The Rev. Alexander Whyte was a Scottish minister and author of the 19th century known by his congregation as a man of an unwavering grateful spirit. Regardless of the circumstances, he seemed always to find something for which to be thankful. One of his parishioners told a story about a gloomy Sunday morning when a friend commented, just before the service started: “Certainly the preacher won’t think of anything for which to thank the Lord on a wretched day like this.” However, no sooner had the Continue Reading
Sincere ThanksGiving Through ThanksLiving {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
Every year, I look forward to November’s main holiday, Thanksgiving. But I really desire to live a life of ThanksGiving to God by ThanksLiving for Him year-round. Although Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, I enjoy celebrating the time set aside for giving thanks. Maybe you’re one of those people who already has your home Christmas-ready. That’s awesome for you. I say, To each her own. Yet, it’s not my cup of tea. Not even holiday spiced tea. For me, I like both feet firmly Continue Reading
LINKUP! Kingdoms, Rulers… and God’s Sovereignty {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}
The “Histomap,” originally published by Rand McNally in 1931, is an impressive chart fitting 4,000 years of historical information onto a 5-foot-long poster. It provides a reasonably accurate view of what was happening throughout the world while certain world powers prevailed. For example, while it shows the Roman Empire dominance during the Golden Age, it also displays the growth and decline of other contemporary regional powers, such as the Persians, the Gupta Dynasty (Hindus) and the Teutons, Continue Reading
Beware! Halloween Candy on Sale This Week {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
Halloween candy is on sale this week. But before you snatch up your favorite treat, don’t let temptation trick you. We’ve given Eve a hard time for eating the forbidden fruit, but if it smelled like chocolate, I understand. Somebody knew women who like pottery, love chocolate and placed my favorite bar among housewares. I picked up the 14.1-ounce Swiss Toblerone bar and remembered its smooth taste. “I’ll buy it for you,” my friend said. “No, thank you!” I said and dropped it. But Continue Reading
Lord, Help My Countenance!
Sometimes all our favorite coping mechanisms fail us. Sometimes clearing our heads just makes the clutter in our hearts stand out more. Sometimes it’s not a matter of unbelief or challenging circumstances. Call it hormones. Label it mood. The fact is, sometimes despite what we believe, we just aren’t “feeling” it. While there are many ways to help get the truth from our heads to our hearts, I’ve found sometimes hearts are just tired. We get worn out. Weariness settles in. As with Continue Reading
Will Your Convictions Crack Under Pressure {The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}
“Your convictions are only as strong as they hold up under pressure.” — Streams in the Desert devotional Several years ago, our pastor presented the acronym “H.A.L.T.” while preaching about the importance of maintaining a balanced lifestyle and sound mind, especially before making important decisions. The sermon stressed the importance of thinking before acting, especially when people experience extreme Hunger, Anger, Loneliness, or when they are Tired. I’ve never forgotten the acronym — Continue Reading
