Tests make me nervous. In fact, I remember lying in fourth grade to skip writing a math test. I’d been sick with the flu for several days prior, and on the day of my return to school, the teacher plunked a math test on my desk. I took one look at it, felt the fear… [ read more ]
Posts Tagged: Isaiah
How Does a Yearly Focus Word Help Us Grow?
A yearly focus word is a great tool to help us grow in our faith journey. One year, my word was “joy.” It reminded me to reframe the way I viewed difficulties. I learned to see them not as hindrances but as opportunities to experience God’s presence and promises in new ways. Another year,… [ read more ]
How to Remain Confident When We Feel Like Giving Up
How can we remain confident when we feel like giving up? By ignoring the little voice that feeds us doom and gloom. You know how it goes…. Worry whispers that inflation is going to make it impossible for us to pay the bills and we’ll soon end up a homeless statistic. Anxiety assures us that… [ read more ]
Remember This When Bad News Comes
Bad news came to my inbox this week: Someone’s 14-year-old daughter went missing. A husband relapsed into drug addiction. A personal friend landed in ICU on a ventilator. Another friend was diagnosed with dementia. Jesus knows how easily we can lose heart when bad news comes our way. Perhaps that’s why He said, “Don’t let… [ read more ]
Choosing Joy on the Journey
Choosing joy is easier said than done when our life’s journey takes twists and turns as plentiful as the Rocky Mountain road on which Sailor-Man and I are traveling today. We’ve covered these miles many times in the past 40 years. Today’s trip seems one of the easiest because the weather is more like summer… [ read more ]
When the Storm Strikes
It was a September day, and Sailor-Man and I were boating back from Campbell River, BC after attending a friend’s memorial service. And then it happened: the sky blackened. Ominous clouds rolled in. The wind picked up and began whipping waves into froth. Thankfully, we’d seen the storm coming and had time to prepare, but… [ read more ]
Finding Strength to Soar
Sailor-Man and I live within sight of a nest that houses a pair of bald eagles. A few days ago, I caught a close-up of the birds in flight. The sight of these feathered majesties rising on the wind reminded me of God’s promise to strengthen His people, and I breathed a prayer of gratitude:… [ read more ]
Living on a Boat and Spiritual Disciplines
I’m sitting at the little desk in our sailboat as I write this. Inches away I see a systems panel covered in lights and switches. Their labels include, “Fore Deck Lt,” “Courtesy Lts,” “Sanx,” “Grey Water,” “Blower 2,” “Propane Valve,” “Reverse Polarity,” “Nav Inst,” and my favorite—”Collision Avoid.” The mass of switches and… [ read more ]
You are Held in God’s Hands
Living in a marina gives me opportunity to experience many new things. One of those is watching a sling lift boats of all shapes and sizes from the river. This happens every day as boats needing repairs show up at the boatyard. I stand in awe every time I watch the sling do its… [ read more ]
5 Good Reasons to Trust God
Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (NLT). His words—“Don’t let your hearts be troubled”—imply that we have control over worry and fear’s role in our lives. We can choose to let them run rampant or we can choose to trust God instead. Letting… [ read more ]
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