Corona Devotionals

A few weeks ago my husband and I were out of town on a Sunday morning, but our boys went to church anyway and invited their friends to come too.  Eight young adults without parents filled a pew to  worship the Lord, to learn the Bible, and to be together at 9:30 AM on a Sunday morning.   Young people who obey the law are wise;  those with wild friends bring shame to their parents.  ~Proverbs 28:7  ~~~ Earlier this Summer, our kids were excited to attend church camp as they do every summer.  They recruited friends to come with them, as they do every year and some friends accepted the invitation even though the whole concept of going away to church camp for a week was brand new and even foreign to them and their families.   I had multiple conversations with an interested-but-investigating mom, and in the end she decided that the camp was worth a try for her son, mostly because all of her son's friends (whom she trusted) were going. ...

We have a peach tree in our front yard but this year wasn't a great year for peaches. Last year we probably got about 80 peaches off of the tree, but this year, we only picked about ten.  For us, it just wasn't a good season for peaches. My husband has a beautiful garden every year and usually we reap tomatoes in all sizes: cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, Big Boy fat and round tomatoes.  But this year wasn't a good harvest for tomatoes in our yard.  We've hardly had any to pick.  Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables.  I can make desserts that taste like apple pie, breakfast breads and savory suppers--all out of zucchini.  But it wasn't a good year for zucchini in our garden, so we haven't enjoyed any recipes with it yet.  However- -Guess what it's been a good  year for in our garden?  Guess what has come in more robustly and prolifically than any other year, says our gardener (my husband)?    Weeds.  It's been a very...

Maybe people think we are nice.  Maybe some people think we are good.  Maybe someone wonders where we get our patience.  Perhaps we do not do/partake/support all that the world does/and partakes-in/and supports--and maybe they wonder why? God encourages ( instructs !) us to pull back the curtain on our faith in Him today.   What if today we revealed to others  who   we are because of our faith in Jesus Christ? What if we shared why  we, and our lives look a little different? God is different than the world, and His ways are not like the ways of this (broken) world.  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,  neither are your ways my ways,”  declares the  Lord .  ( 9)  “As the heavens are higher than the earth,  so are my ways higher than your ways  and my thoughts than your thoughts.  ~Isaiah 55:8-9 But following the Lord's instructions  will change our lives... for the better , and we know tha...

  Tap...  Tap...  Tap, tap... I was working late at night, and our house was quiet.  Everyone (else) was sleeping and it was silent, until I heard the taps.   I did a surveillance-lap around our living room and kitchen, and the flickering-flame of a candle that I had lit a few hours ago danced in the darkness.   Tap...tap. I wasn't the only one who had noticed that flame in the dark.  Outside our glass patio door, a single moth was periodically ramming itself against the glass...in an effort to get nearer to that candle's light.     Tap...  Tap...  Tap, tap... ~~~ When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said,  “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  ~John 8:12 The hope and the Truth and the light that Jesus Christ offers to people...to you...and to me: it   draws us in.  We can't help  but want to be near Him.....

Pray  today and let's see what happens. The earnest prayer of a righteous person. ...Has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 ~~~ The earnest prayer of a righteous person. ...  ~James 5:16 I'm not righteous, Lord.  You know that.   My husband is righteous.  Our children are righteous.  And You are righteous most of all, Father.  Hear our prayer today anyway .   The earnest prayer of a righteous person. ... has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 Lord, we are praying earnestly to you today.  Please bless our livelihoods and our neighborhoods and our "shoulds".   Show us Your ways, and help us to walk in them today, Lord.  Provide for us, Lord, in your omniscient ways.  Amen. We know that we are not   righteous , but we are praying  to You anyway, Heavenly Father.  You are holy and merciful and forgiving.  Hear our prayer. ... if my people, who are called ...

I studied Proverbs 3 today, and some of the verses spoke just perfectly to my heart... for me,  and for today.   Feeling convicted, my tongue had overstepped its boundaries... again.  I knew it, and Proverbs 3  did too. My child, don’t reject the  Lord ’s discipline,  and don’t be upset when he corrects you.  ( 12)  For the  Lord  corrects those he loves,  just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.  ~Proverbs 3:11-12 ~~~ But then I read  Proverbs 3 with my daughter today,  and some of the verses spoke just perfectly to her  heart...for  her,  and  for her  today.   I had to make a quick-decision to help someone out, and in the middle-of-action, she volunteered to come along and help too.  Her loyalty and kindness meant the world, and to the others involved.   My child, never forget the things I have taught you.   Store my commands in you...