Dianne Barker

Category: General

  • Have You Ever Lost Hope?

    Lord, I have lost all hope! My desperate prayer had barely formed in my thoughts when a quiet voice in my heart interrupted a gush of tears. You have not lost hope. I am your hope. You have not lost me. Our God hears! And he cares. His assurance brought change—not in the circumstances but…

  • It’s Time to Hunt My Gratitude Repair Kit

    My ’tude has a leak—not the inner-tube on a car tire…my gratitude. I’m an optimistic person—a big dreamer whose great expectations sometimes leave my husband scratching his head. Also I’m big on saying “thank you” for the smallest gesture of kindness. A slow leak But lately I’ve noticed a slow leak in the ’tude. A…

  • Encouragement from My Own Random Ramblings

    Encouragement often comes from unexpected places—even my own random ramblings! Skimming old journal notes, I found my faith bolstered and my Christ-perspective strengthened. Lord, my life is in your hands. King David got it right. “In thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength…

  • Who’s CEO of Your Life?

    Once there was a woman who owned her own business, but the responsibility of running it proved quite an undertaking. “This is too much for me,” she said. “I need someone to run the business.” Finding a capable person, she made him president. “I have full confidence in your ability,” she said. “I’m leaving everything…

  • A Weariness List…the Pros and Cons

    Have you ever made a weariness list? I did that once. Feeling overwhelmed, I decided to list all my circumstances to identify the cause of my weariness. You know what weariness is. Exhaustion. Disillusionment. These culprits immobilize us. We want to sit down and stay there—if only we could. But commitments and challenges keep us…

  • Rejoice and Give Thanks by Determination of the Will

    “Rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks…” That’s a hard one, isn’t it? I can quote 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 as well as anyone. But putting those words into practice…well, sometimes that’s really hard. Actually, I can easily do the “pray without ceasing” part. I’ve got that locked in. Life challenges keep me in…

  • God Has a Program for Carefree Living

    God has a program for carefree living. I discovered it unexpectedly while writing the book A Journey of Victory about my lifelong friend, Evangelist Walter St. Clair. Since we lived many miles apart, I spent hours on the phone with him gathering details for the book. “Brother Walter” ended most of our conversations with a…

  • A Lion Is at the Door! Do Not Let Him in!

    There’s a lion at the door! Bolt it and pull the sofa in front of it. That vicious animal must not get inside. If only it were that easy to keep the lion away. Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may…

  • The Dwelling Place of God…What Do You Know?

    What do you know about the dwelling place of God? Wouldn’t it be sweet if we could find a place to live in joy and calm, a residence where we could truly rest, gathering around us the ones we love, and live free from worry and fear? There is! It’s the secret place of the…

  • Look for Treasure in Your Sacks

    Treasure in your sacks! Have you found it? Have you discovered blessing in an unexpected place? Let’s review a well-known story. I hope you’ll take time to read it in Genesis 37 -50. Joseph, a favored son of Jacob, annoyed his ten older brothers—because his father loved him more and because he related his dreams…