Soul Sister 3:16

Stevie Nicks once sang the words, "Turn Around Bright Eyes, Every Now and Then I Fall Apart..." And I think falling apart is part of the human condition...a surety that every one of us (those who don't believe in God, and Christians alike) will make mistakes and do things that cause us guilt, shame and anguish. But those first two words, "turn around," are the ones that can save us... The Greek word for repent -  ἐπιστρέφω [epistrephō] literally m eans "turn around". Now remember the day Judas finally decided to turn Jesus over to those who wanted to kill him? Jesus knew it would happened and warned, "The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.  But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!  It would be better for him if he had not been born." - Matthew 26:24 Then later while Jesus and his disciples were in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas came with "a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and...

This week I was with my mom for her MOHS surgery to remove some skin cancer. She had noticed a tiny little spot where, whenever she washed her face, it would bleed.  She wrote it off as being something that was happening because of the new blood thinners she was on - but when week after week that same little spot bled - she finally decided to have it checked out. When we went in, they took a fine point sharpie and drew a small circle around the spot.  The circle was no bigger than a piece of himalayan sea salt.  However, when the doctor came to cut the cancer out - he cut a much bigger piece, and after examining it under the microscope, he had to make the cut even wider and deeper because apparently, the cancer had grown "tentacles"... I thought about that spot, and how it reminds me of sin. I think very few people are "born bad".  Instead, I believe lives that are ruined by sin are ruined, bit by bit, choice by choice. Did you ever see any of the show "Breakin...

2024 is a leap year, meaning there are 366 days in the year as opposed to the usual 365.   And, since I started writing this blog, I have now posted 366 times. Crazy! I wrote when I was working on a mission trip in Nicaragua, and posting meant getting up at 5am.   I wrote when I had covid and was so sick I couldn't get out of bed. I wrote when I was up north with no wi-fi. And I wrote when my dad was sick, and then in hospice, and then died. Writing mattered.  Praising God mattered, and so I wrote EVERY... SINGLE... DAY. I wrote because I LOVE GOD and I wanted to share that love with anyone who might listen.  And so this blog has really been a labor of love, and a year-long love letter of gratitude to thank Him for reaching down to save me. Nine years ago, someone at work asked about my "The Fish Are Calling..." tile on my desk, I felt too embarrassed to tell them it was about Jesus. But God has been working on me, softening my heart while showing me His....

My dog Buddy is a 13 year old maltipoo. We got him when Max was about 7 because we thought it would help teach him about care and responsibility.   And while I'm not sure that actually happened (more often than not I was the one making sure the dog had food and water, or taking him out when he needed a walk), Buddy has been a wonderful addition to our household. For a dog, Buddy is small.  He weighs only about 15 pounds and for most of his life he has been a little white fluff-ball full of energy and vigor.  However, whenever one of us was sad, Buddy always seemed to know it.  At that point he'd snuggle up on the couch, or sit quietly as we held him and our tears wet his coat. When Chris and I divorced, Buddy traveled with Max between our two houses - providing some consistency in Max’s otherwise upside-down world.  I was grateful, and I am certain Max was grateful too. Today I read a meme that made me smile.  It said: "Do you know why God didn't allow...

There are times when I KNOW God is trying to tell me something, but I am struggling to figure out exactly what...Thursday was such an instance. When I was first married to Chris he said my name reminded me of the Bible character Susanna.  Now I was a bit familiar with the Bible and I told him I didn't remember the story. He told me the story was in the apocrypha (portions of the Catholic Bible that are not in the Protestant version). That morning, I was doing a little reading online and came across the story - however it was in Daniel, not Tobit.  I was surprised,  I was humbled.  I knew DANIEL was in my Bible and so I wondered why I hadn't heard the story many times before. The tale is about a beautiful God-fearing woman named Susanna who was married to a man named Joakim.  Joakim was very rich and had a large garden near his house.  Two older men who were judges within the community saw Susanna entering the garden every day and began to lust after he...

There is an old saying that goes something like this - "When life gives you lemons - make lemonade."   Cute - but a lot harder to DO than to SAY.   In reality, sometimes when life gives you lemons - you get an awfully sour taste in your mouth.  Sometimes it becomes hard to move past the bitterness... But the fact is LEMONS are out there - and each person will get them as they journey through life. Romans 5:3-4 says this, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope." And while I am definitely not at a point where I "glory in my suffering", I do recognize the wisdom of this verse.   It's sort of like another old saying I know - " what doesn't kill you makes you stronger... " Divorcing Chris was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.  Very few people supported me and my family thought I was crazy.  But those dark days a...

Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee was and English Victorian painter who was born in 1853 in London, England.   During his life, England was ruled by Queen Victoria and then King Edward VII.  Because of that, Dicksee was used to seeing the opulence and luxury that royalty often enjoyed.  In fact, when Edward visited the Near East and India in 1882 as a prince, he returned with large quantities of jewelled arms and armour.  As a king, Edward was well known as a lover of good food and wine, clothes, racing, gambling and ladies.  Perhaps he was the model for Dicksee's painting shown here.  In the painting, a king is seen returning home from a journey.  He sits atop his white horse which wears a mantle of gold coins.  His armor and crown are gold and bejewelled.   While flags wave about him, a woman throws petals from a balcony, while another tosses them to the street before his horse - and all eyes are upon His Majesty as he rides into t...

  A few years ago you couldn’t turn on the television without seeing a show about zombies.   There was “ The Walking Dead ,” Z Nation ,” “ The Last of Us ” and a slew of others, all featuring a zombified populous, wandering around in search of their next meal. When I Googled "characteristics of a zombie" there were descriptors like:  Mindless, Aggressive, Anxious, Restless, No Sense of Right and Wrong, Bent on Destruction,  Keeps You Awake at Night,  Can Turn Others into a Zombie, ... And quite frankly, as I look around these days, I see a lot of Zombies.  People who do not know God, who are concerned only with the things of the "flesh" - the things of this world.   They are dead men walking - and I am alarmed at how this "Zombie" population appears to be growing. My pastor is a cool dude.  He recognized the same thing I'm seeing, and a few years ago he did a sermon series that gave "tips" in case of a "Zombie Apocalypse."   I want ...

When I was a kid, I had a favorite restaurant.  It was called "Holly's Bistro", and I liked it for a couple of reasons: 1.  They were the first restaurant to have a salad bar.  It was magnificent, and their pewter plates were cold, while the bacon dressing was warm and delicious. 2.  They always had live music (some guy with a guitar), typically playing songs like "Sundown" and "Time in a Bottle". This morning I was thinking about the lyrics from Time in a Bottle, "If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing that I'd like to do, is save every day til eternity passes away just to spend them with you..." and two things came to mind. First, last night Jim and I were watching some TV show where contestants were traveling the globe.  While watching we added a few more places to our "already crowded" bucket list with places like Spain, and Malta, China, Egypt, Paris, Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland... Then all of a sudden I re...

It is interesting to me that the people we love the most - are the ones who see the worst of us. So often, and especially with social media, we show the world a very polished-up, glamorized edition of ourselves.   The people we do not know, whose lives and hearts are not tied to ours, get our kindness and warmth, our charity and mercy; while our families and friends get us when we're mad, when our words are destructive, and when fear or anger causes us to swear, and yell, and be very un-godly. The people we love are often the only ones who get to see our "true selves" (including all of the unvarnished bits).  They are the ones who see us at our most vulnerable, and they are the ones who experience how we deal with those moments. Think about that. I am quite sure that the "me" Jim sees, is often not one I'd take out in public.  She can be mean and spiteful, critical and demeaning. She is often impatient, and sarcastic, suspicious and unkind.  And yet, SHE is ...

Have you ever heard the saying “ Karma is a bitch ?” Well, although the word KARMA has its origins in Hinduism and Buddhism, to me it has always sounded like a “new-age” version of how the universe works.   The Oxford language dictionary defines Karma as: the force produced by a person’s actions in one life that influences what happens to them in future lives.   And while the concept of past and future lives, where we are  reincarnated into different beings here on Earth, certainly isn’t  Biblical, something I read yesterday got my attention. “The day of the Lord is near for all nations.  As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” - Obadiah 1:15 And then there was this verse from Galatians 6:7-8:  “A man reaps what he sows.  Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Friends, this tells me that how we liv...

I  am not generally patient.  And certainly not when it comes to waiting on the Lord… I want what I want when I want it - which most often is NOW.   But throughout this past year as I’ve been writing this devotional, I think God has been trying to teach me patience, and to teach me to rely on Him.   To teach me that HE not ME is my provider, and HE not ME is the one in control. So often I have gone to bed not having anything to share with you in the morning. And so often that has caused me stress and angst.   Because in my pride I felt I needed to have something to share and that if you woke up in the morning and there was nothing posted I would be failing.  My thoughts and concerns were for me… But Every. Single. Time. God made a way.  In every instance He gave me the inspiration I needed, and provided a topic.  I just needed to learn things: PATIENCE HE CAN HE WILL “The end of a matter is better than its beginning and patience is better than p...

This past week at Bible Study a familiar question was posed..." If someone asked you why you follow Jesus, what would you say? " It's the same question I've heard from friends and relatives and quite honestly, I'm not very good at answering it.  Further - I think as Christians WE SHOULD be able to answer that simple question - WHY WE BELIEVE.  And we should think about it in advance so we have an answer when someone DOES ask. Here is what I know... In my former life (and I call it that because I really DO feel reborn), I was lost.  I KNEW I wanted MORE in my life, but I didn't know how to get it, or even what that MORE was. I worked hard at my job so I could have MORE money - but that didn't do it. I hosted lots of parties and events so I might have MORE friends - but that didn't do it either. I had an affair in hopes of finding more LOVE, but that only caused more guilt and shame.  I drank bottles and bottles of wine, in hopes of feeling MORE relaxed....

Just yesterday I heard another amazing statistic about this year's Super Bowl. In an article published by CBS News,  2024 was predicted to be a record breaking year in terms of the amount of money spent on betting, with an estimated $23.1B changing hands. Can that number even be right?!?! If it is, it means a lot of people were trying to "get rich" in this lifetime by placing bets on either the Chiefs or the 49ers.  I think that many are trying to fill a "hole" they feel in their lives with cash, and the things cash can buy - b ut I wonder how many of those same people have "placed their bet on Jesus". Jim told me about the famous mathematician and scientist, Blaise Paschal, who, when asked about his reasons for being a Christian, said this: "The wise decision is to wager that God exists, since if you win, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing." To Paschal, believing in Jesus seemed like a pretty "good bet." And here is the th...

Did you know that from the time we are born until the time that we die our ears and nose continue to grow? Pretty weird thing - and one I thought about last night as I went to sleep listening to the Abide app.  The night time meditation was " Our Faithful God ," and as the narrator was reciting each Bible verse, talking about the promises of God and how they are trustworthy and true, I thought, "I KNOW THIS ONE!" Verses like:  "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.  Great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23 "Fear not, for I am with you.  Be not dismayed for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and protect you.  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10 "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.  For I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your soul.  Fo...

It is interesting to me that these two days - Valentine's Day and the beginning of Lent, should both be today.   For in my  mind,  Valentine's Day is all about cards and flowers, chocolate and little conversation hearts - and Lent is all about giving up things to prepare our hearts and minds for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. But at their core - aren't the two days really just about LOVE and SACRIFICE ?  And didn't Jesus teach us that those two words SHOULD and DO go "hand in hand"? Whether our sacrifice is of ourselves - "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship." - Romans 12:1 Or, of the things we own -  "Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to." - Deuteronomy 15:10 ...

An article I read yesterday said that Americans spent over $17.3B on Super Bowl game day preparations this past weekend… That’s a lot of money! And as I heard that figure I wondered what would have happened if, instead of throwing parties with football shaped plates, chicken wings, betting squares, and nachos, that money had been given to feed the hungry, or to house the homeless. After all, the entire operating budget for the International Red Cross Fund last year was $2.4B…. Another article pointed out some of the celebrities that were there.  “High value” persona included Elon Musk, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Jay Z, and the Kardashians - whose combined net worth is over $209B… more than the GNP of a whole lot of countries! Sure, I love the game and I look forward each year to watching it…but I’ve also worked in Haiti and Nicaragua and seen entire COMMUNITIES of people living without water, food, or proper shelter. All that to say, “Americans are blessed.” I only hope that as we enjo...

What were you doing last night?   If you’re like 100 million other people, you were probably watching the Super Bowl. That’s 100 million people who saw not one but two “ Jesus Gets Us ” commercials.  100 million people who saw Mark Wahlberg and Jason Roumie advertise the prayer app “ Hallow ”.  And 100 million people who listened as Usher reminded them, within  the  first 90 seconds of his halftime performance, that  only God answers prayers … But those same 100 million people also saw  a commercial by Temu which encouraged them to “shop like a billionaire” at their website and promised “all your wishes will come true.”  Another ad focused on outward beauty, and ended with the tagline “ In E.L.F . We Trust .”   And finally there was a quick add for a show called “ So Help Me Todd.” Catchy, right? You see, just like He did over and over again in the Bible, God is allowing us to choose the path we will take, and He is making the options very c...

My eyes opened and I wondered, "What time is it?" 2:51am.  Shoot - not time to get up yet. "Well, God," I thought, "I can at least say a little prayer..." and at that moment, these Bible verses came into my mind. "Study this Book of Instruction continually.  Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.  Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." - Joshua 1:8 "'This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,' declares the Lord.  'I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.'" - Jeremiah 31:33 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 The fact that I knew these verses, when 10 years ago I did not - made me happy.   The knowledge that God heard, wanted, and re...

Yesterday I spent the morning at the car dealership waiting to have a part replaced and my brakes checked.  While hanging out in the service lobby, I watched a few episodes of Young Sheldon , but then I turned my attention to people watching.   What struck me most was an older woman who sat reading a magazine.  She was very thin, and her long hair which cascaded down her shoulders was dyed brown.  Her bright pink lipstick was smudged across her lips, and smeared across her cheeks.  Her mascara had somehow left marks under her right eye.  On her feet she wore black suede slippers topped with enormously large fur pom-pons.  My initial reaction was an inward chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all… but then the text on the back side of the magazine she was holding caught my eye...“Nature’s Most Beautiful Gift,” and I realized THAT is how God sees her. This woman is someone’s mother, she is someone’s sister, and she is HIS daughter….  A beautiful...

Seriously? Tell me you didn't click the link today thinking that I had some clue...I don't.  I only know that such a place exists. How?  You ask... Well, Jesus said this to his disciples before he was arrested and taken to be crucified: "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." - John 14:1-3 I know that it will be beautiful. "The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.  The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoi...

How does God talk to you? With me - even though I'm not a math girl, it is often through numbers. This morning - as with most mornings, my day began when the two dogs who sleep in our bedroom started their mornings with a vigorous shake. Today, that happened at 6:47.   When I heard it, I opened my eyes and thought, "Wow - 6:47 and it's still dark," but I felt God whispering, "Write about 6:47".  "Okay," I thought, I will - but then I rolled over. A few moments (or, what felt like a few moments) later, I heard the dogs shaking again.  This time it was NOT 6:47, but 7:23 and the sky was no longer dark - but red.  "Write about it," came the feeling again. So, I got up and Googled "Bible 6:47".  Here is the result: "As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.  They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.  When a ...

Google says the Silent Treatment is "a refusal to communicate verbally with another person."  And an article in Medical News Today says it is a form of abuse.   Interesting. I woke up this morning thinking about the silent treatment - not because Jim and I are fighting, but because I realize that in my life, there are a lot of people with whom I have not spoken to about Jesus. I'm not sure why that is. However, if I look inward to examine the reasons - I see they are mostly about me.  MY comfort.  MY ease.  MY fears. Do I hate these people?  NO!  Absolutely not.  I LOVE them!!!  So why not take the risk, and put myself out there - talking about Jesus? Maybe it is because I don't want to risk friends and family not liking me, or feeling as if I am judging them, or thinking that I feel as if I am "smarter" than they are.   Especially when I know the truth.  Which is that "I am just a poor beggar, telling other poor beggars ...

Habakkuk. A very small (and I’m sure often overlooked) book of the Bible, it has only three chapters and a total of 56 verses.  Compared to the book of Psalms, which has 150 chapters and 2,461 verses, it is a minor player…however, last Sunday I felt God very clearly tell me to “read it.” At the time of the writing, the Babylonians were ruling Israel and Habakkuk’s laments focused on “why” and for “how long”.   In chapter three, however, Habakkuk declares, “Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.  Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” - Habakkuk 3:16-18.   Those verses reminded me of ones Paul said in Philippians 4:12-13 when he claimed to have learned the secret of being content in any and every si...

  This morning I find myself thinking about “stuff”, and the fact that Jim and I have a LOT of it… And, while you’re not going to see us on an episode of “ Hoarders ” any time soon, I do often wonder why we need it all. You see I’m the type of girl who could go to Target or Costco once a week and drop a hundred dollars on things I really don’t need… a “Valentine” garland for the mantle, some dishes for a dinner party, or new rugs for the entry ways.   And beyond that, I’m married to a man who still has all of his little league and high school forensic trophies, nearly 5 dozen pair of underwear, and hundreds of old books.  And often, if I buy something new to replace something old, this man wants to keep the old thing, “just in case…” Stuff. When Jesus preached His Sermon on the Mount He said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where...

  ...but I know what you've done. Many times we form our opinion of things over time.  We look at things through the lens of experiences others have had that are shared with us; as well as through our own interactions with a person, place or thing. They say God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. That means - when we feel that he is leading us in a way we don't understand, don't fully grasp, or don't really appreciate, we must look back on all of the wonderful things He's already done in our lives, in the lives of those around us, and for the people of the Bible. --- I watch a lot of HGTV and through the years I have seen a lot of good and bad designers.  And I love seeing the things that people like Candice Olson, Hilary Farr, or Erin Napier come up with because those ladies just don't screw up.  EVER! The same is true with God. He may ask us to go through hard things.  There may be days when we feel like He has abandoned us - however we must look to the...

Have you ever heard the saying - "don't make a mountain out of a molehill?" If you Google it you'll see the saying refers to "an overreactive response which seeks to make a minor inconvenience seem like a serious problem" In reading the book of Genesis, what stood out to me was how easily Satan got Eve to focus on the one thing she didn't have, rather than all the things she and Adam did have. I think that is one of his best tricks... I mean for goodness sakes - the couple was living in the Garden of Eden, and in Hebrew - the word Eden means "delight"- so they were literally living in the Garden of Delight. In the garden their needs were taken care of.  They were unashamed and living among a great variety of animals and fruit-bearing trees.  They had free reign, and free will, and the only thing God asked of them was that they not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. So when Satan asked Eve, "Did God actually say, 'You s...

(Heh-nay-nee). It sounds Hawaiian doesn’t it? It isn’t.  It’s Hebrew, and it means, “I am here,” or “Here I am.”  And although the actual word has been lost in most of the Bible translations, when it does appear, it is infrequent. The first three times the word is used comes from Abraham as God asks him to leave his home, then to take Isaac, to bind him, and to offer him as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah.  On each successive utterance, the reality of what is being asked becomes clearer, and yet “Hineni” means “I am here, I am ready, I will do what you ask of me…”.   When we say “Hineni” to God, the word represents a true understanding that He is Sovereign.   And even when His ways or His “asks” do not line up with our will or wants, we recognize His authority and are willing to submit. Another famous “Hineni” comes from Isaiah right after he’s had a vision of angels worshipping God.  He feels unworthy and says, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclea...