Looking through my files on lessons I taught when I was in full time ministry, I found these notes on the book of James. I thought I would share them in hopes of encouragement as we have been facing difficult times the past two years. Hope they challenge/encourage you. The Book of James is a […]

Jesus gave an invitation to put on His yoke. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my […]

Sticks and stones may break my bones But words can never harm me Growing up I heard this little rhyme many times.  It was said to encourage those who were being bullied or harassed by others.  However, this message is simply not true. Words have such power. Power to encourage, power to put down.  Power […]

Final notes from my husband’s Good Friday sermons. Luke tells us in his Gospel that Jesus prayed from the cross “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”  These words were among some of the last brief statements He made before His death. Who exactly was He speaking to? The Roman soldiers.  […]

Great and holy God awe and reverence fear and trembling do not come easily to us for we are not Old Testament Jews or Moses or mystics or sensitive enough. Forgive us for slouching into Your presence with little expectation and less awe than we would eagerly give a visiting dignitary. We need neither Jehovah […]

GraceSpeak When a jar of pickled peppers falls off the refrigerator shelf onto the tile floor, it makes a big mess. I know this, because this morning found me on my hands and knees cleaning up peppers and sticky syrup and broken glass. It was a small jar, but the mess created was worthy of […]

Time for another New Year!  For most of us this time of year leads to reflection over the past 12 months and many of us make plans or resolutions for the coming year. On New Year’s Eve in 2017 I went through that thought process.  My husband and I made plans for the coming year.  […]

As we decorate our home for the fall and see all the kids getting ready for Halloween I love this story from 2014 when I took my youngest granddaughter around the neighborhood for trick or treat. She’s much older now but this is a memory I will always treasure. Grandma’s Ramblings Although I have 20 […]

This time of Advent we not only remember the birth of our Savior but we also look forward with anticipation to His return. We sometimes long for that day when evil will finally be completely defeated and peace will truly reign. But what do we do while we wait? We often pray the Lord’s prayer […]

Each Friday I have been posting about an old hymn or gospel song of the church. This week as the news have been so full of the coronavirus and all the disturbing news associated with that, I thought of an old gospel song I have not heard in years. There is so much misinformation out […]

When my husband and I married years ago he told me he used to paint.  However, he only had one painting to show me.  It was one he had given to his oldest daughter.  I found it interesting because if you looked at one way it appears the people were walking forward side by side; […]

We talk a lot about worship.  We write/read books on the subject.  We talk about the “style” of worship we like. There is contemporary worship, traditional worship, liturgical worship.  In some churches the argument over what songs we sing, what instruments we use and whether or not we have a praise team or a choir has actually split […]

As a mother, I like to think that I am a source of wisdom to my daughters, that they look to me for advice and counsel. But it is really great when my daughters share words of wisdom for me. Recently my youngest daughter, who is a pastor, spoke something in a sermon that has […]

Growing up as a Christian I have met people who did not accept the Bible or have any belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  While I have never agreed with them, I can understand how someone might reject the Gospel.  A Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist or simply an atheist might reject […]