You were chosen. You were redeemed. God chose you and He is never wrong. He never makes mistakes. He doesn’t hit delete once you are in the kingdom of God. He doesn’t back space you out of the document He typed. He doesn’t bleach you out of the tapestry of life. He doesn’t photoshop you […]

I move through the landscape of my life propelled by time.  It passes, but will not leave me behind.  It carries me into another sunrise – another day – another sunset – another night. I move through my life like a tear down a face.  I just travel with not a destination in mind, allowing […]

Fear keeps us in bondage – in prison – in a cocoon It isolates us – it divides us – it stops all growth It causes death and destruction It robs us of time, of friends, of family It robs us of our destiny – our ability – our potential It is the fiery dart […]

Deliberately and with great care he ambles toward her.  He takes a seat next to her as he gently grasps her soft hand in his.  I never noticed before how transparent his skin had become – how it hugs every tendon, bone and vessel.  His thoughts come more slowly these days so not a word […]

Grounded in the Truth, with You as my Anchor –  standing on the firm Foundation, my hand outstretched towards her.  Slowly her hand slips through mine – I can still see her – still hear her – but we only connect when the waves push her back towards me –  sometimes for long periods of […]

Sometimes it is easy to discern others as the wicked, the sinners, and the scornful.  But it seems more difficult to see those things that grieve God in ourselves. We point to others to hide the imperfections in ourselves. Read Psalms 1:1-6 and reflect on these points: Where do I walk, sit, and stand, and […]

Most of us forget to counsel with the Lord throughout our day on all the decisions we face.  We think nothing of asking a family member, friend or co-worker for input.  Yet, God cares where we get our advice – He is interested in everything we do. Read Psalms 2:1-12 and ponder these points. Do I […]

We mark time by events – births, graduations, weddings, death.  We see it as a “time line”.  Somewhere in that time line, there is the point marked by our decision to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Our baptism is also on that line.  We are linear thinkers in terms of time.  As we […]

When I die, what will people say at my eulogy? Will they say I was pretty, or that I loved others unconditionally.  Will they say I was fun to be with, or that I gave of myself unselfishly?  Will you hear that I knew how to get a bargain and was a good housekeeper or […]

When it seems the world conspires against me and no one cares, I find myself feeling overwhelmed and beaten down.  It is times like these that I have to consciously take my eyes off of myself, off of those around me, and off of my circumstances, and look to Him who is my Encourager and […]

A flower unfolding: first it’s new and fresh, small and tightly folded.  The fragrance strong yet tiny.  The petals slowly relax and become comfortable – opening more and more – and with it, the fragrance surfaces in its full intensity, completely ostracizing all other odors.  The flower fully opened speaks through that fragrance.  Time passes […]

Changing who I am does not come easy for me.  It is intense work at which I fail miserably at times.  My best gains in change come from meditating or thinking about my day as I lay down to sleep.  I look for things that I did “right” and encourage myself to continue that behavior.  […]

Have you ever received a call from someone who asks your opinion about a decision that they need to make, but they really don’t want your advice – they just want you to agree with whatever plan they have already made? I think they really know that their plan is wrong or has holes in […]

I’m a collector.  I collect things.  Some of my collections enrich and enhance my life and the lives of those around me; and some are as distracting as a hungry alligator in a crowded shopping mall.  I pick things up as I travel including things better left alone.  Like a shopaholic who buys things they […]

My resume says that I am flexible and dynamic, embracing change with ease.  While that statement is true in my professional life, I must admit I have a more difficult time with transforming me, especially in the middle of a trial. I simply want the trial to end quickly with me standing victorious – going […]

My father was in the U. S. Marine Corps where he attained the rank of Sgt. Major.  He served in both WW II and Vietnam.  He knew the meaning of honor.  He knew what it was like to honor others who exceeded his rank, and he knew how to receive honor from the file below […]

Several years ago I was in an Atlanta hotel room sleeping soundly and peacefully.  While in this deep sleep, I heard loud noises and someone yelling.  I pulled myself out of my cavernous slumber to find that I was the source of the noise – I awoke clapping and screaming “Hallelujah” at the top of […]

When my father was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, I immediately turned to the Lord and sought His cure. In the physical, we mobilized doctors, medicine and technology to prolong his earthly existence. My father did not realize that salvation did not come from the performance of ritual of acts, but came from a heart […]

When someone is in the midst of conflict, either with a spouse, a child, a parent, co-worker, employee, employer, company, church, or a friend, the picture they paint of the conflict doesn’t accurately reflect the whole situation. The portion that is painted is tainted by only what that person wants me to know and the […]

The reason we do not forgive is we live in a society that teaches us to see others as disposable – no relationship is worthy of saving. We replace the washer or refrigerator when it is broken – it can’t last forever. We are conditioned that nothing lasts. We extend that thought to people, to […]

Sometimes it is easy to see my enemy as the one who does wrong to me. But my enemy is the devil and his minions, and those things that he plots against me – sickness, temptations, financial ruin, quarrels, and even death. It is easy to see where he could think that God won’t intervene […]

I can’t talk about love without talking about sacrifice, and I can’t talk about sacrifice without talking about mercy. Love is doing what is best for someone else regardless of circumstances, regardless of what I may feel, regardless of what others may do to me. Sacrifice is giving up my position, my plans, my ideas, […]

On more than one occasion, in the midst of a storm, I have been tempted to take matters into my own hands.  The truth is, I have given into that temptation more times than I care to recount.  I have pursued my own ideas for solutions to the gale rather than trust God and His […]

Gossip kills people. That’s right, it kills people – and it kills dreams and futures. It ruins tomorrows for people that cannot overcome the gossip spoken over them yesterday. Every word spoken about a person is either going to sow life or death. Our words are capable of destroying not only those around us, but […]

The adversary wants me to fail. He wants me to lose my faith and lose my courage. He wants me to walk in fear without hope. His mission is to use me for his purposes or destroy me. There is no middle ground for him. Sometimes my circumstances remind me of just how fragile my […]

My brother announced to my dad that he wanted to marry his girlfriend. I was only eight and even I knew that my brother was too young to be married.  His voice booming, my dad said, “Are you willing to die for her?” Hastily, my brother answered yes.  My dad stood to his feet, threw […]

You decided to go on a diet. You have eliminated all food that packs on the weight by cleaning out your fridge and your cabinets.  Then you end up at lunch with friends.  The time comes to order dessert.  You have made up your mind to be strong, to stay on the diet, as each […]

No one is perfect. There was one perfect man, Jesus Christ.  Before Him and since Him, there were none worthy of accomplishing what He did for us.  For those that believe now, and those who have yet to believe, He was, He is and He will continue to be The Perfect Sacrifice, the only One.  […]

There are things that can draw us, tempt us, to waste the time we have been given on this earth.  We are told by the Word that our life is but a vapor – a whiff of smoke – here today and gone tomorrow.  We also know that there is a force that is dark […]

“Someday I will buy you a horse. It will be a beautiful horse and you will love it and care for it. I will watch you ride the horse and admire both of your beauty.”  The sound of those words thunder through the years.  Hollow words, promises unfulfilled, words lost over time.  But she never […]

His meaty hand wrapped around the little guy’s hand so completely that it was hidden. He had a son!  There was nothing that could change the exuberance that lifted his heart upon wings!  He had a daughter, too.  He loved her more than words could draw.  But, this, this was a son – an image […]

The sacrifices were laid upon the altars – two sacrifices – one for the True God and one for an impostor –something inert – made of wood and clay.  Voices booming – blood flowing – 450 calling the god of nothing to burn up one sacrifice.  Nothing – no answer – no flame – no […]

My enemy does not have a face. My enemy does not have a gender. My enemy does not have an ethnicity. My enemy does not practice a religion. My enemy does not have a government. In fact, I have many enemies, but none have any of those attributes.  I divide my enemies into three different […]

He looked her dead in the eyes – deeply – almost passionately – as if he bore the burden of what she spoke.  His hand touched her shoulder and slid softly down to her elbow – so innocent and yet so forbidden.  She couldn’t remember ever feeling so connected to someone.  He comforted her the […]

“We love to walk these trails together. In honor of our 75th birthdays Alton Skipper July 4, 1925 Nita Kurtley Jan 25, 1926″ He walked slightly hunched over – both of his hands shoved down to the bottom of his coat pockets – the collar turned up to provide some minute measure of protection from […]

It shattered in her hands and slipped through her fingers.  What had she been thinking, to lay her treasure out for someone to demolish as she pulled it back.  The fragility of that prize now devastated – devoured.  Her jewel was valueless in the other’s eyes as the dust pooled around her feet like vomit.   […]

The drawing was crude.  It showed the sun, planets and a figure with never ending arms embracing the heavens to the edges unseen.  The caption, scrawled with a child’s hand, read “I ‘heart’ u this much.”  The paper, framed by my fingers tightly grasping it, reminded me that the Lord’s grace and love has nothing […]

“Warm…warmer….hot!” my mother would exclaim as I searched the house for the gift she had hidden for me.  I delighted in those words.  I felt the elation of accomplishment as those words rang in my ears.  My mom always made gift giving and receiving so fun for us when we were kids.  I loved the […]

I was sick, awfully sick, standing in the emergency room – but just barely. I was around 18 years old – alone –my parents were not there to help me. The intake clerk asked me what religion? “What?” I thought, but no words came out. She asked me again. I didn’t know what religion. I […]

This year, I will be more than 20,600 days old! Time is speeding by faster and faster the older I get. I look back on my life and search for periods of thankfulness – periods I can measure. But, like the majority of people, remembering those times of gratitude are like rifling through a junk […]

Everything I looked at through my eye was crooked.  Telephone poles went straight and then bent over sideways.  I asked the Lord over and over again to heal my eye.  It didn’t happen: I had to go through one surgery that would result in me needing another surgery.  I prayed for God to heal that […]

What you see is not my reality Your perception is a deception You only see with your eyes Gaze deeper to see the depth below me The surface is a plain upon which I craft your vision to stop and look no further The curl of my hair The red on my lips The hue […]

When my sister and I were little we would “tell” on each other – running to our mom with the latest “bad” thing the other had done.  My mom would respond many times with, “Well, look at the pot who’s calling the kettle black.”  I really didn’t understand it but I knew that it meant […]

A cow died a very long time ago in our cattle pens – all that remained were bones.  I thought it was cruel the other cows would be penned up in the small space with the skeleton of one of their own even for only a short period.  So I painstakingly picked up every bone […]

During periods of drought, the ground – the soil – splits as it is drying.  As it dries and shrinks, the ground vomits up debris – those things that should not be there for the ground to be rich, fertile and workable.  Every year in drought yields more debris – bigger than the year before:  […]

On November 2, 2012 at 2:39 pm, a tiny infant was born.  He had been in the womb only 25 weeks and he weighed a mere 1.75 pounds.  The doctor, rooted in his medical knowledge, offered no hope for this little babe.  His parents placed their trust in the medical staff and decided NOT to […]

Joy is fleeting like a dove It swells its feathers within my heart And captures my mind with its dance My arms embrace the fullness until My feet move me in its contagious wake Leaving me elated to the center of my being It seems when I am fully immersed in the delight Joy flees […]

You are not here just to take up space Eating, consuming, satiating your appetite Leaving a trail of excrement in your wake You are not a bookmark on this earth A flower pressed against the pages of life. You are not a piece of art- a sculpture - a thing perching idly on a shelf […]

In the vast expanse of the many seashores – there are zillions and zillions grains of sand. The action of the ocean moves the grains – sometimes loosening and moving them to a different location – sometimes packing them in tighter and tighter – layering more grains onto others. Yet in the multitude of that […]

He loved us when He decided to come to earth giving up His Heavenly nature to take on a mortal stature He loved us when He taught us, walked with us, healed, delivered and forgave us. He loved us when He served us and allowed us to serve Him He loved us when He wept […]

We are Christians in the resistance We resist the mediocrity of operating in the grey area We resist doing whatever it takes to succeed We resist knowledge that raises itself above Godly wisdom Instead, we embrace integrity, We embrace doing the right thing even when no one is looking We embrace God’s foolishness which is […]

I love salt! Several of my friends with medical issues have had to give up using the salt shaker. I don’t know how I would survive without salt. I have several containers in my home – it is as important as toilet paper – I just can’t run out of salt! Maybe you are like […]

As Christians, we know that we are called to be ministers in the Kingdom of God here on earth – some to millions, some to thousands, some to hundreds, some to one. We all have a purpose beyond ourselves in this Kingdom.We are all ministers, we are all senders, we are all sowers, we are […]

As I go through each day, I pick up another piece of clothing – something I should leave be, but I don’t – clothing meant for the world – not for me. I should be living in the world and not be the world. But the very thing that I don’t want to do, I […]

I must lay down who I am in order to become the person I want to be. Some things I lay down easily like discards in a hand of Go Fish. They slide off of me like velvet on gold, just falling away. Other things are harder to lose. Stuff clings to me like Gorilla […]

I have this really big trailer – but no truck to pull it. It is full of things – some I put there and some I allowed others to place in it. Some things are mine, others were never mine, but I put them in the trailer anyway. Some things I wanted to take out, […]

My father died in 2005. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and given a year and a half to three years to live. But God saw fit to take him home within a couple months of his diagnosis. The suddenness of his death left me stunned – I knew he would not live much longer […]

The trial you are in is the conception of the testimony you will own. Your testimony is birthed when you use it to help others overcome, and to help yourself through the next trial. The power of your testimony flourishes into triumph every time you share it.You own your testimony – share it to triumph.“My […]

My hands tore open the box and began to methodically empty the contents. Shoved into the moving box without proper packaging was the small basket with the blue hand-made beads. My eyes welled with tears as I was sucked back in time. I was barely eight years old when I first met Mrs. Winslow – […]

A court said marriage is defined differently Oh my – What’s the church to do? I’ll tell you church – This doesn’t change anythingWe serve the highest court with the highest Judge with the highest law that cannot be undone by any worldly legal galleryWe are here to share the gospel both with words and […]

The darkness of the night wraps itself around meYet my mind is cluttered with burdens of the dayMy heart, my soul, be still — Be still my mind I sayThe early sun awakens me before my eyes are openedThe day’s worries yet to be have already loudly spokenWhat to wear, where to go, what to […]

“Greg, get up! It’s another day in which to excel.” When my husband was a child, his father would wake him every morning with those words. Needless to say, he excels at all he undertakes. His father planted good seed in him. A farmer selects seed based on what he wants to grow. Seed is […]

The first day of a high school public speaking class changed me, an extremely shy child, forever. Each student interviewed another and introduced that person in a speech. Things would have turned out different had I have gone before my interview partner. My fellow student pointed out I was extremely quiet so he had a […]

One of the basic principals of Christianity through our personal relationship with Jesus is forgiveness of sins. Jesus says in Luke 6:37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” If we are to strive to mirror Christ, that includes forgiving […]

“Please tell me what it is their business does? How do they make their money?” my friend was asked. Working for a family who was extremely secretive about their lives and business, my friend answered, “It is not my story to tell.” Powerful words that put a stop to the questions and ultimately to gossip. […]

Recently, at a park, my oldest grandchild had a Razor RipStik, which is extremely difficult to ride even for adults. It is similar to a skateboard, but instead of four wheels, it has two wheels – one in the front and one in the back. He had made great progress at controlling it and was […]

Compiled by Marietta Harrell from the NKJV The sum of my experiences cannot describe me The offspring of my womb cannot label me The position I hold for work cannot brand me The possessions I own cannot explain me I was born into the viscosity of darkness (Psalm 51:5) Enveloped in sin I myself did […]

The sum of my experiences cannot describe me The offspring of my womb cannot label me The position I hold for work cannot brand me The possessions I own cannot explain me I was born into the viscosity of darkness Enveloped in sin I myself did not commit I lived chained to a hope in […]