“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:6-8 KJV If there were ever a time to be daily standing at the ready, it is now. It has become very apparent that the forces of evil are becoming bolder in their attempt to thwart the plans of God. No one and nothing is off limits, the enemy is coming for our children, marriages, families, and churches. We responsibilities we have can sometimes feel overwhelming. How many of you have said to yourself lately, “It is one thing after another”? The above scriptures give us instruction for how to handle and prepare for the times we are living in. First, we must humble ourselves. I cannot and do not want to walk this life without His hand guiding me every step of the way. If I’ve learned anything these last few years, it’s my need for God. Next, we must cast (throw) our cares upon Him. God is big…

Did you know that bees sleep in flowers? They do. This sweet fact was shared with me recently by my friend, who discovered little bees taking naps in her sunflowers. Our great Creator was meticulous when He created our amazing world. The attention to detail, the order in which Creation operates, and the fact that we get to witness His incredible design cannot help but lift our spirits and bring a smile. Psalms 104:12 tells us that God designed trees so birds could live among the branches and sing. Our Creator is wonderful!  When next you hear birds happily singing outside your window, you can know that little bird’s purpose in life is to sing and make a happy melody to please his (or her) Creator and share their joyful song with us. Psalm 65:8 in the Amplified Bible says, “You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.” Think about the morning sun.  It doesn’t just sneak up on us, but it’s as if it shouts with its rays that cover the skies, “Hello, I’m here.  Time to rise and shine!” And how about the sunset with all its beautiful colors: oranges, blues, pinks, and lavenders? What a divine design.  It would…

Faithfulness means loyal, steadfast, unwavering, unshakeable, firm, and dependable. God’s Word declares: “Great is his faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23). “Declare his lovingkindness in the morning and His faithfulness every night.” (Psalm 92:1-2) “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1) “Trust in the Lord and do good. Feed on His faithfulness.” (Psalm 37:3) “His faithfulness endures to all generations.” (Psalm 119:90) “What if some do not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?” (Romans 3:3) God is faithful to His people. We can trust Him and stand upon the rock of our salvation. We are never left alone. I have proven Him over and over throughout my life. As a child, I witnessed the faithfulness of God in my parents’ lives, not only in their ministry and personal lives but in times of need. God provided employment for Dad. He was blessed with promotions and better jobs each time they needed more financially. Even though he was diagnosed with diabetes as a young man, he was directed to a doctor who was trained and did research in that medical area. God faithfully helped him with his health. Some years…

I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. It was the first week of November 2005, and Mark had called out to our girls, asking them to join us in the living room. He began to somberly share that if God did not provide a financial miracle, we would need to end our AIM term in Estonia at least nine months earlier than expected. Costs had proven to be a bit more than the expected budget, and we had run out of funds. Candace, eleven years old at the time, asked her dad, “How much money do we need to stay?” “Three thousand dollars,” he replied. How often have we encountered a big problem and wondered, “How will we get through this one?” Whether it’s a financial situation, a surprise medical problem, or an unexpected family issue that seemingly comes out of nowhere, humans have an interesting way of forgetting important things in the heat of a moment. At times, our forgetfulness includes remembering that our God is always faithful. Reading my Bible, I continually glean more information about His faithfulness. In every situation, God was not the one who became unfaithful; instead, it was the human or humans involved.…