly enough, you will change to get it. But the want of the change has to be greater than the desire to remain comfortable where you're at.

July 23, 2026 - This is a touchy subject, but some people believe women can't be in any ministry where they are over men, teaching men, preaching to men, being in any kind of authority place over men. I don't agree with that.

I believe that a careful reading of the entire Bible, not just five particular verses, will show us that women were in authority more than once, and it was ordained by God. Deborah, Huldah, Phoebe (clearly a deacon), Priscilla (the teacher of Apollos), Junia (an apostle), and more. We must read all of Scripture, not just the parts we like.

July 22, 2026 - The Bible is filled with interesting facts and information. If you only read it once you miss out on so much, simply because the Bible is such a huge book. It's actually sixty-six books put together, and it keeps scholars busy for their entire lifetimes!

July 21, 2026 - Many people feel like they have a novel in them. It's the getting started that's hard. My recommendation is this: just start writing. Get your basic ideas down on paper, the flow, the action, the basic story line. Then go back and rewrite it until it's everything you imagined. As the old saying goes, the art of writing is in the rewriting. So True!

July 20, 2026 - If you, or someone you love, is in a relationship, then I pray that they base that relationship on God. In other words, let God be the Lord of the relationship. When both the mand and woman submit to what God wants, they will almost automatically have their partner's best interests in mind,because that is what God wants.

July 19, 2026 - Do you have a fond childhood memory? When it comes into your mind, what feelings do you feel? Isn't it amazing that even after decades, a single memory can bring us right back in time to that very moment.

Atheists will try to explain that we are nothing but animals. Yet animals don't experience memory the way we do. How do they explain that?

July 18, 2026 - Some people are born with natural talents. They spend their lives developing them so that they can become excellent. Others are not born with natural talent. But they want something badly enough to work hard at it until they also become excellent.

Is there something you want, or is there something you truly want to be? If it doesn't come naturally, then be willing to work at it until you are excellent!

July 17, 2026 - Today is a day of rest for me, as much as possible. I don't believe that we must take a Sabbath the way it was for ancient Israel where you couldn't do anything at all - no cooking your food, no lighting a fire in your house. You couln't go anywhere, and so on.

But taking a day every week to slow down and smell the roses. That is good for our health and well-being! Thank you, God, for inventing the day of rest!

July 16, 2026 - I want to give a shoutout to some of the people that volunteer their time and resources and energy to ministry here at Faith Fellowship. This week I am lifting up Carolyn Marshall, our Sunday School and Discipleship Director. She works full time and is raising her grandson, yet still finds time to give of her time for the kids and for the church board. Thank you, Carolyn!

July 15, 2026 - We all have things we want to do. But we all also have things we need to do. Sometimes I just want to ignore the things I need to do and do the things I want to do. But I know that this will come back to bite me later. So I just buckle down and get done the things that need to be done.

Having said that, though, we must find balance in our lives. It can't be all work and no play. Some needful things can wait while we rest and recharge by doing the things we want to do. God created the Sabbath for man, Jesus told us in Mark 2:27, not man for the Sabbath. So go have some fun sometimes!

July 14, 2026 - A book I highly recommend every Christian read at least once is A.W. Tozer's small book called "The Knowledge of The Holy." Fantastic book on the attributes of God. I keep a copy and reread it every now and then. It's one of those books that just keeps on giving.

July 13, 2026 - Keeping a journal was never something I did. It would try it for a few days, but slowly I drifted off from it. However, there was one time in my life when I really focused on growing in the Lord. I kept a journal faithfully for a couple of years until I felt I had made all of the things I did into such a deeply ingrained habit that now it comes naturally.

Do I have bad days? Of course. Do I have days when I don't live up to God's standard? Sure. But the bad days are much fewer than they were before. I made habits so that I would remain faithful without having to think about it. That gives me time to focus on learning more about God and getting closer to Him!

July 12, 2026 - In our jobs, we all want to be noticed, and appreciated, and even promoted. But it is too easy to try and maneuver and manipulate to try and get promoted, rather than rely on our skills and on God. We all probably know people that do this, the jockey for position and they schmooze and scheme to get a raise or promotion, often at the expense of others.

As Christians, we should do the very best job we can possibly do, work the hardest we can, as if we were working for Jesus Himself (which we are). And then trust Him for our rewards and appreciation and promotions. It's hard, but there is so much peace in just leaving it in God's hands!

July 11, 2026 - Andy Stanley gave some really good financial advice that has helped me a lot. I was never taught anything about money growing up, and ended up in a lot of debt. But Stanley said, "Before you buy something ask yourself how you're going to feel about it a year from now, or five years from now." That alone has guided me in many purchases.

July 10, 2026 - One of my grandchildren has a terrible time with biting her nails. She finally said that she wants to quit and she is willing to do what she has to, because she wants long beautiful nails. So we are trying mittens, hot sauce on her fingers, and a few other nasty tasting items. We will see how long she lasts.

Breaking habits is hard. It takes about 21 days of consistent behavior modification for a habit to be broken. But when we finally want it badly enough, it will happen. And we have God's help, too. Don't forget to ask for the strength to overcome!

July 9, 2026 - After living in our house for 26 years, we are finally updating the kitchen. It's been great, and terrible, as it has caused me to have to start organizing things a little more. I used to try and organize one thing per day, and that worked great. But when I got busy I started missing days, and then weeks, and now it's been months and years.

I never want my spiritual life to be like that! I stay on top of things, because I never want my relationship with God to get all disorganized and eventually require a complete overhaul!

July 8, 2026 - Are you seeking God about something? Go to prayer and tell Him what you are looking for, and then ask Him for it, if it is His will. If you wait quietly before Him, clearing your mind and focusing on listening, God will speak into your spirit. It might happen in moments, or in hours, or days, or weeks. But God promises to hear and answer - if we seek we will find.

July 7, 2026 - How do you stay motivated? When the going gets tough, most people call it quits. But as Christians we need to stay in the fight as it were. So how do we stay motivated?

I think of Hebrews 12:1-2 that lets us know that Jesus stayed motivated because of the joy set before Him: us. Hard to believe we are His joy, but we are! Is Jesus your joy? Fixing your eyes on Him and simply not looking around at the circumstances is the best way to stay motivated.

July 6, 2026 - I tried a new recipe for diner last night. It tasted good, but it did not look anything like the picture! What can I learn from this? Two things, really. First, It turns out I'm not the world's greatest cook. That's okay. But second, spiritually, like physically, things don't always turn out as we hope or expect. But they ALWAYS turn out as God knows they will. And they will still "taste good" spiritually speaking, if we have done it out of love for God, for others, and to obey His will. So bon appétit!

July 5, 2026 - Someone got creative and decided to celebrate July 5th! That poor day doesn't get any respect!

In the Lord, however, everyday is special because Jesus is in it! I love you, Lord!

July 4, 2026 - America turns 250 years old today. Wow! It's an accomplishment. The question is, where do we go from here? We have had several radical groups trying to transform America from within, and that has not been good. But I pray that people, especially Christians, are waking up and going to prayer for our nation. God bless America!

July 3, 2026 - It is sweltering all over the country today! We can definitely tell that summer has arrived. Already the grass is turning brown.

Without Jesus we are like summertime in a drought. We begin to wither away from lack of moisture and nutrients. Jesus is like rain in the middle of a drought. Praise the Lord!

July 2, 2026 - For the first time in 26 years we are remodeling our kitchen. It is a small kitchen but it is in great need of tender loving care. (This picture is not my kitchen. It's just an example of a kitchen.)

It reminds me of me. If I let something go too long it starts to fall apart. Not just physically, either. If I neglect my spiritual life, pretty soon I won't have one. It is important to "remodel" our lives every now and then to stay in tune with what God is doing.