On our fireplace there sits a stone that has been carved with these words, “Soli Deo Gloria.” These old Latin words are a constant reminder to us that everything we do, including how we live, should be “for the glory of God alone.” At the beginning of this season of
If I’ve learned anything in my forty years of life it’s that we can honestly and truly experience the joy of the Lord, even in the midst of great suffering. Joy is not reserved for the good days and the sweet seasons. Joy is a gift from the Lord, which
“This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” – Matthew 1:1 The genealogy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is very interesting. It plays a central part in the New Testament and the Bible as a whole. Jesus has
When I was younger my sister and I were given a job: just stand in a gap in the hedge. Easy. Meanwhile, the rest of the extended family were running around the field trying to get a very large, incredibly angry bull to go into a cage to get an
Nehemiah spent four months praying. Seeking God’s comfort in grief and sadness. Praying for God’s forgiveness and mercy on His people. Remembering God’s faithfulness and the promises He had made. He spent four months in contemplative prayer, but in the moments before making a request to a king who did
I sat at my sister in law’s table with great anticipation. That afternoon, she showed me the bountiful harvest of blackberries that had grown in her garden that year. Now I was about to sample the sweet fruit in a cobbler that she had lovingly prepared and placed in the
I’ll never forget the words that the Lord spoke over me when life as I knew it walked out on me and my children. As tears streamed down my face, I watched his car drive away from our home. I kept questioning if I would be enough for him to
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help and has redeemed his people. For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago,that we
My phone started to ding and I picked it up to read a very discouraging message. Someone I loved was in distress. Just a few days earlier, my friend had been released from the hospital after battling COVID. I thought he was past the hard part and home, but he
“At that time a root from Jesse will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to Him for guidance, and His residence will be majestic.” – Isaiah 11:10 Despair. Division. Hopelessness. As we look around at the circumstances of the world right