Mother’s Day is bittersweet for me because my mother went home to be with the Lord twenty-five years ago. We always knew my dad would not live a long life. He had his first heart attack at thirty-nine, and two open-heart surgeries. He used to joke and say the doctors should put a zipper in …
Having to limit my time outside the walls of our home has had some benefits. We have gone through cabinets and closets inside the house and garage. As soon as stores open, Rick will be dropping off sacks of donations to our favorite ministries, and we’ll be wandering the mall just to be around people …
A favorite scripture of mine is Romans 8:28: “All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” Of course, we don’t always recognize those good things when we are going through trials and crises. It often takes time and wisdom brought through life experiences for us …
Life on this earth is always fraught with difficulties, crises, uncertainty. This is nothing new, and wars (whether nation against nation or against a virus) will continue until Jesus comes again. As we shelter-in-place, we do not need to be afraid. While we practice social distancing, we can stay in touch through social media, telephone …
The Corona Virus was already spreading when Rick and I were returning from a trip to South Africa. (I hope to tell you more about our visit to that beautiful country soon.) We transited London’s immense Heathrow airport, had a five-hour layover, then caught a long flight to San Francisco, followed by a two-hour ride …
My daughter, Shannon, pointed out a “Gift to God” section in the Tyndale Life Application Bible Commentary on the book of Acts (page 172) on the excuses we’ve all made at times – and may continue to do so – for not helping the poor and needy. Here are eight of the most common excuses …
Read moreSearching for Solutions to Help the Homeless – Part 3
When finding solutions, it is always helpful to look to Scripture and see what God has to say about our problems. It might surprise you to know the Lord designed a system to provide for the poor. The following are just a few of the scriptures that address poverty. Leviticus 19:9-10 – When you harvest …
Read moreSearching for Solutions to Help the Homeless – Part 2
Over the past few years, our area, along with so many others, has seen a rise in homelessness. Those living on the streets used to find hidden places to camp. Now, they build tarp villages on downtown streets, in city parks and along public nature trails. There is a banner in the largest local encampment, …
Over the past few years, our area, along with so many others, has seen a rise in homelessness. Those living on the streets used to find hidden places to camp. Now, they build tarp villages on downtown streets, in city parks and along public nature trails. There is a banner in the largest local encampment, …
Read moreSearching for Solutions to Help the Homeless – Part 1
The first Pilgrims sailed from England in 1620 — seventy-two men and thirty women (eighteen of whom were adults). During the first winter in the New World, almost half died. Governor William Bradford found it necessary to ration corn; five kernels of corn per day per person. When Captain Jones readied the Mayflower for its …