HYMN DAY! Oh, I loved singing this when I was a girl! The words are wonderful—such strong commitment stated. “Serve the Lord With Gladness” by B.B. McKinney is a call to sincere and diligent service. I especially like the challenge in the final lines of verse 3. 1. Serve the…
I heard about a pair of deacons from the same church who lived next door to each other. A five-foot high privacy fence divided their backyards. Deacon 1 had a huge maple tree near the fence, and when the leaves fell, many of them fell into Deacon 2’s yard. Every…
It’s easy to detest things that are obviously evil, isn’t it? Who among us wouldn’t detest the abuse of children, the slaughter of Christians in foreign lands, thieves breaking into our home and taking the things for which we’ve worked…? But some evil isn’t so easy to see. It lurks…
YOU are important. Let me say that again: YOU are important. YOU are part of the body of believers, and without YOU, a function would go unfulfilled. Without YOU, the body would be incomplete. Being part of the body is such a privilege. Think of it—joining with other believers in…
When we see the addict, the hoodlum, the homeless or broken, do we turn away in scorn, or do we think, “There, but for the grace of God, go I”? I’m prized and cherished by Father-God, but that doesn’t give me a reason to gloat. It gives me a reason…
HYMN DAY! “Make Me a Blessing” by Ira B. Wilson can actually be read as a prayer. There’s so much negativism in our world. Let’s change that by reaching out with Christian love. 1 Out in the highways and byways of life, Many are weary and sad; Carry the sunshine…
“A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” “Mind over matter.” “Attitude [what forms in your mind] is everything.” These are all common phrases, and they’re accurate. What we think has a huge impact on how we behave. If we develop the mindset that “everybody’s doing it, so it must…
Most homeowners groan if dandelions appear in their yards. But kids? They love’em. They pick bouquets of them (and never get in trouble) and blow the seeds on the wind (and get yelled at for “making more dandelions” LOL). Let me tell what I like about dandelions. First of all,…
This section of Romans bears the title, “A Hymn of Praise.” So appropriate! I love the rhetorical questions included here. Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been His counselor? The created cannot possibly know the mind of the Creator; thus, the created (that’s us) cannot advise…
God sent Jesus first to the Jews, who—for the most part—knew Him not. Then God gave the message to the Gentiles. These non-Jewish people developed an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and became adopted children into God’s family. That should have made the non-believing Jews jealous! I have a sweet…
