Dwelling in His presence, there is strength for today and hope for tomorrow. While resting in Him, I couldn’t help but notice the glorious creation He had painted here in the desert. Equipped with only my meager, inexpensive cell phone camera, I snapped away at His majesty as I looked up. AUTUMN IN ARIZONA “You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm … Continue reading →
A few clicks of the phone keys as I walk across the cement pathways connecting classrooms on our elementary campus can ignite a charge of unnecessary emotions. The message so urgent to relay, I can’t wait until the last bell rings and the kiddos wild with elation dash for their buses. I press send, flip the phone closed, slip its slender case into my pants pocket, and walk into the classroom. Now, I just need a reply, a vibration … Continue reading →
“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” Proverbs 29:11 NIV Like a tree tossed ferociously in a storm is a person consumed by anger. The feelings and thoughts whip one around with hurricane force. The person does not know which way she is bending but words spewed from the mouth in anger are carried on the vicious wind, never to return. So much damage can be done … Continue reading →
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear me.” Psalm 103:11 NIV Staring into the vastness of the celestial blue space above draws me into wonder at the greatness of our God. A God who compares His love to the never ending blue expanse that stretches beyond our sight. Beyond space shuttle journeys. Beyond the stars and planets that dangle suspended as buoyant jewels in … Continue reading →
Hidden off the main route was a pristine lake ringed by pine-forested hills. Majestic bald eagles swooped overhead as we stood mouths agape with wonder. Their giant wing span, strong grasping talons, and tenacity on display before us. Watching them pierced my heart with an ache reminding me of mother eagles pushing their young out of the nest. It had only been a few months since I experienced my youngest fledgling jumping out of the nest. This mother … Continue reading →
“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” Luke 17:6 NIV The pine cones on these trees are almost miniature, but the seed they carry will produce life as they fall to the ground. We I need to have that small seed of faith. That trusting of the Lord and His Word will make me … Continue reading →
So many days were filled with fear, anxiety, and doubt. Depression wrapped me in its smothering cloak. The darkness weighed heavy with each breath. How would I ever escape the entrapment? Would I ever find joy again? “When you hurt, go to your secret closet and weep out all your despair!” wrote David Wilkerson in a letter for his organization’s newsletter. But I had cried from the depths of my being and I only got weaker and … Continue reading →
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV Contemplating the new school year that begins today. Relying on the power from God to be all that my two students need and God has purposed for me to be to them. With the start of the new school year, I have decided that the wisest choice for me … Continue reading →
Mugginess that engulfed most of the country was breathing hard through my senses that day. With every step, it threatened to rain gloom on my outlook for the day. A promise of joy and laughter, sharing and playing was on the horizon but it was disappearing behind the clouds. The stifling air seemed determined to choke off my delight. Then the doorbell rang and in a moment the ray of sunshine and joy standing on our … Continue reading →
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1 NIV My favorite season has arrived in the desert. Monsoon. The clouds roll in dark and ominous.Thunder bowls across the heavens. Lightning zig zags through the clouds like celestial fireworks. Then clouds gush forth their moisture to refresh the patches of drought-ridden soil. In less than an hour, the sky rolls up her show and moves across the vast blue … Continue reading →
