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Last year, around this time, the radio station i listen to, #ksbj, in Houston, was promoting an idea.  An idea that instead of new year's resolutions, what if we picked one thing we want to spiritually improve in our lives this year.  Just one thing to bring before God and say, "please teach me about this and help me to do it." I deeply dislike new year's resolutions, but this idea i felt good about.  To be honest, i didn't really think about it.  I remember sitting in my car, driving down the road, listening to the dj describe the concept - probably much better than i did it just now - and before i could even think about it, i just breathed the word, "obedience." And sitting here, at the end of 2015, looking back, i am so glad for that moment.  As a follower of Jesus, and Jesus being someone i generally can't see with my physical eyes or hear with my human ears, learning to hear Him and obey Him, is integral to following Him, and i needed help ...

One of the things that is good for me about going to the laundromat to do my laundry is that it forces me to have some limited contact with complete strangers - something i don't really do naturally.  But i have to have clean clothes, so ... complete strangers it is. Something that always warms my heart is when i see young dads at the laundromat with their kids, taking care of business.  Family business. I don't think young men - or even old men - really really understand how meaningful it is for a child to have that man in their life, respecting the importance of their daily life, dealing with the laundry, or the whatever, and caring for their kids. I don't have a lot of words on this tonight, but i just want to say.  Way to go, dads.  Way to go, lifting up your kids.  Way to go, letting them know that their thoughts and experiences are important to you.  Way to go, being being gentle and caring and firm.  Way to go, being all the things th...

Many moons ago, when i was in college, i had the wonderful benefit of spending most of three summers in Germany, as part of a short term missions program from my college.  One of the things we would do while on missions, is perform street dramas.  Some of the skits we did were ones we were taught while at home, and sometimes we would make them up on the fly. One such made up skit we performed my last summer in Germany, came to called by us, Blind Bethimaeus.  It was re-enactment of the Mark 10 story of Jesus healing the blind man, name Bartimaeus.  Only, in our skit, i played the part of Bartimaeus.  For this reason, and because i think my team leader really enjoyed saying, "Bethimaeus," the skit came to be known, by us, as Blind Bethimaeus. In the skit, to demonstrate my blindness, i would wear a rag, tied on my head, so that it covered my eyes, and i would begin the skit by wandering, literally blind, with my hands stretched out in front of me, feeling my...

There is this verse i have read so many times.  I've memorized it.  I've meditated on it.  And then this morning, i get a text message or a notification or something on my phone, and i read this same verse again with completely brand new insight. The Bible is amazing like that. Let's talk about wisdom.  Did you know there's more than one kind?  James 3 says there is demonic wisdom and heavenly wisdom. The term 'demonic wisdom,' almost seems like blasphemy, but it's right there.  It says "This wisdom ... is demonic."  (It's verse 15.) What kind of 'wisdom' could the brother of Jesus refer to as demonic? Have you ever heard anyone tell you to "look out for number one?"  Has anyone ever told you that you need more ambition?  Yes, i'm aware of the title of this blog. Well, "... if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.  This wisdom is not t...

This is a picture of my beautiful niece, Rachel, after she learned to catch a chicken. Warning to my grammar enthusiast friends: this post is  infected with run-on sentences and sentence fragments.  I saw them, and i'm leaving them there.  Because today, the content is more important than the structure.  Please enjoy. As anyone who lives in East Texas can tell you, a working air conditioner in one's vehicle is a very high priority, especially for anyone who commutes any distance to work each day.  About a year ago, the air conditioner in my car, or rather the fan that makes the air from the air conditioner (or ever so rarely, the heater) blow out of the vents, and into the atmosphere of my vehicle, began to falter.  It took on a temperamental maybe-i-will-and-maybe-i-won't kind of attitude, which i found extremely frustrating.   Even more frustrating, was the strange fact that my husband could get in the car, put his hand on the vent (i'm am ...

The last time we remodeled our house (read, "recovered from a house fire"), we made the decision to downsize our spacious bedroom to make room for a roomier utility area.  This meant eliminating the part of our bedroom which served as a home office.  Two desks, two desk top computers, including the giant, now obsolete, car-sized monitors, had to be eliminated from our floor plan.  I was ok with this because the elimination of the giant office space came with the promise of a black Friday discounted lap top computer, that i could use on the arm of the couch, while watching t.v., visiting with friends, and listening to music, because the more media exposure one gets, all at one time, the best in the long run.  Or that's what i heard. And i did get my lap top and my down-sized bedroom.  A couple of years later, i even got a new bed.  And i have successfully used my lap top on the couch, while watching tv, talking to my husband, and texting with friends,...

Do you know that verse, "Beloved, let us love one another."   ? I know it.  I learned it as a song when i was a child.  Teaching scripture in song is a very successful method for me.  I can't forget it.  Recently, i read that scripture again, and it was the part after the song that caught my attention.  Well, first, let me sing you the song. Queue piano. Beloved. Let us love one another. (echo: love one another) For love is of God, and everyone that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is Love. (echo:  God is love.) Beloved. Let us love one another. First John, four, seven and eight. I turned 39 1/2 this week, and i've known this song since i was something like 4 1/2.  And all that time, i think i've been reading it wrong.  I've been reading the words of this song as an indictment.  I hear this snotty voice in my head, mocking me, "you just don't know God.  you would act righ...