Be Mindful of Your Seeds

"And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed." I Corinthians 15:37-38

I have often marveled at the amount of parables and teaching that comes out of the principle of sowing a seed. The object of the seed is used by Jesus to make many different points of great meaning. It’s a word picture that is easy for us to understand and relate to our lives.

Today, as I read scriptures about the parables of seeding, I thought about my husband and the way he farms his wheat land. He is a good farmer, and always does a great job at doing all the proper things in the proper order. It’s imperative for us to reap a good crop every year. But I wonder what would happen if by some careless mistake my husband planted all the wrong seeds?

What would he do? Would he tear up the entire field to start all over with the planting process? Cost prohibitive. Would he just take whatever plant happened to grow and make something out of it? Most unlikely. Would he have a nervous breakdown? Probably.

Seriously, I think my own parable tells us that we should be careful what seeds we are planting. They will grow, they can’t help it. But what will they produce? I want only the best and most productive seeds planted in my life. I never want my farming efforts to be in vain, producing a product that will offend, mislead, or damage someone else. I want to help feed the world with good fruit. I know you do too. Be mindful of your seeds – before you plant them.

Dear Lord, bless my seeds and make them into fruit You can use. Forgive me when I am careless.

Science vs Revelation

 "Science is showing that you and I are crafted with astonishing precision so that we can, on occasion, peer into a spiritual world and know God. And rather than dispel the spiritual, science is cracking it open for all to see." Barbara Hagerty

I sometimes get discouraged at the efforts the world is making to erase God from the hearts and minds of people. We hear the negative theology shouted that man is his own creation, or that we are here by sheer accidents of nature.

The whisper of the enemy tells me that soon everyone will be convinced that God never existed at all. This is the lie of all lies.

The smarter man gets, the more likely he is to prove God does exists and that He alone is responsible for the galaxies and beyond. Man can't help it - he has a inborn need to discover. And the only real thing there is to discover is God. Behind and underneath everything is God - waiting to be exposed. It's only a matter of time before all the scientific maneuvering will make the crack that God will shine through.

We need never fear that "they" will win. We already know who holds the victory.

Are You Being Taught or Made?

"We are inclined to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching. In actual fact, it is to be turned into something even better than teaching, namely, character. The mountaintop is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something. There is a terrible trap in always asking, “What’s the use of this experience?” We can never measure spiritual matters in that way. The moments on the mountaintop are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God’s purpose."
Oswald Chambers/My Utmost For His Highest

What a profound statement this is. Many of us tend to think in terms of God teaching us rather than Him making us. Anyone can teach...only God can make.

My husband and I had a discussion last night about Christians who never do anything. By that I mean they are content to be saved and in their own little world without impacting those around them in any significant way. I find it hard to relate to people like that. There is so much to be done and so many opportunities to reach out and make a difference. If we are truly letting God make us into his image, how can we not do something?

Maybe my impact isn't as big as I would like it to be, but I cannot just sit on what I know. I don't want to just be taught, I want to be made.

Run to the Most High God

“Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘You are my place of safety and protection.’ You are my God and I trust you.”


Psalm 91:1-2


How many times have we been rescued by God? We cry HELP when we are in trouble or don’t know where to turn. He is faithful to cover us, and protect us from ourselves. I personally can’t imagine how to live without his sheltering arm.


But I’m not sure God’s children fully comprehend the magnitude of that protection. The arm of our Creator is broader and longer than our minds can fathom. The fact that He would outstretch it just for me is an expression of his loving character. All I need to do is to go to Him, trusting He will do as He says.


It’s not that God needs to acknowledge us, He does that in ways we don’t even realize. But when do we acknowledge Him? Only when we need help? Only when danger lurks? He is ready to gather us in every minute of every day. He watches and faithfully guides all who look to Him.


As a child, I knew my parents would be there if ever I needed them. When I was in danger, I would run to them. Our Heavenly Father waits like a caring, protective parent. But his power to protect is mighty. Our praise and thanksgiving should rise up accordingly, for his shelter is undeserved.

God Sees The Heart

1 Samuel 16:7


“But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Why is this such a hard concept to grasp? I don’t know very many people who don’t struggle with this reality on a daily basis. We don’t have to be obsessed with self to forget the importance of a clean heart. We don’t have to be overly vain or self-centered to fool ourselves into thinking the condition of our heart is under lock and key – not visible to God or anyone else.


God looks at our heart because He knows therein lies our true self. The condition of that vital “organ” is the barometer for everything else we do and say. If it is covered with layers of fear, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy or even indifference, the heart will be uglier than any imaginable disfigurement of our outward appearance.

When beauty, youth and robustness are the standards we use to measure our value or someone else’s value, we are dangerously missing the mark. I say dangerous because when we are distracted from the true measure of a man, we cannot meet their needs. We may miss what God is calling us to do in and for the world.

Pray every day for the eyes of discernment – the eyes that see others as God sees them. And even to see our own hearts for the condition they are in. Only then can we effectively make an eternal difference.

Our Nation Under God Quotes

"I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another....and finally that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation."
George Washington

"Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God....What a Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be."
John Adams

God Bless our nation UNDER GOD. Happy Birthday America.

Quotes for Inspiration

I am on vacation this week, but I hope to post here and there. I have selected some quotes for thought that I will be posting instead of my usual devotionals. I hope you will enjoy them and pray for our country. We have as a nation steadily let politics turn us from our founding father’s dream for the United States of America. Embracing any and all religious freedoms is the right of every American. But as Christians, let us not forget our Creator, the truths of the Bible, and the good news of Jesus Christ as the first and steadfast foundation of our faith. 




Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

John Adams
2nd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence
"Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God ... What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be."
_{--Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9.}
Patrick Henry
Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."
_{--The Trumpet Voice of Freedom: Patrick Henry of Virginia, p. iii.}

You Can Count On It

“And then God answered: ‘Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming-it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.’”     Habakkuk 2:2  The Message Bible

Timing is everything. God’s timing that is. But if He says something is coming, you can bet your life it is coming.

When you feel God has given you something to do, a desire, a passion, then wait. Wait, write it down. Keep a journal, prepare yourself. In his time, it will come to pass. It will seem slow while you wait – we are impatient beings. But if He put it in you He will bring it about.

Remember that God starts the work – it all originates with Him. But in his graciousness He allows us to be his instrument. We are partakers of the gifts he bestows on us. The hard part is to let Him teach us all He wants us to learn. We want to venture out before it is our appointed time. But He will complete the work in His time and we must let Him.

Keep hold of your dream, nurture it, and write it down. Then wait and see what He will do.

Holy Ground

When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”  “Here I am!” Moses replied. “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your father - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.  Exodus 3:4-6


This passage almost sounds like science fiction. We have all seen the movie The Ten Commandments haven’t we? The scene with Moses at the burning bush is low on special effects, but accurate in dialogue. Moses had been curious when he saw the glow of fire on the mountain, and couldn’t stand it any longer. He had to go see what God looked like – even if it cost him his life.

Moses actually got very close to Jehovah, close enough to be afraid to look at Him. God had to tell him to take off his sandals because the ground around the burning bush was “holy ground.” He called Moses by name. The presence of God was overwhelming for Moses and he was forever changed. He was a chosen man, but still just like you and me.

I have to ask myself, have I ever gotten close enough to God that He would ask me to “remove my sandals” because I stood on holy ground? Have I ever been curious enough about the God whose fire burns on the mountain that I felt compelled to see his face – no matter what the cost?

Maybe a trip to the mountain is what you need today – what we all need. I know I will have to work at allowing God to give me courage to go deeper. I will admit, in some ways, I’m scared. But I know someday I will see him face to face, and I want him to call me by name.

Who is Our Defender?

Psalm 35:22-24 (New Living Translation)

 ²² O Lord, you know all about this.
      Do not stay silent.
      Do not abandon me now, O Lord.
 ²³ Wake up! Rise to my defense!
      Take up my case, my God and my Lord.
 ²⁴ Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice.
      Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.

It happens to all of us eventually. Someone misinterprets a situation and turns it against you. You are slandered and punished for something that wasn’t your fault. It happened to me last week. I was shocked and stunned to experience repercussions from an innocent misunderstanding. Someone felt they could only save face by passing the buck and pointing the finger at me, ending our collaboration.

I was crushed. Not because I lost out on a beneficial opportunity, but because my reputation had been tarnished for no reason. As the Psalm says, “Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.” I got over it pretty quickly by God’s grace.

So how do we find a defense for the wrong done to us? We don’t always have any recourse. In my case, I did write a letter to the powers that be to explain the truth of the matter. But who knows if it will take the blame off me. My only real defender is the Lord. He has seen the situation from the beginning. He knew it would happen, and He is the only One who can raise the sword of defense. I have made my claim and can do no more. The rest is up to God.

We cry out for God to declare us not guilty, but He may not always rush to set things right. He may want to see how we react, behave, pray and grow from the incident before He takes up our case. When we submit to his will for our lives, He will make things right—his way and in his time.

My ultimate goal is to do what Jesus would do. He knows what false accusations feel like. He knows what it is like to have to wait for the Father to rescue. Ultimately, He wants to see our character changed to be more like him. This is not our home, and someday all our accusers will bow—not for what they did to us, but in recognition of the Lord who is our defender.

Lord, please come to our rescue. But mold me in the process. Help me to know You will take care of any situation that distresses me. Thank you for defending me.

Who, me?

Her children stand and bless her.
      Her husband praises her:
 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
      but you surpass them all!”
 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
      but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
 Reward her for all she has done.
      Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Proverbs 31:28-31

I used to hate reading this passage in the bible. Only a man could describe such a perfect woman. She sounds like the kind of woman I could never be. She sounds like the woman that other women have a hard time being friends with. It would be too difficult to measure up to a friend like her.

But this woman is only an ideal. This fictional woman doesn’t exist exactly as she is written. What is not written about this woman is that she has low moments, temptations, distractions, hormones and bad hair days. Just like you an me! Yet an entire chapter is devoted to this accomplished woman. Hard not to be jealous, huh.

Well, guess what…God sees us as that woman. He knows who and what we could be, and always looks at us through the eyes of great love—despite out shortcomings, failures and bad moods. When we see a haggard, frazzled woman who is always one step behind, He sees a woman of value—“more precious than rubies” (v. 10).

We can’t be this woman in all aspects every day of the week, but if we set our hearts toward pleasing God, we will gather in her attributes. In fact, we may be even a bit more wonderful. After all, she didn’t have to run the kids to soccer practice, bake cakes for the fundraiser at school, fight the crowds at Walmart, change all the batteries in Johnny’s electric toys, put up and take down all the Christmas decorations….well, you get my point.

So give yourself some credit and a break. You don’t have to be the Proverbs 31 woman 24/7, and God loves you even when you fail at it. Keep your eye on the prize of God’s eternal love and mercy, and when you see Him face to face, you won’t be ashamed.

The Plan, The Victory, and The Praise

“He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”  2 Chronicles 20:15

King Jehoshaphat was pretty shook up when he was told there was a great army on their way to make war on him and his kingdom. He gathered all the people he could in Jerusalem to fast and pray for guidance from God. Things looked grim until the Spirit of God fell upon one of the men there. His message was clear—fear not, this is My battle.

What seemed impossible to the people was already in the hands of their God. When they obeyed Him and went into battle with song and shouting praise to God, the enemy was defeated before the battle even began. God had a plan—therefore the battle did not belong to Jehoshaphat’s kingdom. It belonged to the One with the plan. God gave instruction for the plan and the people believed and followed.

God received the glory for the victory because He shared his plan with the army. If they had gone their own way and either froze in fear or marched in at the wrong time, they surely would have been defeated by the enemy.

Do you want your battles to be won? Do you want God to have the glory for your victories? Then follow his plan. You need not fear if you will listen for his voice of command. He will go before you, and as you praise Him and stand your ground, He will provide a miracle for you. The children of God from the Old Testament were familiar with God’s voice, and had already seen his hand upon his people. They had practiced trusting Him for generations. They knew when God was speaking.

Listen, praise, stand, trust, obey and rest in the spoils of your victory won by God. The battle is really not yours. Give it to the One with the plan.

How Do You Know?

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:1 & 3


My sister is a teacher, and has worked for 20+ years at a partially underground school. She has spent many hundreds of hours in that place. Over the last 8 years, she and 4 other long time teachers in the building developed breast cancer, and several others experienced other major health problems. The building is equipped with a radon filtering system that has not always worked properly, and hardly ever maintained. The EPA is finally getting involved in an investigation.

Even though there is no clinical indication yet that this invisible radon causes breast cancer, my sister and her colleagues are convinced without a doubt that there is a link between their cancer and radon, or some other unseen thing in that property. They have witnessed the effects, and no matter what the outcome of the investigation, they will go to their grave believing the evidence.

So it is with those of us who have faith in a God that we cannot see, smell, taste or touch. We have witness in our hearts and minds that tell us He is near to us and will greatly effect our lives. Like the invisible radon gas, the more time we spend with Him, the more He touches our lives. The only difference is that radon kills, and God gives us life, rest, peace, joy and an opportunity to spend eternity with him.

Why is it so hard for people to bow to a God like that? Why is it easier to spend time fighting an unseen gas, than it is to spend time with an unseen God who wants to communicate his love to us personally? Maybe that sounds silly, but it’s true. The world will chase the unseen things that will never last, but will ignore the loving God of the universe.

The scientists cannot prove He doesn’t exist, any more than they can prove that radon causes breast cancer. But He does exist. The evidence is all around us. I know that I know that I know, and like the uncounted other Christians in this world, I will go to my grave believing and serving my Creator.

What's Your Plan?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer. 29:11

How many of us go through our week, planning this, planning that. Most of the time we don't even think about what God might have planned for our time and life. Caught up in the scheme of life, His plan is taken for granted.

Many times I have caught myself plodding along in a certain direction, looking behind me to see if God is following. "Come on Lord, bless me in this place I am headed." Then if I pay attention, He gently takes my hand and guides me back to his plan.

Prosperity, protection, hope and a future are what He plans for us. Why then wouldn't we want to walk in HIS way? Could it be that we just can't see the distant future as He does? We don't see with his eyes. We don't even love ourselves as much as He does. His plan stems from a kind of caring a Father has for his children.

Let's ask today...Lord, reveal to me your plan.

Don't be a fool...

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
Proverbs 3:13-15

First of all I have to comment on the fact that wisdom is referred to in the female gender. How great is that!? Sorry, that’s just a personal observation that tickled me. I’m sure there is a reason behind that, but that’s not my focus today.

The bible talks a lot about fools and the folly of mankind. There are many warnings in scripture about knowing and being attentive to God’s voice. A fool will only hear his own voice and obey it above any other.

This encouragement to gain understanding and wisdom is serious business. Our spiritual lives will stagnate without this dynamic duo, and without them we are pulled back into the world, not caring about the impact our foolishness has on those we love.

God compares wisdom to silver, gold and precious gems. He wants us to value and desire wisdom as we would covet all those prized possessions. If our heart is hungry for God, and our prayer is to stay right, wisdom and understanding are life to us.

The great thing is that it’s all available to us. He has given us his word, his Spirit, and his very voice to teach, guide and direct. Our job is to seek, listen and heed. Then we will be blessed with fellowship with God, better relationships, effective spirituality and joy.

Don’t be a fool—be a treasure hunter.

Do we realize what we have?

“Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘You are my place of safety and protection.’ You are my God and I trust you.”
Psalm 91:1-2

How many times have we been rescued by God? We cry HELP when we are in trouble or don’t know where to turn. He is faithful to cover us, and protect us from ourselves. I personally can’t imagine how to live without his sheltering arm.

But I’m not sure God’s children fully comprehend the magnitude of that protection. The arm of our Creator is broader and longer than our minds can fathom. The fact that He would outstretch it just for me is an expression of his loving character. All I need to do is to go to Him, trusting He will do as He says.

It’s not that God needs to acknowledge us, He does that in ways we don’t even realize. But when do we acknowledge Him? Only when we need help? Only when danger lurks? No, He is ready and waiting to gather us in every minute of every day. He watches and faithfully guides all who look to Him.

As a child, I knew my parents would be there if ever I needed them. When I was in danger, I would run to them. Our Heavenly Father waits like a caring, protective parent. But his power to protect is mighty. Our praise and thanksgiving should rise up accordingly, for his shelter is undeserved.

It Just Never Ends

"You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever." Psalm 16:11


I've been a Christian for all of my adult life. I've fallen short more times than I care to admit, and I've had victories and grace that I didn't deserve. I have searched the scriptures, written about God, and shared His word with others in studies, speeches and song.

What continually amazes me is that in my 40 or so years of knowing Him, what I actually know is only a drop in the bucket of all there is to discover. I will say part of me is frustrated over that. Part of me is excited. Mostly, I'm just dumbfounded.

We never arrive, and I'm one of those people who wants to arrive. But God wouldn't be a god worth worshiping if we could come to the end of our knowledge of Him. His greatness and vastness has to be beyond time and space, beyond our comprehension in order to be God.

So we keep striving to understand, know, connect and discover with our creator. It will take eternity to satisfy me. So glad I accepted the invitation to go.

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 9:38-39


Can anything separate us from the love of God? Is there anything we can do to cause Him to stop loving us? This scripture says an emphatic no. I don’t know about you, but I can’t quite wrap my head around this. I know it is true, because the word says so. I know God well enough to know his character would not allow Him to let go of us. His parenthood is a bond that cannot be broken.

As the mother of a prodigal child, I find this scripture comforting. To know that the Father still watches over, cares for, chases and waits for my child is what every parent stands on – especially for those who are separated indefinitely from that loved one. Even though I don’t fully understand the depth of meaning for this fact, I know I must cling to it.

The truth is that God does not love with human love. There it is in a nutshell. We measure God’s love with human love and come up so short that we can’t comprehend the depth. You can only measure God with God. Nothing else makes any sense. So we live by faith that He means it when He says his love is never ending and all encompassing.

Father, I live by faith and rest in the knowledge that you will never leave or forsake me or my beloved child. Help me to understand your love for us.

Give Honor To One Another

“Love each other like brothers and sisters; Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves.” Romans 12:10

Here’s a tough one. It’s not hard to do, just hard to remember to do it. Giving others more honor than we give ourselves. Just as Jesus gave honor to the Father, we are to esteem others higher than ourselves.

I don’t believe this necessarily means just with words of praise or compliment – words can be said loosely and without meaning. I do believe it’s the attitude of the heart that overflows into honor and respect for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and in the world. And the simple truth is that it’s a commission from God, not an elective service.

I have only a few friends and acquaintances that I can always count on to have a word of praise or encouragement that I know truly comes from a genuine attitude of honor. I am usually pinched with a reminded when I see them- a reminder that I fall short of this gift. All I need to do is to ask the Lord to give me this change of heart and He will do it. The rest is up to me to develop the behavior that goes along with a new attitude.

Troubles and trials may consume us, and if we let them, will draw us back to the preoccupation of self. It is only through commitment to the vision of true love for others that will keep us mindful of our commission. When we sign up with God, we sign up for a lifelong job of caring for those we come in contact with, and the equipment we use for the job is the Holy Spirit in us and the word of God.

Yes, it’s a tough one – only because we make it so.

Dear Lord, forgive me for failing to give honor to those you have placed in my life. Remind me daily to work on changing my heart.

Can You Hear Him?

And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.
“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! John 5:37-39

Have you ever opened a cupboard door to look for something and can’t find it. Then you step back and take another look. It was right in front of your face. You may have expected the item to look like something else, or you may have been distracted by the package of Oreos on the shelf. It could be that you didn’t really think the item would be there, and so you skimmed right over it.

It can be that way with seeking and hearing the message God has for us. Jesus said we search everywhere to find the message, but often come up empty hearted because we have no faith. Or perhaps we have been distracted, or think that God’s message will come a certain way in a certain form. It’s too easy to miss out on the message unless we truly believe there is a message to be heard. God seeks us out to commune with us. Are we too distracted or busy or skeptical to hear Him?

When we are born again, our spirit is joined with God. We are then programmed to be able to hear the voice of God. He whispers to us, and even if we don’t recognize it, He guides us in our spirit.

Tune your ears to Him so that you may hear his personal message to you. He desires to build you up with his words and point you to Christ.
Father, help me to hear. Point me to yourself, and teach me how to live.