Dianne Barker

Author: Dianne Barker

  • Prayer …a Constant Conversation with My Father

    Prayer is constant conversation. Paul gave this instruction. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). How are you doing with that? Do you keep a continual conversation going? Prayer is about relationship. This needy child comes to a loving, generous Father in total dependence. The sweeter our relationship, the more comfortable I feel climbing into his…

  • Learning to Pray with Confidence

    Pray with confidence. Some people know how to do it. I’ve listened in awe to prayers that lifted me into God’s presence. But I’ve never been a good public pray-er. I pray constantly. I just don’t pray eloquently. Public prayers should be eloquent, right? I struggle to keep my focus on the Lord due to…

  • Negative Thoughts Will Rob Your Joy

    Negative thoughts will rob your joy, your hope, your life. They’ve stolen a large part of mine. I have a confusing personality—a strange combination of extrovert and introvert. The part people see is outgoing, friendly, talkative. The hidden part is shy, withdrawn, insecure. Those who know me well may find this hard to believe but…

  • Fragrance that Lingers and Sweetens

    Fragrance is the word I think of when my friend Ellen comes to mind. We’d shared life and laughter over lunch. I dropped her off at home, and as I continued my afternoon errands I noticed her fragrance lingered. We’d spent enough time together that the fragrance of her perfume remained after she left my…

  • Surrender—My Best Decision Ever

    Surrender is the plan Jesus laid out for following him. Much of my walk with the Lord has been a struggle. At age seven I asked Christ to come into my life and be my Savior. But how could I be certain my eternity was secure? Over the next twenty years, I fought doubt and…

  • Suffering…Trust God No Matter What

    Suffering isn’t my favorite thing. It comes in different packages, and my family has had our share. Yours, too? Many of us understand all too well David’s cry: “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul….I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me” (Psalm 69:1-2). My translation:…

  • Forgiveness…an Exercise Good for Me

    Forgiveness. Wish we didn’t need to talk about that.            For the apostle Paul, maintaining relationships had priority. He said, “Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward man.” The word exercise interests me, since physical exercise is not on my favorites list. It’s something I make…

  • Worry–Is There a Better Way to Do Life?

    Worry is one thing I do well. I suspect you do, too.  There’s plenty to worry about in this life! I’m learning to conquer worry by casting every care on the Lord. That’s the second key to dispensing the sweet fragrance of Christ as we walk through this life. Last week we looked at the…

  • Dispensing the Sweet Fragrance of Christ

    Hyacinth—the sweet fragrance of spring—triggers a favorite memory. Growing up, my brother Charlie and I joined other neighborhood kids to wait for the school bus at a friend’s house across the road from where we lived. On spring mornings, the delightful fragrance of Mrs. Roller’s hyacinths filled the air. The fragrance takes me back to…