Corona Devotionals

When I’m out of town, I like to connect with friends and family if possible, because why not ?   People and our connections with them are what keep our heart-fires burning, our family-ties tied, and our sense of being-loved alive.   So, when we were in California, I remembered that the son of one of my dear friends who passed away earlier this year, lived there.   But when I looked up his address, he was 2 ½ hours from us. But fast forward a few days and a few miles, and when I checked the distance between us again, it was only 19 minutes. I flashed back to how I felt in the first months and year after my mom passed.   The tunnel of shock, sadness, loneliness, and isolation seemed to have no light.   You go through the motions, but there are no longer any sensations to accompany them.   Have you been in that tunnel, as a result of sorrow, depression, or lack-of-purpose?    Are you there today? When we are in those times, we can’t imagine...

You’ll never guess what we saw yesterday— sea lions. And actually, we saw them, but much more noticeably, we heard them... and to be more specific…we heard one of them, pretty much the entire time we viewed the group.   One big guy (or girl) seal lion that seemed to rule the roost…or bully the bunch…or nag the gaggle of sea lions that were harmlessly gathered in the cove that we found them in.   Most of them were sunning and swimming and doing just fine…until the barking boss came into their area and moved them along or pushed them aside. Notice his (or her) mouth?   It’s open.  And it was always open and barking non-stop while we viewed the sea lions in this Pacific Ocean cove.   Always. The rest of the sea lions were all chill , except for the big-mouthed one.   He or she never really sat still or stopped moving, he just seemed to make his rounds, barking at the other sea lions and moving them out of their seemingly comfortable positions, while forci...

You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.  Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand— you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.  ~Psalm 40:6 ~~~ We  keep trying  to give God  sacrifices and offerings.   We  keep reverting back  to thinking that God  requires burnt offerings or sin offerings. And, (as such) we  are  burnt  by the time we bring our  burnt offerings or sin sacrifices  to Him.  We are worn out, spiritually fizzled-out and very often running on fumes (ours, not our Heavenly Father's) by the time we "present" our "finished product" of what we  think  God is  requiring. Our performance, our outcomes, our job, our kids, the score, the grade, the project, the person... You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.   ~Psalm 40:6 We expect it of ourselves, and we can tend to drive it hard in others as well.  Our  expectations, ...

I took my twelve-year-old daughter and two of her buddies out for a bagel the other day.  One of the other girls is turning 13 this week, and what better way to celebrate teen-freedom than at a table to yourselves in a coffeeshop?   The woman at the register (Danette) greeted us with a warmth that we could feel across the counter.  Her smile was genuine.  She was happily patient as three young ladies read the simple menu as if it were in Latin, and throughout our transaction, she was overly kind in word and deed.  Her treatment of us was exemplary and authentic.  She told us that she has an almost-13-year-old daughter at home too.   As the girls went to find "their" table, I chatted with Danette.  She shared in a matter-of-fact tone that her husband had died eight years ago.   Tears filled my eyes as my (weak) appreciation of everything that those few words-shared could mean to this woman standing across from me...and her daug...

My husband has a knack for planning vacations.  He researches areas, activities, restaurants and even brings family gifts, crafts, activities and games for the group when we are out of town.  He always has a plan and a schedule-o-fun for us to follow.   Usually. But we're on a trip that has a pre-set schedule by tournament-times and brackets, and tomorrow's times are determined by today's outcomes.  So...it's hard to plan much of anything. And that's just fine with God. I'm sure He loves a husband and dad that loves his family enough to invest the time and energy into events, and in many ways I have seen God's plans come straight-through the heart of my husband.   But sometimes when we can't  control things, it allows our Heavenly Father the space to reveal  His plans  for us (if we will yield to Him).   God has a daily itinerary built for each of us today that has nothing to do with our pre-scheduling or planning. Many ar...

No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord.  (31) The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.  ~Proverbs 21:30-31 What battle are we entering-in to today (or continuing to wage against)?   God’s Word gives us both peace and strength because ( Remember! )  it is our job to be  prepared ... but  the victory belongs to Him. ~~~ Our daughter and her soccer team friends enter into athletic battle today.   The competition was tough to qualify for this tournament, but the teams meeting up for daily duels this week will be the creme de la creme.   It’s human nature to be nervous, stressed, intimidated or unsure.   But I love the Bible, because God’s knows our thoughts and He gives us these words today: The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.   ~Proverbs 21:31 Are we prepared for the battles we will enter today?   ...

Do we need reminded  today? A wake-up call?  A wake-up verse? A wake-up book?   I did. ~~~ We rush around, doing, planning, checking-off things, and getting-to-the-next event/level/thing.  The way many of us live our lives much of the time and many of our days reminds me of my kids playing their video games.  Always trying, striving, working to get to the next level.  But then…you die.  Do we need reminded  today? “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. (5) You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”  (6) We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.  We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. (7) And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.   ~Psalm 39:4-7 ~~~ Accomplished but unkind, we...