A very good friend and sister in the Lord has been struggling with depression and a type of anxiety which causes her to pass out. Tests indicate that there is no problem with her heart. One day, I felt a need to visit and pray with her. … Read more
Search Results for: "Psalm 121:"
Lifeguards
During the past two years, a water exercise class that I enjoyed was shut down due to the pandemic. Recently, because there were too few certified lifeguards available, its reopening was delayed. Lifeguards are essential to the safe and … Read more
Looking Up!
I feel the winds of God today; Today my sail I lift, Though heavy oft with drenching spray And torn with many a rift; If hope would light the water's crest, And Christ my bark will use, I'll seek the seas at His behest, And brave another … Read more
What Are You So Afraid Of?
It's been said that fear, greed, and/or a desire for power rule the world. Let's consider for a moment how fear affects the world — and particularly us as individual believers. There is truly just cause for fear in today's world. War, … Read more
Hearing God And Heeding Signal Lights
How do we know what we ought to do? Where do our direction and strength come from? A friend once wrote me about how God helps her to know what she ought to do. She experiences His nudging or encouraging when she is making decisions, just … Read more
Mountain Meditation
I grew up looking at mountains. Raised on a mountain just outside the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there was not a day that my eyes could escape looking at mountains. People come from all over the world to behold … Read more
The Fear Of What Might Be
A member of our church called me one day in September to ask if I could help her. She was born in the Netherlands and followed her Canadian soldier fiancé to Canada shortly after the war. They married and had five children. Her husband … Read more
Lessons From Quilting (1): Keep Your Focus
I'm a quilter — some would say an obsessive one. I make dozens of charity quilts each year. If I've learned anything in all that sewing, it's that the needle follows the eye. When I'm sewing two pieces of a quilt together, accurate … Read more
Coming And Going
Seasons in life are just as real as seasons in nature. Yes, some seasons are quick, while some are much longer, and at times, we wish that they would just move on. For me, the season was fall, with winter looming in the not-too-distant … Read more
Peril And Protection
A couple of nights ago, we were awakened by a great commotion outside. Coyotes were in the area — probably in the field behind our house — yipping and howling and carrying on. There were also clear sounds of an animal in distress. That … Read more
You Matter To God
I've written two previous devotionals on the London transit service's slogan, "Every Journey Matters", the first focusing on the word "Every" and the second on the word "Journey". A reader of the Daily wrote to me recently and … Read more
A Reminder
Whaaaaat? One minute I was striding purposefully along the parking lot towards my vehicle, and then, my ankle went under, and I was falling. Strangely, I was not afraid, but my first thought was, "Have I broken my ankle?" Slowly, I felt … Read more
God Is Always With Us
One day, I was studying Psalm 121, and as I do quite often, I checked my Dutch and German Bibles. I noticed that in those two languages, there is only one word for shade or shadow, the emphasis being on shadow. That made me think more … Read more
When Words Fail Us
During the last month, we have seen a number of events of terrible carnage in various places: Ankara, Turkey, October 12th – 97 killed, 250 injured; Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, October 31st – a Russian airliner allegedly brought down by … Read more
In His Shadow
Some of my favourite devotionals are written by missionaries who share testimonies of people from all over the world. One message, in particular, stands out in my mind: the story of an individual from South Africa who has Downs syndrome. … Read more
Holland Weeps
Most of us have been captivated by the news that a commercial airliner was shot down over the Ukraine on July 17th, killing all 298 people on board. Of the victims, 198 were citizens of the Netherlands. We watched the news in disbelief, … Read more
With God's Guidance
There are many such places in the Bible where God speaks to people directly, or through an angel, or by way of the Holy Spirit. But not all of us get such clear instructions. Let me explain. In December of 1966, the company that I worked … Read more
Rushing Waters
My years in farm country were filled with lessons from each changing season. When rainy season came, it would rain for days. The rush of rain was heavy at times and the downpour loud. There would be damage where the streams of water made … Read more
Clear Vision
The early morning sky hung heavy with dark clouds. I hoped that the forecast of no precipitation would be correct. Travelling along the busy multi-lane highway during the transition between rain and snow would be an unnerving journey. Through my … Read more
Praise You In This Storm
I have always been the type to worship and speak to God through music. Both in times of happiness and stress, I find myself singing snippets from songs to help give praise and thanks to the Lord. It's rarely a … Read more
The Legacy Of The Leaf
In years past, I've pretty well cleared up the leaves that are left on the ground after they have fallen and been blown around. Three years ago, I was away a great deal, getting in some good Nana time, as … Read more
God Works Through Friends
An elderly lady with a walker was ahead of me, when the automatic door refused to open and had to be operated manually. I watched as she approached the door, placed her walker against it, and began to push. I … Read more
Monday, Monday
I thought it was going to be just another Monday morning: the usual commute to church, trying to avoid the usual traffic jam, whilst listening to the usual radio program. Just another Monday — until I arrived at the church. … Read more
Holy Mountains
My husband and I toured the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina late in November — after the leaves had fallen, but before the snow came that would bring the skiers to the slopes. The scenes from the parkway and … Read more
Shady Days
Looking through the bedding plants at the nursery recently, I noticed the plants were marked for "full sun", "partial sun", or "shade". This is important information for me, since I have large pecan trees in my yard that shade most … Read more