Corona Devotionals

I ran out of hand soap today.  The last few days we've had to press harder to get any sort of squirt out, and today, it ran dry.   I'm not very particular about what soap we use, and so I usually buy the cheapest one on the shelf.   But low and behold,  when I looked for a back-up soap in our cupboard today , I found a Bath and Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint Aromatherapy Hand Soap awaiting me!  A birthday present from a good friend, this would be a (beautiful smelling and luxurious) treat!  It was not in a container with a pump, and so I carefully poured the entire bottle into the one we had just pumped-empty. To anyone else washing their hands, it looked like a normal (cheap!) bottle of hand soap.  But I knew what was really in there , and it was the good stuff. ~~~ It reminds me of a Biblical account when something (else) ran-dry and was replaced with the good stuff. On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mot...

I lost my Bible bookmark!  I guess it's not a big deal, but do you think (by flipping) I could remember/find where I had left off reading my Bible yesterday? Nope .     But, as I flipped through and scanned pages and chapters and books, God's Word and Truth jumped out at me from all of the pages!  The Bible is a treasure trove of God's wisdom, love and discipline for us, His Children.   Every verse is a great verse, it's up to the Lord and us to discern which ones are meant for our hearts on this very day and in relation to the people, situations, trials and moods that we will encounter.   Join me as we "find our place" with God for the day.  Let's "flip through" the Bible and "get on the same page" with Him. “When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The  Lord  your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!  ~Deuteronomy 2...

I thought I heard a seagull in our backyard today, and then I realized it was a hawk.  (Believe it or not, their cries can sound very similar!).   However, when I spotted the (big) hawk, he wasn't alone.  Not far from him on an electrical wire was a brave and spunky grackle (a black bird).   The grackle reminded me of a prizefighter dancing around the boxing ring.  He pulsed his tail feathers repeatedly and seemed to bat his hind-side at the hawk.  This (much) smaller bird made chirps of his own that seemed to say, "I'm not afraid of you ."   He was clearly  not  afraid of the big hawk that stood perched a few feet from his (much-tinier) body, and he was not backing down to that hawk, either.  Even though that hawk was watching him with an eagle eye. What bully or road block is staring us down today?  What or who is standing in our way of joy, hope, peace, or freedom?   What is the source of intimidatio...

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.   ( 2)  Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.   ( 3)  Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.   ( 4)  For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ( 5)  There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ( 6)  one God and Father of all,  who is over all, in all, and living through all.  ~ Ephesians 4:1-6  ~~~ At first glance, it's easy to gloss-over these verses as a "general application" to all do-gooders.  A pie-in-the-sky set of high-hopes for all.   And they are.   Ephesians 4:1-6  applies to everyone of us everywhere.  It is Truth for all: every group and every faction.  The B...

Praise be to the  Lord  my Rock,  who trains my hands for war,  my fingers for battle.  ( 2)  He is my loving God and my fortress,  my stronghold and my deliverer,  my shield, in whom I take refuge...  ~Psalm 144:1-2 ~~~ Memorial Day means hot dogs and burgers.  Parades and picnics.  Red, white and blue t-shirts, and American flags on the front lawn.   But Memorial Day should also mean much more than these "holiday" things and a Monday day-off.  Memorial Day was meant to mean much more.  Since post-Civil War times, the last Monday in May in America has been set aside in order to honor those who lost their lives while serving in the American military.   Our memories of Memorial Day might include going to decorate graves, or riding our decorated bikes in town parades. But I hope that today we will remember more than gravestones and traditions, and that we might salute the soldiers who gave the u...

My husband has been spending time prepping his garden.  Intentional and diligent, he has tilled the dirt...multiple times.  He has pulled the weeds...twice!  He has prepped the holes for inserting his plants, and he has dug spaces for peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, and more. He is ready for what comes next, and so he just needs to buy his plants.  He has done the work.  He has prepared.  He is ready for the next step, and that is an amazing position to be in. Where are we in our walk with Jesus?  Have we tilled the soil of sin in our lives? Twice?  Or maybe a hundred times over the years?  Are we serving God on the surface or superficially?  Are we turning over our dirt for God to bring a harvest of His intentions into our lives? As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. (2) He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. (3) “Truly I tell you,” he said, “th...

I had a dream last night and the image is still crystal-clear in my mind. My whole family was in the backyard of a house, and when we pushed open a gate leading to a grassy courtyard area...there was a lion standing there. Right there , a few feet from us. Powerful. Strong. Intimidating. Fierce. And then, (in the dream), we shut the door quickly. But when I woke up, I remembered it all so clearly, and I was surprised that I hadn't felt fear. It was more of a sense of awe of this big, powerful beast...in our midst. I can still feel the butterflies in my stomach and the electricity in the air that I "felt" when I was dreaming it. It was a mixture of a we and wonder and fear swirled with a little bit of excitement and wonder. I have no idea what the dream "meant", if anything. But I do know that the Bible ( Book of Revelation ) speaks of our Lord as the "Lion of Judah". And He is fierce. He is strong. He is mighty. He is holy. And He is the ...

In a hurry as usual, I texted my neighbor to ask if she had any story books I could borrow to read to my friends at the local nursing home yesterday.  I was due there in an hour. Coming through, just like a BFF always does, she showed up almost immediately with a selection of stories.  One that I read aloud to the group was about a family from Japan that moved to Canada.  They brought a cherry tree seed with them from Japan and planted it at their new house.   After a few years passed at their new house, (apparently) they were no longer welcome in their neighborhood (or Country) due to world events.  They were ostracized and forced to move.  They left their home and the cherry tree without wanting to. Years later, the little brother and sister in the story had grown up, and grown old, and they came back to Canada to see their old house...and there also was their beloved cherry tree.   It was a bittersweet story (with beautiful illustrations),...