women
A Season of Gratitude
This season of harvest is automatically one of gratitude, isn’t it? How can we not be grateful when lawns and gardens are decorated in pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks, acorns and falling leaves? Even in a year with a derecho that flattened millions of acres of Iowa corn, the soybeans were spared damage. That was a blessing for farmers, even if it seems small in the giant scope of things. Life often reflects the change of seasons. There are seasons of thankfulness and seasons of sorrow. Many writers have…
The God Who Provides
And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” Ruth 2:20 A little over 6 years ago I had the opportunity to go to the ACBC Counseling Conference in Indiana. I remember the exact number of years back because at the time I had just reached the halfway point in…
IN HIS WORD I HOPE
About two and a half years ago, I was struggling. I was overwhelmed by the busyness of life. I was desperately trying to juggle homeschooling, working from home, serving at church, keeping up with housework, making meals, and not turning into a total grouch by the end of the day. I was setting my alarm daily to spend time with the Lord, but then my littles would interrupt. I would see the pile of laundry looming in my bedroom. The…
REMEMBER. . . and REST
“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread my hands out to you.” Psalm 143:5-6a Remember “the days of long ago” when we could gather and hug and sit close to worship? Remember when we would fill our coffee cups and stand around the donuts or offer to hold someone’s baby? Remember concerts and farmers markets and movies? They certainly do feel like long ago, and…
Where is Your Place of Safety?
When did the coronavirus pandemic become real for you? Perhaps it was when schools closed, someone you knew contracted the virus, when you couldn’t visit your grandma at the care facility, when you canceled a spring break trip, or the church buildings became empty on Sunday. Or maybe the news of the soaring death tolls sounded the alarm. For me and my husband, it was the weekend of March 14-15. The weekend news was painting a grim picture and the…
Thankful for Scars
As Easter approaches, we face a very different Sunday, due to the coronavirus. Even though we are unable to gather and worship this Easter, let’s remember Jesus’ scars as we watch Lakeside’s Easter service together with our families from our homes. The coronavirus can’t stop us from worshiping and rejoicing in our Risen Savior Jesus Christ. May we focus on the extreme sacrifice Jesus made for us, visualize His scars, celebrate His joyous Resurrection, and cherish the promise of hope…
Are You Hiding?
“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8 The serpent slithered near Eve and spoke the first lie – the same lie that still whispers to our hearts: “Did God really say?” It was just one seed of deceit, but one that was sown deep into…
Presence
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 “I am with you always.” Have you considered that statement that Jesus made? Have you truly thought about its implications? We just celebrated Christmas. Emmanuel, God with us. God, the Creator of heaven and earth. The Lord of all, the King of kings, came to earth and dwelt among us. Jesus Christ. Our Emmanuel. He lived a perfect life. Where I would have gotten angry…
A Season of Light
Darkness comes earlier this time of year. The pink light fades to purple and then retreats completely. December 21st, the winter solstice, graces us with only nine hours of sunlight. Precious sunlight that gives warmth, lifts the spirit, and is actually essential to life. It’s amazing to consider the power of light. In a dark room, a single candle brings hope and comfort and pushes back fear. On a dim path, a beam of light brings confidence, courage, and direction.…
Showering with a Sliver
If you’re a soap user like me, you can relate to this age-old problem. . . showering with a sliver. Yep. . . that small, slippery remnant of soap that lingers in your soap dish way past its time. I often use a sliver of soap until the last possible moment when it melts down to a one-dimensional, flat-earth slice. That’s when the problems begin. No matter how hard I scrub, a sliver produces hardly any lather. I’m never sure…
Walking through Grief with God
“Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”” (John 11:32-36 ESV) I was in my…
The Life-changing Power of the Word
My passion for women’s Bible studies goes back to two distinctly different experiences of my life: first in my childhood and then as a young adult. I was always a “Why?” person. When Bill and I were just starting out, my dad came up north to help us with some demolition work. Of course, our toddler, Aaron, wanted to help Grampa. “You don’t have to take him with you,” I said to my Dad. “He’ll drive you crazy with questions.”…
Lessons From the Potter’s Wheel
“But now, O LORD, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8 ESV The beauty of hand-crafted pottery inspires me. I greatly appreciate something made by willing hands. And I know how the art began–a pile of dense, unattractive clay. In a world of technology, something that was also made in ancient times, that has survived through changes in culture and taste, calls to…