How well are you weathering the storms in your life? When trouble hits and you feel under attack from the world, are you filled with peace and strength? Do you wish you could be? What if you could face your greatest trials filled with peace and a confident heart? What difference would that make in […]
Sometimes silence is maddening, isolating, debilitating. Especially when you find yourself suddenly in a season of silence and you’re not hearing those confirmations from God or from those around you. When you have to just keep pushing forward, not knowing exactly how you’re doing and if you’re on the right path. Have you ever found […]
An Advent prayer for peace. In this prayer for the second week of Advent, pray for peace on earth and peace in your own heart. Heavenly Father, Lord of All, come and fill this world with your peace. May there be an end to hatred and division among your people. Cease all the fighting and […]
I watched as he grabbed his Children’s Bible and began to thumb through the pages, looking for the perfect story for bedtime. This was his favorite bedtime book, the one we always had to read just before we turned out the lights. We’d read it so much, he could practically recite most of the favorite […]
Up, up, up. Higher and higher I climbed. One big branch to another, until I was higher than I’d ever been. Higher than I was really comfortable with, but the tree trunk was thick and sturdy in my arms. I paused at each branch, marveling at how much progress I was making, how much I […]
I can still picture the house. The small, white house on a traffic circle beautifully landscaped with a rose garden and benches in the center. Afternoons spent sitting in the living room, surrounded by my mother, my grandmother, and cousins Myrtle and Inez. Some days I’d sit there as they played a game of bridge. […]
I remember the first time I saw an icon. My aunt had begun a new hobby of painting icons and was showing us one she’d just completed. I thought it was a strange painting. The face was flat, features somehow distorted. It was clearly full of symbolism, but I wasn’t sure how to interpret it. […]
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and […]
If you’re being honest, how would you describe your prayer life right now? Strong and vibrant, something you crave and leaves you feeling invigorated, a time you feel God’s power and receive His guidance? Or, lukewarm, stale, a task to check off each week, a list to ramble through, but not feeling the impact? Or, […]
Daily prayer for families. Pray for your family relationships to be stronger and faith-filled. Pray for your family to be filled with God’s love and peace. Holy and Almighty Lord, I give thanks today for my family. May you fill each of us with your love and lead us closer to you. Help us enjoy […]
We all need to say a prayer for protection from evil and temptation. Use this prayer daily to call upon God to provide a hedge of protection around you and your loved ones. The forces of evil surround us in this human world. This can be a dangerous world – both from external dangers and […]
My grandfather was a child of the Great Depression. His mother died in childbirth with his younger sister, his father died of a broken heart that Christmas. A family in their church took in the three kids, but times were tough, provisions meager. I remember his stories of how they’d find joy with nothing more […]
Yesterday was an unseasonably beautiful day. After weeks of cold and wet weather which kept us cooped up in the house (what many of you probably call Fall), the weather suddenly turned sunny and warm. I took the kids to one of our favorite parks to go hiking and spend some Sabbath rest together. Enjoying […]
5 Ways to Be Patient Waiting On God's Timing – Prayer & Possibilities
Are you in a season of waiting? Longing for God to move you to the next step in your journey? Ready for God to deliver on his promises in your life? Waiting on God’s timing is hard. His timeline is almost never aligned with the one we desire. Yet, his timing is always perfect – […]