God’s Work; Our Hands (Revisited) “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” While Mary Rogers is taking some much deserved R&R in Minnesota, I offered to provide a couple devotions in her absence. I’ve written a few before so I knew itRead More →
Praising God in Every Language When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself. – Tecumseh, Cherokee ChiefRead More →
Where Could I Go? “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that,Read More →
Harvesting the Fruit of the Spirit “ By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a) Driving through the countryside, we see the bounty that is Iowa in August. The fields are crowded with huge cornstalks and fullRead More →
“Are You Hungry?” This simple question is asked in many places and under many different circumstances. When children come home from school, the question is unnecessary — just don’t get between them and the kitchen. When visiting family members or friends arrive, we welcome them with food and drink, asRead More →
What’s Behind Those Walls? The amount of advice and “how to” information available on television, in newspapers and magazines on how to renovate or remodel your home seems as widely varied as every living situation one could imagine. Depending on your needs, the answer might be to purchase certain equipment,Read More →
Do You Have the Time? Time. To most of us, it’s a precious, but frustratingly elusive commodity. We never seem to have enough of it, and yet we find ourselves wasting it. We’d like to manage it better, to feel that we use it well and productively, that we makeRead More →
The Gift Garden Late July in Iowa is a living illustration of what many of us call “the growing season.” Those who had the ambition and this year, especially, the persistence, to plant a garden are seeing the reward of their hard work. It’s also a time when some ofRead More →
Leaving the Nest Our back yard is pretty quiet. The swing set and the sandbox are long gone, and the bikes, wagon, and miscellaneous toys no longer clutter the space near the garage. The neighbor’s dog who noisily expressed his opinion from the other side of the fence is noRead More →
Lost And Found One of the biggest news stories of the week has been the one about the boys’ soccer team in Thailand that went exploring in an area filled with caves, where they were then stranded deep underground by rising water. Underwater experts were brought in, many watery cavesRead More →