Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

Many people mistakenly believe that once they become a Christian they will not have any more trials.  Somewhere they have gotten the idea that God's blessings always come in the form of money, health, and other good things.  Though it is true that God does bestow many blessings on us, sometimes those gifts come in strange ways.

The warm breeze caressed the tree branches where the perching birds warbled to one another as Jesus settled down on the grassy mountain. A huge crowd of disciples had followed Him here and listened intently as He taught them important lessons.  Many of these determined followers were poor and hard pressed to provide the daily essentials of food and clothing for their growing families.  Jesus pointed them to the beauty of nature to bolster their trust in the Creator of all things.  "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they? . . .  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Anyone who has turned on the TV recently has been bombarded with the Olympic Games.  It always amazes me as I listen to the biographies of some of the most talented athletes in the world.  I am impressed with how much time and energy these competitors have expended training to win an Olympic gold medal for themselves and for their country.  What dedicated sacrifice and singleness of mind they demonstrate in forging ahead towards accomplishing this objective.

I have always loved Thursdays. Thursday is the promise of Friday - another day closer to the weekend.This day was always special for another reason, too. When I was growing up, my family would gather on Thursday nights around the television set. Mom would toast cinnamon rounds (something similar to a pop tart) and we would snuggle on the couch to watch the next episode of The Waltons. How I loved this country family! They cared for each other and persevered through difficult situations brought on by a large brood living during the Great Depression. I admired Mama and Daddy as well as Grandma & Grandpa for their unconditional and sacrificial love for their children and for their neighbors. And what young girl couldn't help but fall in love with John-Boy?  

I have always loved horses. There is something about the beauty and strength of this majestic creature that has always caught my fancy.  When I was young I had a summer job working with horses and I loved to take care of them, ride them and just watch them.  I always dreamed of the day that I could have my own horse and a few years ago that dream came true when we brought our Tennessee Walking horse, Sonny, home.

This morning I woke up to another cold, icy, snowy day.  Though the snow holds a crisp, clean beauty, the difficulties caused by the subzero temperature start to grate on a person after so many days. The novelty wears off and only the work remains.  As I was grudgingly thinking about all the daily chores that needed to be done I happened to look out the window and saw a breathtaking sight.  The sun had come up and was shining with smiling rays of light through my dining room window.  I quickly ran with my camera to our firewood door and, ignoring the biting cold, ran onto the porch where I snapped picture after picture of this beautiful reminder of God's faithfulness.