Don’t wait. Not a minute. Not a second. Instead, praise God now. If you and I wait to praise God until after something earthshaking and amazing happens, we’ve got the wrong order. Praise comes first. Doubt that? Consider the classic praise story in the Bible–this scenario (in Acts 16) where Paul and Silas, bound in chains in …
Category: attitude
Sep 25
Having some doubts?
Have the trials of life caused you to doubt God? Are you wondering why He hasn’t shown up in answer to your fervent prayers? “Doubt rises up to obscure His presence and disillusionment settles into despair,” writes Dr. James Dobson in When God Doesn’t Make Sense. “The greatest frustration is knowing that (God) created the …
Aug 28
How could God let this happen?
When you believe in God, it can be hard to come to terms with the fact that He has allowed adversity to come into your life or your loved one’s. Author David Biebel talks about this fact in his book If God Is So Good, Why Do I Hurt So Bad? Biebel says there are …
Aug 14
How God Transformed a Valley of Trouble into a Gateway of Hope
As I was reading in the book of Hosea about how God promised to “transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope,” I couldn’t help but think of my friend Lauren. His cancer journey has been an incredible roller coaster with hopes dashed one minute and unexpected new hopes found the next. I hope the …
Jul 17
Are you negotiating with God?
Don’t let this adorable, seemingly innocent smile fool you… she’s a negotiator. Consider our recent conversation. ABBY: You have any stuffed animals dat were mommy’s when she was a widdle girl? ME: I don’t think so. I think I gave them all to her already. ABBY: Can you just check? ME: Sure, I can do …
Jun 19
Are You Slamming the Door in God’s Face?
Over the years this quote from author Norman Cousins became a sort of rallying cry for my cancer support group members who were facing especially difficult circumstances. These are the kind of folks who realize shock and disbelief—although understandable reactions to a diagnosis—can’t really do anything to change the situation. So they decide to take the …
Jun 05
What’s on your to-do list today?
My husband has a serious problem. And what’s worse is the fact he doesn’t even think he has a problem. I have no doubt that when I tell you what his problem is, you’ll be pretty shocked. But perhaps my talking about it in front of hundreds and hundreds of people will help him see …
May 22
“Don’t look for big things, just do small things with great love… The smaller the thing, the greater must be our love.” Mother Teresa
I’m pretty sure the only thing “small” about Mother Teresa’s life was her stature. Nearly 50 years of sacrificially serving the “the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for” hardly seems to qualify as doing “small things.” But there’s certainly no doubt that this diminutive nun, honored in 1979 with the Nobel Peace Prize, was …
Apr 10
Ever feel like you want to run and hide?
My grandchildren never seem to tire of playing hide ‘n’ seek. They love scurrying around to find a “a really good place” while admonishing my husband and me to “keep your eyes closed!” Eventually 4-year-old Abby yells out “Ready!” which makes it pretty easy to follow the sound of her voice to her not-so-hidden special …
Mar 27
Do you have as much faith as my granddaughters?
Tens of millions of people around the country filled out online brackets for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, including twelve in our family. We seven adults are true sports fans and the five grandkids in our group are being properly schooled in bracket lingo, including the art of choosing a cool team name. Heading into …