What have you done that you believe has caused God to be disappointed in you? Did you know that  you can’t surprise, shock or disappoint God. How can I say such a thing? Because the Bible says that we were chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit” (1 Peter 1:2). In other words, God knew all about me before I was born. He knew everything He was getting in me, yet still chose me to be His child and participate in His Kingdom. That is not a pass to misbehave, rather it is an incentive to pick up when we fall down and keep pressing on. God knows He did not make a mistake in choosing you or me and is committed to fulfilling His purpose in us. He knows the Spirit won’t fail to ultimately form Christlikeness into us. (Read More)

“Oh Mama, she’ll be fine. She’s almost 15” I rolled my eighteen year old eyes. Mama stared ahead and said nothing. Her face revealed no emotion as she seemed to mentally accept her helpless state. Propped up in a hospital bed in a cramped room, her body lay quiet under the draped sheet. What could she do? Her youngest child wanted a snack and had set off to roam the hospital floor to find the vending machines and she was too weak to accompany her—or make me.

I was three years older than my sister, independent, athletic and adventuresome. Diane was delicate, cautious and petite. I liked to romp and roam; she liked to read and hang close to home. Her asthma and allergies caused Mama to worry. (Read More)

Angry and unreasonable people drain me—even when their anger is not my fault. Even if I just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, explosions directed my way still fray my nerves.

Such events cause us to question ourselves, “Did I handle this right? What could I have done to avoid this response?” In Acts, chapters six and seven, Stephen had such an encounter; only his opponents turned nasty and stirred up a deadly mob. (Read More)

My grandmother needed me. I am not sure if I was even old enough to start school when I was invited to spend a whole day helping her. Mema, as I called her, was recovering from something and needed me to be her legs. I arrived ready to serve wearing a small white nurse’s apron with matching cap bearing simple red crosses. (Read More)