Yesterday, as I reviewed my retirement accounts with my financial advisor, she commented, "Retirement looks much different now than in years past. People used to retire and live a leisure life; these days, people pick up another job just to stay busy." She is right, of course, although I believe there are more factors than… Continue reading The Need for Rest
Tag: God
The Trouble With Praying for Patience
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." ~ Galatians 5.22, ESV Have you ever prayed for patience? What happened? In my experience, whenever I have asked the Lord to give me patience, He answered by providing opportunities to develop patience. I wanted the actual… Continue reading The Trouble With Praying for Patience
Why we all need accountability partners to keep our faith strong
Near the beginning of 2018, a friend invited me to a small Facebook group comprised of people seeking to eat healthier and be more physically fit. For the month of March, the administrator posted a challenge for us to meet a daily step count or mileage goal. Prior to this challenge, I had been hitting… Continue reading Why we all need accountability partners to keep our faith strong
Don’t Forget… to Stay in the Word.
Today is the 100th day of 2018! It's hard to believe we are almost one-third of the way into what was a new year! Many entered the New Year resolved to start a bible reading plan. If this was your goal, how's it going? It's important to remember that reading the Bible isn't about patting ourselves… Continue reading Don’t Forget… to Stay in the Word.
Why You Can’t Keep Delaying Forgiveness
Last spring, we decided to remove the bushes and rocks from our front planter bed and add a better variety of plants. Once the bed was clear of roots and rocks, we laid a strong weed barrier over every inch of dirt. We laid out our plants, cut small holes in the weed barrier, and… Continue reading Why You Can’t Keep Delaying Forgiveness
Social Media Ground Rules For Your Children
We take so much care with driver’s training, yet so little care with technology training. Our electronic devices provide children access to one of the most powerful and dangerous tools of our age—the internet. Occasionally, we are lulled into a false belief that parental controls will prevent our children from being “one of those kids”—those who post inappropriate pictures, suffer from bullying, or get lured away by predators.
When Your Plans Are Constantly Interrupted
We never like to address the inconveniences of parenting. We don’t like to tell expecting moms and dads, “Sleep now, because you won’t be sleeping for the next few years.” Or, “Enjoy that pre-baby vacation because it’ll be awhile before vacations are relaxing.” It all sound so “glass-half-empty,” doesn’t it? Here’s the reality: Raising children is inconvenient, but it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. When the Lord blesses us with children through adoption or birth, He has entrusted a young soul into our care for teaching, training, and affection. Your plans are going to be interrupted, and at what seems like the worst moments! How do we react to these interruptions?
Are you ‘getting nothing’ out of your church service?
Throughout my years of being a Christian, I’ve attended thousands of worship services. I’ve listened to sound and engaging preaching, endured a fair number of confusing sermons, sung countless songs, and watched the behavior of fellow Christians. I am ashamed to admit there are more than a few services from which I leave saying, “I got nothing out of it.” I frequently blamed the preaching, the song leading, the members nodding off, my own exhaustion, the failure of others to acknowledge my existence, but rarely did I do the thing that really needed to be done. Instead of saying, “I got nothing out of it, I should have been asking, “What did I put into it?” When we feel like we are leaving worship “unfulfilled,” it’s time ask ourselves some hard questions.
For those who are struggling with fear
According to the popular YouVersion Bible App, “the bible verse that was shared, bookmarked, and highlighted most often by the global Bible App community in 2017” was Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you… Continue reading For those who are struggling with fear
Are you Walking With God?
This idea of walking with God comes up again and again in the scriptures. Noah walked with God. Moses commanded the people to "walk in all [God's] ways." The apostle John commanded Christians to "walk in the light as [God] is in the light." The apostle Paul wrote "walk by the Spirit" and "keep in step with the Spirit." We know we are supposed to walk with God, but what does this look like in our lives?
Elihu's Corner 