Living here in Canada, we have a famous coffee shop that many Canadians visit daily: Tim Hortons. Because of its popularity, it’s not unusual to see this chain referenced online. One meme in particular caught my eye. It said, “In Canada, we don’t say ‘I love you.’ We say, ‘Goin’ to Tim’s, want anything?’ and it means the same thing.” It gave me a chuckle, but also resonated with me. How I say “I love you” isn’t always by vocalizing those three little words. Early in our marriage, my husband and I set some boundaries based on the principle of…
I grew up as a self-professed “daddy’s girl.” In my eyes, he was bigger than life. He wasn’t a large man by most standards, maybe 5 feet 10 inches tall, medium build, probably pretty average by most measures—but to me, he was my hero and a giant. I feel blessed that even as I grew up, through my teen years and beyond, he remained a constant in my life and someone I continued to admire and turn to for answers to life’s complex questions. But sometimes, in certain situations, familiarity breeds contempt. We often don’t value enough those who are closest to us. We can take for granted that they will always be there, or even discount their opinions or advice in favor of outside influences. God Himself came in flesh to earth, but because He was familiar—Mary and Joseph’s son, James’ brother—He was unable to do any great works in Nazareth, aside from healing a few sick people. They were skeptical and unable to believe Him for the miracles, signs, and wonders He wanted to perform among them. I have an interesting question for you today: Do you keep God in a box? God is infinite and beyond our…
When I sit down to read my Bible, I am not simply spending a dutiful fifteen minutes. Instead, I am on a treasure hunt. With a pencil or highlighter in hand, I read with anticipation, waiting for something to speak to my spirit. Underlining or highlighting those words makes the experience more personal and helps etch them in my heart. This small action trains me to expect discovery—to uncover the nuggets of truth that the Word of God is so rich with. This process came to mind recently as I listened to our administrative assistant address our team. Nastasia shared that, in her role in upper management, she tries not to focus solely on what needs correction—though that is certainly part of her job. Instead, she intentionally looks for what is going well and for reasons to celebrate. She encouraged us to always have something to celebrate. As someone who is usually looking for a reason to throw a party, I quickly embraced that concept. I decided this year I would look for the good. With “highlighter” in hand, I want to anticipate what God has for me this year. I am convinced that we too often miss the joys found…
As my husband and I walked out of a grocery store, we were greeted by a brilliant sunset. Pastel pink and purple hues merged with the darkening sky. A few nights later, the sky was decorated with a full moon gleaming over the suburban landscape. Each day, God paints the world. His canvas is the earth and sky. We often pass by one of the most accessible sources of inspiration—the beauty of God’s creation. Because we are occupied with responsibilities, it does not occur to us to pause and take in the beauty around us. Our minds are so clouded…
Years ago, my husband and I were traveling and stopped for a meal at a restaurant. As we were leaving, I noticed a box beside the register with entry forms for a free meal. I filled one out and dropped it into the box. A few weeks later, I received a call from the restaurant. My entry had been selected, and I had won a free meal. We didn’t pass that way again for a long time, and we couldn’t redeem the offer. Even so, it was fun to receive that phone call. Before stopping at that restaurant, I didn’t even know the offer existed. But because I showed up, I was given the opportunity to receive a free meal. Blessings Are Waiting for You Could it be that we sometimes deprive ourselves of blessings because we don’t show up where blessings are being poured out? Consider this thought-provoking verse: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is” (Hebrews 10:25, KJV). During Jesus’ days on earth, people traveled from many places to be where He was. They showed up. Once they arrived, they were blessed by His teaching, His miracles, and His presence. Some of…
Laundry in Cyprus When my husband and I ministered in Cyprus for three months, our apartment had a brand-new, front-loading European washing machine. After some challenging laundry experiences in other parts of the Middle East, I was grateful to have such a nice appliance. There was just one problem: all settings were in Greek! I consulted the manual and matched the machine’s symbols to those in the book, with English explanations, and before long—voila! —I was confidently washing our clothes. Rejected Instruction Manuals Have you ever tossed aside an instruction manual when you got a new appliance? Maybe you thought, this will be easy. I don’t need to read that boring pamphlet. It would take too much time. I can figure it out myself. Then something didn’t work quite right. You grew frustrated and assumed the appliance was defective—when, in reality, all you needed was a little guidance. Reading the instruction manual could have saved you a lot of unnecessary aggravation. God’s Instruction Manual Trying to live the Christian life without reading the Bible is like trying to operate a new appliance without reading the manual—only far more frustrating. Second Timothy 3:16 (KJV) says, “All scripture is given by inspiration…