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God Is Able, Isn’t He? Make up Your Mind!
Able. The word means capable, competent, proficient, skilled (thank you, Thesaurus). That’s what a child is saying when he insists, “Do it myself!” He thinks he is able. Unable, of course, means I can’t do it myself. When circumstances bring us to the end of ourselves and smack us in the face with our inability,…
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Tug of War Depicts Our Christian Life
Tug of war…remember that sport you played as a child? Two teams line up and grab opposite ends of a rope. Then each team tries to pull the other down. Do you sometimes feel that represents the Christian life? We grab the rope and take our stand confidently, knowing the Lord in all his strength…
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Forgive Yourself–Go Forward in Joy
Forgive yourself? Just can’t do it? We’ve talked about regret and learned from David, the king of Israel, who had a colossal failure. He slept with another man’s wife, got her pregnant, and tried to cover his sin by arranging for her husband to be killed in battle so she could become his wife. How…
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Regret…What Are You Doing with Yours?
Regret will eat your life, if you let it. After a couple of significant falls, I’ve made a note in my journal for January 11: stay in bed. On that date in 1998, my foot slipped in the church parking lot. I landed on the hard asphalt and broke my right wrist. Five weeks in…
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Benefits of Staying Nestled under God’s Wings
Welcome my friend, Karen “Girl” Friday. Her thoughts on staying nestled under God’s wings will encourage you to find your place there–under His wings. By Karen Friday She flew away when the front door opened. Inside the flowers of my spring wreath, I found the beginnings of her nest. I realized our constant door activity…
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Joy, Faith Confront Stalkers Weariness, Discouragement
Joy. Got any? The Lord and I were having a conversation about the future. He noticed I felt a bit disheartened. (He’s good at that—knowing the thoughts of my heart.) A while back, I’d asked, “What’s next?” He’d laid out an action plan, specific steps that would lead to a desired place. “I don’t understand,”…
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Low Self-esteem–a Condition with a Solution
Low self-esteem is a condition that has a solution. Last week I said low self-esteem is the result of thoughts, temperament, and treatment. And I suggested memorizing these truths: I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am here on purpose. I won’t compare my weakness with someone else’s strength. I do some things well. I…
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Low Self-esteem Is a Humanity Thing
Low self-esteem is a humanity thing. I believe most people struggle with this—some of us more than others. Low self-esteem results from thoughts, temperament, and treatment. I’ve discussed the importance of taking control of our thoughts, but what can we do about temperament? We’re born with personality traits that continue developing as we grow. During…
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Self-esteem Is a Fragile Thing
Self-esteem is a fragile thing. Let’s talk about it. What is esteem? I consulted two friends (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary and my computer Thesaurus) for synonyms, intending to discuss my struggle with low self-esteem, explain how I overcame it, and give a how-to package with a pretty bow on top. But my victory in…
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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…