“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalms 51:7-10 NLT Beautiful You[...]
We live in this odd tension of ever-changing rhythms, rediscovered purposes, and many emotions. The good news is, God's view of us remains the same, and we are His beloved children. We need to remind ourselves of this truth and begin to treat God's creation (you) with the same love He has for you! A few things to remember. Be[...]
The Lord places us in situations, and at times these are not comfortable. We are delusional if we think grassy meadows and buttercups will also surround us. Or for this coming season, a hot chocolate, a warm fire and soothing music. As we all know, there are many challenges and stumbling blocks in our path, and one challenging a[...]
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly t[...]
"…And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel." (1 Sam. 15:35 NKJV) Before the HeartSTRONG study of the Psalms and Proverbs began, I wanted to read the part of God choosing David to get myself into the righ[...]
Peace I leave with you; MY peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither them be afraid. John 14:27(ESV). Have you ever said to yourself or to someone, “I just need peace…”? When we look around us today or just go on social media, do we see, hear, feel or experience[...]
And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Luke 24:17 What did you see? The Road to Emmaus Story in Luke 24 is a crazy story for so many reasons. Jesus appears to Cleopas on the day he has resurrected, but God does not allow him an[...]
Once every year, the Christmas season descends upon us. As a child, it was a marvelous time of anticipation and excitement. Perhaps the most exciting time for me (if I am being honest) was the arrival of the Sears Wish Book and the Canadian Tire Christmas Catalogue at our house. Hours would be spent looking at all of the new to[...]
As a child, I always thought of the "church" as a building until not that many years ago. I've come to realize that the church is much more than just the building where we meet to worship and learn about God. The "Church" is a group of people who accepted Jesus as Lord of their hearts and the Savior of their lives. Many of us ha[...]
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8 ESV As I look out on a crisp Fall morning, I see the grass-covered in leaves, the trees bare and exposed to the elements, with their arms reaching towards heaven. Everything is covered in frost. The ground will harden as frost sets in,[...]