I confess these verses confused me as a new believer. At that time, I read the Bible as disjointed stories, like stitching together thousands of Sunday school lessons.

In that light, the story of Jesus shining in His glory . . . .

It was painful to watch. At my cousin’s “celebration of life,” her husband and grown sons struggled to make sense of “a life taken too soon.” One son sobbed how . . . .

I had a BIG idea in the shower this morning. Last month I posed the question, “My Idea or His?” (See my blog on 10-31-23.) So, I thought it would be fun to include you in my decision-making process.

The portrait that I painted of the little girl posted here is the seed of the idea . . . .

Water sloshed. Sweat poured. The bread and raisin cakes wore off hours ago, but Jacob was in too deep to quit, now. One-hundred feet above his head, cows mooed and sheep bleated. “Water!” they seemed to cry. Through the pungent air of the well, Jacob sighed.

I wonder what thoughts bubbled up in his mind. Of course, digging was difficult, but did it feel mundane? Ordinary? Dare I say, meaningless? …..

How do you recognize God’s voice?

Do you get asked that question? I do. Usually, I give examples of the different ways I have “heard” God speak.

I put “heard” in parentheses because . . . .

Maybe you don’t think you are creative, but you are.

I am pausing to consider this verse in Isaiah because the Hebrew word translated as “mind” is unusual. It means “creative imagination.” . . . .

Do you wonder about the fruitfulness of your writing? I often struggle against the lie that I am wasting valuable time. Perhaps I should be feeding the homeless or doing some other fruitful ministry.

However, God promises . . .

I’m going to give you a peek into my personal, spiritual journal. You will get a taste of how God and I communicate with each other.

As context, let me tell you . . . .

Zechariah and Elizabeth were well-loved and esteemed by their community. They were righteous and observant of God’s commands, yet they had grown old and remained childless. Zechariah had no sons to . . .

I took a risk. Our prayer ministry had a booth at the local business fair. We offered . . .

I am embarrassed to tell you how long this book was on my bookshelf before I read it. Let’s just say, “months.”

I was concerned I might be sad and depressed reading it. So, I waited . . .

Unrestrained lust and self-gratification will not satisfy. Neither will wealth or success (Ecc. 2:1-11). King Solomon could confidently state these things because he had more women (700 wives, 300 concubines) and more wealth than anyone else – ever. So, he should know.

Neither is wisdom . . .