Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 61:1 Making the bed was the first task I completed this morning. It’s the first task I complete every morning, sometimes with my husband (when we get up at the same time) or more often by myself (when I rise later). It’s a habit my mother instilled in me as a child that is now part of my DNA. Train children in the right way and when old, they will not stray. (Proverbs 22:6) As a little girl, I shared a bedroom with my younger sister. We had matching twin beds with matching bedspreads. I don’t recall ma ..read more

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15 While many people I knew were coming up with their new year’s resolutions or selecting a word to live by, I identified a word to describe the previous year: Canceled. 2020 had taught me how to live with COVID, but 2021 only fru ..read more

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 5:13-15 While many people I knew were coming up with their new year’s resolutions or selecting a word to live by, I identified a word to describe the previous year: Canceled. 2020 had taught me how to live with COVID, but 2021 only fru ..read more

Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders? Exodus 15:11 If you’ve ever seen The Sound of Music, you know the lyrics to My Favorite Things: raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. Well, I have a few of my own favorite things: gentle snowfalls, live Christmas trees, and stained-glass windows. These things give me joyful pause, and on those rare occasions when I can experience them all at the same time, I am filled with childlike wonder. I grew up in a small farming communit ..read more

I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 My eyesight is not the best. That’s why I always take a portable magnifying mirror with me when I travel. The one I use is only 4-inches in diameter and, with two small suction cups on the back, adheres easily to any bathroom or dresser mirror. (Gosh, I sound like a commercial!) During a recent trip to visit family in New Mexico, I stuck my little mirror on the dresser mirror in the guest room upon arrival. Though I only used it once (who needs to wear makeup when ..read more

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 Did you know that there is no such thing as multitasking? It’s true! What we define as multitasking is simply the synapses in our brains firing back and forth between various tasks. The more tasks we add to the mix, the less efficient we become and the more likely we are to make a mistake. There’s a reason why texting while driving is forbidden in many states, why working on two projects at the same time may not yield our intended results, and why twenty percent of ..read more

The Lord defends the rights of the orphans and widows. He cares for foreigners and gives them food and clothing. And you should care also for them because you were foreigners in Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:18-19 Whenever a Tesla passes me on the road (which can be often in Northern Virginia), a twinge of automobile jealousy courses through my veins. Though I am impressed by the sleek design, what I really covet is a car that can go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds without making much noise. I like quiet speed. But I drive a 2013 Buick Encore, which I bought off the dealer’s lot just as the 2015 ..read more

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 The first phone call was from a student who had just finished her junior year of college. “Do you know of any Bible studies for students who are home for the summer?” she asked. For several years, I had served as a small group leader with the youth at my church. I also volunteered to chaperone the teens on summer mission trips and coordinated fall retreats. I even stepped in as the Interim Youth Ministry Director for a full year while a search committee sought the perfect candidate. But at the ti ..read more

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; And to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8) In preparation for my Zoom meeting with a literary agent, I constructed a 30-page book proposal that I could share if asked to do so. For those of you unfamiliar with a book proposal, it is a document used to convince an agent or publisher that your book idea is (1.) economically viable and needed in today’s market, and (2.) that you are perfectly suited to write it. Among ..read more

We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. (Psalm 78:4) I’ve heard of siblings who don’t get along, who can’t spend more than a few hours with each other before a fight ensues. I’ve also heard of siblings who avoid each other like the plague and purposely plan holidays apart. Thankfully, I’ve only heard about such siblings. I am blessed—BLESSED—with two brothers and one sister. We are all quite different, yet the love between us is strong. The tie that binds us together is God ..read more