Dianne Barker

Category: General

  • Praise and Trust Are Conjoined Twins

    Praise the Lord! How often do we say those words? Usually they spill from a heart overflowing with gratitude because God has shown himself strong for us. He’s done something amazing. Something we begged him to do. And he answered with an overwhelming yes! Of course we respond with praise. In other circumstances, not so…

  • The Princess and the Pea…a Life Illustration

    “The Princess and the Pea” is one of my favorite children’s stories. Do you remember the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale? A prince wants to marry a princess—but she must be a real princess. After traveling the world without finding a real princess, he returns to his palace home. One stormy night a stranger knocks…

  • Sweat the Small Stuff…Really!

    Sweat the small stuff. I know. We’ve been told, don’t sweat the small stuff. That may be the reason we’re in this mess today. We’ve been led to believe we should take care of the big stuff and not waste time on the small stuff. That’s a terrible strategy for the Christian life. The small…

  • Plan B Is Never My First Choice

    Plan B is never my first choice. Don’t most of us prefer Plan A? That is always the preferred route. The best course of action. The expected path to fulfillment. Surely no one starts with Plan B. Plan B is the alternate route. The way we must go when Plan A fails. The road life…

  • Have You Been to the Spacious Place?

    A spacious place. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I love the sound of it. What pictures come to mind when you hear the word spacious? I’m thinking of a wide place. Abundance. Sunshine. Joy. A place where we enjoy God’s favor. When the Lord first appeared to Moses in that flaming bush,…

  • What Can I Do to Impress Jesus?

    Have you ever tried to impress Jesus? Maybe you’ve thought…He will really be pleased if I do this…He will really love me if I stop doing that. I’ve fallen into that trap—seeking approval based on my performance. That’s been a tendency in human relationships as well. If we want to impress people, we need to…

  • Forward…a Good Word for a New Year

    Forward is one of my favorite words. On September 7, 2019, a television sports commentator said this about the University of Tennessee’s quarterback Jarrett Guarantino during the Brigham Young University game. “He’s over-analytical and he dwells on the previous play. He cannot allow himself to get into that funk. He’s gotta move forward and worry…

  • Let Us Fall before Christ in Adoration

    “O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem Come and behold Him Born the King of Angels O come, let us adore Him O come, let us adore Him O come, let us adore Him Christ the Lord!” These words from one of my favorite Christmas hymns…

  • Don’t Let Worry Tug the Merry out of Your Christmas

    Don’t let worry tug the merry out of your Christmas. The lyrics of Christmas songs leap from television and radio right into our hearts, inspiring us to sing along. Everywhere we go, “Merry Christmas” greetings bring a smile. Holiday wishes arrive daily in the mail. Yes, indeed, we’ll have ourselves a merry Christmas! Won’t we?…

  • The Altar of Surrender…Only Safe Place for Precious Things

    The altar is the only safe place for precious things…it’s the surrender place. I learned that while struggling to find a place to hide a few precious things. I wasn’t sure I could trust God with them. Don’t let my comment shock you. Haven’t you felt the same way? Those precious things—precious ones—in your life…if…