Category Archives: fear

F-E-A-R

I have been thinking lately about fear.  It seems to be all around- everywhere I look, I see it, and even at times it rises, in me.  And seeing all this fearfulness makes me sad.  Sad because I know it isn’t the way our heavenly father wanted this world to be.  In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul writes these important words to Timothy, For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

Pickpockets

The first few weeks living in Paris were so cold, but it was January, after all. Even the heat could not keep up with the freezing temperatures outside. I was so thankful for my new friend. I had never met Carrie in person, but we had been communicating by email for several months. Carrie had offered to take me around Paris; what a blessing was. She took me on the metro and showed me “the ropes” by giving me lessons on reading the metro maps and buying tickets, and then she warned me about pickpockets.

Getting Your Zzzzzz’s

One of the not so fun parts of getting older is not sleeping as well as I once did. As a child, I slept like a baby- well, actually better than a baby, I slept all the night through. Sleeping well has served me well all of these years. But more recently, I have found my sleep patterns to be a bit broken up. Waking during the night may seem unpleasant, but actually, it has its good points. I get a lot of reading and writing accomplished.

As It Happened…

It was the late fall of 2012; I was beginning to think about a move to Paris, France. It wasn’t something I ever saw coming. No, if you had asked me where I might live, Paris was NOT one of the places. Maybe, Europe somewhere, but definitely Not France!

Just Tell Your Story!

A friend recently asked me what is the best way to tell someone about Jesus? My response, just tell your story. Tell where you have been and where God has brought you. Tell them what your heart looked like when it was stony and cold and how it functions now as a heart of beating flesh. Share your journey; tell how you met Jesus. Tell about the power of the Holy Spirit inside of you. Tell what he has done for you, how he has changed you. It is your story, and it is for sharing.

A Flood of Light

Last night, we babysat our four young grandsons so that their mom and dad could get a much-needed evening out. Putting four young boys to bed is a challenge, but oh, how I love the conversations we have when the lights are finally put out, and we are giving them the last kiss goodnight. As is usual, last night, more songs were requested.

When the Shadows Shift

We live out on some land and so at night it gets to be what we call “country dark”- no street lights, no significant light coming from the closest neighbors- just complete darkness. The only nights we have good light are those of a full or harvest moon. And because it’s so dark, if you have to venture outside to close up the chicken coop or really for any other reason, any bit of light is a profound blessing.

Fear or Faith?

No matter where you stand concerning our political world today, if you are a believer in Jesus, then this is a Psalm that applies to you. It only takes a cursory look to see that the world is chaotic and tumultuous. Our world’s condition reminds me of pieces of a puzzle thrown onto a table looking for some kind of order. And this chaos and disorder can easily drive us to become fearful. We can be fearful that the problems the world is facing are just too big. And we can start to believe that God’s hand of protection might not be enough!

How Not to Stay Lying in the Dust

“I lie in the dust, revive me by your words.” Psalm 119:25 It was two in the morning, and Janet had been tossing and turning all night.  She had tried everything to help her sleep, warm milk, a heating pad, and even some melatonin.  Yet here she was still struggling, with morning just around the corner.  This wasContinue reading “How Not to Stay Lying in the Dust”