Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

Gardening season is upon us. How I love the days when the sun grows warm drying out our patch. The revving from the barn means the hibernating tractor is waking up ready to prepare the soil. Dad hooks up the rotavator to loosen the hardened ground. He goes over it again with the tiller until it is fine and ready to receive the seeds and plants we have picked out for the intended crop.

The older I get the harder it is to remember things. As the years pass the information filling my brain seems to slip away like sand in a sieve. I grasp a person’s name one minute and the next I am searching every corner of my mind to recall the elusive data. It is truly exasperating! But these are the kinds of things that happen to people with the passing of time.

This has been an exciting week. Luke and Brianna signed the lease for the apartment they will live in after getting married and all of us helped move their stuff into this new home. Three vehicles and one trailer filled with household goods and furniture transported their belongings from one place to another. We packed and moved box after box. Whew! What a big job. But that’s what you do on move-in day!

“Take shelter! Strong and potentially dangerous storms with possible hail damage have been issued for the following counties . . . .” The alert sounded over the radio the other day while I was driving to a nearby mall. I was now in a dilemma. Should I turn around and go home, or should I continue my shopping trip and hope I could find appropriate cover if the storm actually did hit?

There are some sad statements made throughout the Bible. Over and over again we read words of comfort and promises of God’s blessings, but often we choose to disregard His message. God offers us so much, and then sadly has to say, “ But you were not willing.” This has been a very busy season in my life. Graduations, two sons getting married, work, and the regular rhythm of life have all but done me in. I found it necessary in the past couple of months to take a breather from my regular writing schedule so I could rest my body, my emotions, and my mind. Many of you wondered where I have gone. While taking a break from posting I have had time to study and think without pressure. It has been a time of peace and rest.

Pride can take many forms. Some boast in their strength. Some boast in their knowledge. Some boast in their riches. And still others boast in the bling. The way a person dresses says something about them. Men and women alike spend thousands of dollars accessorizing their bodies in all sorts of ways. Rings, body piercings, colorful hair colors, and tattoos have become all the rage. Often these accouterments are meant to attract attention and make the wearer stand out in the crowd. What is the motive behind our overuse of bling and is it really harmless?