I slammed the freezer door, turned on my heels, and scooted out of the kitchen. The only way to stop dipping into the ice cream was to flee. In my hurry, I didn’t notice the freezer door had bounced open.Continue Reading
How Important Is It to Live by Our Convictions?
“Would you pray for me?… It goes against my convictions to promote what they’re telling me to teach.” Or “My company said they’ll terminate everyone who isn’t vaccinated by November 24.”
I’ve received too many such requests recently. Breadwinners feel the pressure of providing for their families. Hundreds of thousands of our military face the possibility of being court-martialed and dishonorably discharged.[1] The pressure and stress is eating some alive. Are you in a situation that’s forcing you to choose between your convictions and something you value—like a paycheck?
How important is it to live by our convictions? Does the Bible offer guidelines for those being pressured to violate their consciences? Continue Reading
How to Overcome Weakness with God’s Strength
How do you overcome weakness?
I rambled into the kitchen wishing I could have stayed in bed. “This is going to be a terrible day,” I muttered to myself. I had a full schedule, and I’d tossed in bed instead of sleeping.
When I have a lot to do, my over-stimulated mind won’t turn off, even when I try to sleep. But it drags when it’s time to get moving. My schedule needed brain power, and my brain felt dull.
That morning I sensed God’s Spirit gently interrupt my prattle. Do you think lack of sleep can squelch God’s power?
Zechariah 4:6 popped into my mind, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts” (NASB).
Of course, God is more powerful than my lack of sleep. He’s greater than my lack of anything. Why was I focusing on how I felt instead of on His strength?Continue Reading
The Double Gift of Easter
Have you experienced the double blessing of Easter?
I started attending a beautiful historic church in Savannah, Georgia nine months before I was born. But the meaning of Easter didn’t impact me until I was in middle school. At a chapel service at Epworth by the Sea, I heard the message that would change the course of my life and afterlife.
Since our family had celebrated Easter my whole life, I was familiar with Good Friday and Easter. But, when the speaker told how Jesus went to the cross for our sins, for the first time, I realized God didn’t just love the world; He loved me! God so loved Debbie that He gave His only Son that if I would believe in Him, I would not perish but have everlasting life (see John 3:16). The realization that Jesus died for me broke my heart.Continue Reading