I love this imagery of the universe standing on its tippytoes. I imagine demons scurrying in haste because their time is short, and angels leaning over the balcony of heaven with . . . .

I am so attuned to hearing the Holy Spirit referred to as wine and oil that I naturally think of God’s Spirit in this verse. The wine and the oil represent the Holy Spirit working in us and through us to others.

God gives us wine (the Spirit) to make our hearts glad. . . .

The lament of poor fisherman, dockworkers, and fishwives of Portugal in the 1820s created a musical genre called Fado. Fado has a mournful tune, infused with emotions of loss and resignation to a hopeless fate. Many a Fado song wails about the loss of her mariner husband at sea.

In that day, sailing . . .

Susan called our prayer ministry in a panic! The pandemic had her feeling anxious and depressed. She didn’t have the courage to leave her apartment. So, she sat alone with her spiraling thoughts all day long. Yikes!

Susan’s story is common. Freedom from fear, anxiety . . .

I need to escape my negative, swirling thoughts. The voices of “he said, she said” rewind in my mind, sapping my energy and squandering valuable hours.

So, I turn my affection toward the Lord. I bare my heart . . .

I stopped to marvel at a sunset reflected in a pond. The yellow sun glowed behind dark green trees. Orange, red, and purple bands of color blended seamlessly into the darkening blue sky. Wisps of . . .

Being a published author had been a dream in my heart all my life. I remember considering a writing correspondence course in High School. How many teenagers sign up for extra homework? In college, I took every writing class . . .

I finally have my book in hand!

It took only 2 months to write, but 9 months to publish. The journey to becoming a published author seemed long and arduous. It was a great opportunity to build my trust in God’s perfect timing :0)

Please join us for the celebration this Wednesday, if you can. I’ll be sharing a 20-30 devotion about my publishing journey. See the invitation above.

When I read of Israel’s exodus, I envision beleaguered refugees forced into the desert on foot. That is not the picture presented in Exodus 12 and 13.

It says God led the nation of Israel out in “orderly ranks.” Several times, He referred to them as “the armies of the Lord” . . .

“I found death to be as beautiful as birth.” Felix Halpern compares his death to a birth. He said that each are generally preceded by pain, then followed by joy.

Halpern also described death as . . .

Father God longs to be with the children that He loves. So, He ordained seven feasts to which He invites us to commune with Him.

The Feast of Tabernacles (September 21, 2021) celebrates God tabernacling among the children . . . .

During my young adult years, I walked my own way without regard to God’s leading. Parenting was a spiritual wakeup call for me! The weight of responsibility to raise those children right threw me on my face at the foot of the cross. I simply could not do it on my own. . . . .