Women of Promise

     During this week between Christmas and New Year's Day, I try to set up my planner for the coming new year. Sometimes the planner is an old-fashioned paper calendar and plain old notebook.  Sometimes it is a fancy, shmancy planner with all of the bells and whistles. Increasingly, it is more and more on my phone or tablet as certain apps help keep my spaghetti noodle brain somewhat straight.  I set goals.  I menu plan. I set up cleaning schedules.  I revamp the chore list. I visualize all of the areas that I need to improve. I make lists -- endless lists. 😂 Each year I get excited about all of the great things I will accomplish as I look at the new and improved me that will be if I follow each of these goals out in the coming weeks.       Sometimes some of these goals do actually happen, and I love to look back  at areas of self-improvement.  I have a moment of pride and pat myself on the back.  I may even brag ab...

       One Christmas memory from my childhood is of a particular Christmas cantata my dad sang in.  The title was "Born to Die" and the theme song is burned in my heart and mind to this day. I find myself singing its words many times a year, but especially during the Christmas season. It is a beautiful melody and the words are even more powerful.  As we prepare our hearts this Christmas, I encourage you to take time to think through the reason Jesus came. This wasn't just a vacation from Heaven or a time to check out how the mortals live. This was an intentional and pre-ordained coming of God to earth as a man who was destined to die a crucifixion death. Jesus knew all of this and He knew the anguish and pain that bearing the sins of the world would bring. He knew that He would experience the agony of separation from God as He did this. We know the grave didn't hold Him. Praise God! Jesus defeated death allowing us to live forever with Him! This is the...

      I t is the season of Christmas! What a special time of year as we pause and focus on the birth of our Saviour.  The truly amazing miracle of God becoming man in the form of a baby is worthy a lifetime or more of meditation and praise.  I would love to share just a few random thoughts that have been going through my mind as I prepare my heart for this Christmas season     The gospels tell us all about the life of Jesus as a man. Hebrews tells us why it was important that Jesus, as God, became a man. Hebrews 2:17 tells us:  "He had to be made like His brothers  in every respect so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins of the people."      In order to be the Savior for humanity, it was necessary that that Savior be a man.  Yet, it was also necessary that he be fully God.  The perfect solution was that God became man.  So Jesus willingly...

     One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is the music!  Christmas music brings a special element of joy to the season.  There are so many great Christmas songs in almost every style, from whimsical and folksy all the way to classical.  I am always excited for the time when the radio station switches to all Christmas music so that our car rides are serenaded with the sounds of the season.  The familiar melodies are comforting and cheerful, for the most part.  Many of these songs have been ingrained in my mind since infancy and I can't remember a time that I did not know them.  Just like all familiar music, however, I catch myself mouthing and humming along to lyrics that I know like the back of my hand without giving any consideration to what those words mean!  My older kiddos don't always appreciate this overly analytical approach to music that may cause me to nix a song or two from their playlists at times.  However, f...

Does God know our needs?  He absolutely does!        For your Father   knows the things you have need of before you ask Him .   Matthew 6:8b, NKJV In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus guides us to petition our Father for the most basic of human needs:  food.   " Give us this day our daily bread ."   Matthew 6:11.    He knows what we need, but still wants to hear us ask.  By asking we acknowledge that our very existence is dependent on the provision of our Father.  Even if our pantry is overflowing, we know that it is full only because the Lord has provided that blessing.  Even in a state of abundance, the Bible teaches that our attitudes should remain in a state of need. We are instructed to ask for just enough for this day.  Relying on our Father for our basic needs is important for us to recognize that our existence is in His hands.  This leads our hearts to respond in humility, grat...

  Recently my sister reminded me of a song our dad loved to sing.  My dad loved the Psalms and had a dream to see all 150 of them put to music in a form that anyone could sing.  He wrote music to five of them himself.  The lyrics to this particular song is a paraphrase of Psalm 23, written by Isaac Watts who wrote many hymns in the 1800s.  It was put to an old Southern folk hymn melody and is a simple, beautiful melody that runs through your mind for a long time once you hear it.  If you would like to listen to it, here is one  version of it:  My Shepherd Will Supply My Need .  Here are the lyrics:  My Shepherd will supply my need: Jehovah is His Name; In pastures fresh He makes me feed, Beside the living stream. He brings my wandering spirit back When I forsake His ways, And leads me, for His mercy's sake, In paths of truth and grace. When I walk through the shades of death His presence is my stay; One word of His supporting grace Drive...

   It is very easy to look at the state of our nation and the world and see the sin and depravity that is rampant.  How it must grieve the heart of God even more than it does us!  Yes, we know that God is working everything out for good for those who love Him.  We know that He holds the hearts of rulers in His hand.  We know that He is working this all out as part of His divine plan.  Is His divine plan a great mystery that we are not privileged to know?  No, we do not know the entirety of His plan but we do know that He desires us to turn to Him.  He calls us to seek Him! Nehemiah is a wonderful example in Scripture.  When he heard the condition of his homeland, Israel, what was his response?   When I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of Heaven. Nehemiah 1:4 This was a really, really long prayer -- this prayer was four months long! He prayed day ...