Turning Pain into Praise

Not all of my days go the way I planned them.  Some fall short of my expectations.  Sometimes pain interrupts my plans.  Sometimes it is because of something I did or did not do; sometimes it is because of something someone else did or did not do.  Sometimes my long term projects fall short of completion.  Sometimes my goals, my hopes, my desires get lost in the shuffle of today and all that it offers.  This verse speaks to me for those days: Though the cherry trees don’t blossom and the strawberries don’t ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten  and the wheat … Continue reading Turning Pain into Praise

Trust in God’s Unchanging Word

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8 My yard, which starts out so green and beautiful in the spring fades to yellow and becomes not so beautiful in the summer. God created the seasons and the seasons change. As they change, they also change the appearance of the natural environment around us. This change is predictable. Unfortunately, not all changes are predictable. The doctor’s report that rocks our world and leads to more questions than answers is definitely unpredictable.  We know when to expect the seasons to change – when fall … Continue reading Trust in God’s Unchanging Word

Renew Your Mind

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.  3 John 1:2 Years ago, I had to revisit algebra in an attempt to help our son with his school work.  One thing I learned is that equations need to be balanced.  For example 2 +5 = 10-3 is a balanced equation.  You probably remember from school that what you do to one side of that equation, you have to do to the other side to keep it balanced. An equation can be unbalanced otherwise. When I looked at this … Continue reading Renew Your Mind

Secondary Barrenness

  Our first attempt at having a child ended in miscarriage.   This was 1995.  It was a devastating loss and as I lay on the sofa one day healing, the Holy Spirit said, “Get up and go to ORU.”  We lived in Tulsa at the time just about a mile from Oral Roberts University and so I got up and made the drive. Once there, having no further instructions, I went to the gift store.  There was no one there.  I walked around looking at the items for sale and wondered what my next move was to be.  Shortly, a … Continue reading Secondary Barrenness

God’s Economy

Years ago, when I lived in Montana, I had a wonderful gelding named Apache. The whole family loved that horse. Anyone could ride him; he was totally trustworthy. I especially liked taking him out on short jaunts in the woods. Fearless, smart and oh, how he loved to run, but there was one thing he would not do. He would not jump over anything. No, not ever, which most of the time was fine. But sometimes, in the woods, when a tree had fallen across the trail our ride would have been much nicer if he would have just jumped … Continue reading God’s Economy

Genetics

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being …. Hebrews 1:3 My daughter is trying to pin her bad memory on me. Says its genetics. She offered eye-witness accounts to support her case, but I can’t remember what they are. Genetics are funny things. I have four children, three with the same genetic pool and yet the differences between them are incredibly noticeable. This leaves me scratching my head about this genetic thing. There had to be more to that duplication than just genes. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the exact representation of God. … Continue reading Genetics

Ask, Believe, Receive

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it,and it will be yours. Mark 11:24 If I had a dollar for every time I read this verse or heard teaching on it, I could take every one of you who reads this to Starbuck’s for a coffee! Don’t head out just yet … I said IF! But the other day, I got it. Call it revelation or an AH HA! moment, but I realized how my thinking had been wrong in this area. Oh, I believe that I am healed; that it is a done deal. … Continue reading Ask, Believe, Receive

If Only God Would

Moses responded, “Then show me Your glorious presence.” Exodus 33:18 Moses had been given the unenviable task of leading God’s people to the Promised Land. God assured Moses that he would not be going alone, God would be with him and would look favorably upon him. But Moses wanted more. Maybe he was thinking something like, “Maybe I could do this if God would only __________.” Moses filled in that blank with “show me Your glorious presence.” When called to go through something difficult or stretching, what would you fill in that blank with? Heal me, make my path straight, make my … Continue reading If Only God Would

The Baby with the Bathwater

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Matthew 24:35 I believe in divine healing even though I still have pain in my body. I first learned about divine healing experientially. Members of my family were healed because someone prayed.  But experience isn’t the same as biblical doctrine. While living in Tulsa, I encountered the Word of Faith teachings of Kenneth Hagin, Bob Yandian, Billy Joe Daugherty, Richard Roberts and more. It was new to me; I had never in all my years of attending church, heard this message of healing. Since I needed healing, I … Continue reading The Baby with the Bathwater

God’s Unlimited Supply

And this same God who takes of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19 God, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, never stops giving.  He is aware of our needs even before we are.  What are your needs today?  Not your wants, your needs?  I tend to think that all I need is healing for my body and if I were healed everything would be just fine, but only God knows my greatest point of need.  Only God can fully address that … Continue reading God’s Unlimited Supply