“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) For me, the prophet Isaiah has always been an interesting Old Testament figure, from his calling in this chapter to his walking and preaching naked and barefoot for three years (Isaiah 20:2-3). It seems he always gave all of himself to the work of the Lord. Jesus quoted him and commanded us to read his writings. “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for ..read more

Jesus is teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath day and He sees a woman in the congregation who has been disabled for 18 years. Her body is bent over so severely that she can’t stand up straight. Jesus lays His hands on the woman, and she is immediately healed! She stands up straight and glorifies God! (See Luke 13:10-13). Now, why was this particular woman blessed with this miraculous healing? Some might say that she was just in the right place at the right time. In other words, she was just fortunate – fortunate to be in the same place as Jesus on that day, fortunate that He notic ..read more

We have a very sensitive smoke alarm in the living room-kitchen area of our house. If I’m cooking something that emits any smoke, it’s pretty much guaranteed to begin blaring its loud siren. “Fire! Fire! Fire!” We all know the drill as soon as it happens. Open the windows and doors, and turn on the ceiling fan. Recently, we had company, and I was cooking bacon. I told the sister about the smoke alarm situation so she wouldn’t be afraid when it began, and also so she could help me open the windows. Her response was, “Why not just open them now?” Brilliant! I had never thought to do that. Openi ..read more

We all have a favorite hymn that we love to sing and hear. When you think about yours, think about why it is your favorite and how it makes you feel. My favorite is No. 101 in The Songs of Zion, “Don’t Let Anybody Take Your Crown.” Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved this song. At first, I just enjoyed how upbeat and happy it made me feel, but as I got older and started to understand the words, I saw that this gift from God has been teaching me a lesson all along. Something that my mom always tells me is that, at the end of this life, I am the one who is going to have to answe ..read more

A few weeks ago, I was summoned to the Hall of Justice in downtown San Diego for jury duty. I got picked as a juror on a two-week civil trial. The case was a lawsuit involving a car accident, so we had to decide who was at fault and assign monetary compensation. When the 12 of us entered the jury room and began deliberating, it was easy to decide who was at fault—the evidence was pretty clear—but agreeing on how much money to award for pain and suffering was excruciating. Two “camps” quickly formed in our little jury pool. About half of the jurors wanted to award the plaintiff tons of money ..read more

Where is happiness found? Is it found in a spouse? Our children? Family and friends? A job? We can only find TRUE happiness within the Lord. We won’t find TRUE happiness with anyone or anything else, unless we realize they are the blessings that God gives us when we seek happiness with Him. That’s where true happiness is found. When we feel a void in life, or human emotions start to filter in, and we feel lonely or sad, that void can’t be filled with the world. We shouldn’t try to seek happiness from family, because they can’t fill that void. That kind of happiness will be short-lived because ..read more

At the beginning of my career, my boss gave me a book called Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden, an advertising pro. Filled with radical insights, paradoxes, and unconventional advice, the book is designed to help you think differently (something my boss encouraged me to do). The book offers up various ways to think the opposite, like: Getting fired from your job could be a good thing—it gives you a chance to start again. Ignorance is better than knowing all the answers—where’s the fun in that? Flunking a test doesn’t mean you’re stupid—it could just mean you learn different ..read more

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) As the treasure box of our soul, we find within our heart all the precious sentiments and beliefs we value and hold dear. Just as with the physical heart, the spiritual heart is vital to our growth and well-being. We must do all we can to keep it “with all diligence,” as spoken by Solomon through his God-given wisdom (1 Kings 3:12, 4:29-31). Yet, this diligence is only preserving if we fully understand God’s intent for how our heart is meant to function. Jesus says, “For every tree is known by his own fr ..read more

Dear Patience, When you first showed up, I thought I could just ignore you. I don’t need Patience. This will soon pass. But, alas, the trial of my faith did not soon pass, and there you were, knocking on the door, offering your friendship. But I locked the deadbolt and closed the blinds. No matter, I thought. I can logic this away. So I puzzled and twisted and turned over my options like a Rubik’s cube. But after what felt like an eternity of dead-ends, and with no stickers to peel off and rearrange, I threw it all down in frustration. All the while, there you were, extending your hand, never ..read more

If you’ve ever been involved in a court trial, or watched one on television or in a movie, you probably know that the defendant in a trial is often offered the opportunity to “settle” the case, either before the trial begins or even during the trial — anytime prior to when the judge (or jury) gives the verdict. By settling, the defendant gets a lesser penalty than what would normally be required for the crime he is accused of. Clearly, if the defendant is actually guilty of the crime, there is considerable incentive to settle the case, rather than receiving the maximum penalty. The same conce ..read more