When my youngest brother was five, he changed clothes often because he wanted to look like my dad. He’d watch Daddy enter a room, then he’d dart toward his own closet to find a way to match his hero. If Daddy changed into khaki pants after work to tend his garden, Carson would toss his clothes down the laundry chute, change into khaki pants, and follow my dad outside. He didn’t even care about losing playtime. Scripture instructs us to “put on” the same characteristics Jesus exemplified so that we look and sound like our heavenly Father. Today we’ll look…
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Renew Your Walk with God: A New Heart for Spring
Blog post series: On March 16, I began a new series about renewing our walk with God as He renews the earth in the spring. Here’s a link to the first in the series: Renew Your Walk with God This Spring In it I suggested we start a new journal or notebook to log: (1) our physical walks and (2) the characteristics of Jesus we notice as we read the Bible. Slip on your comfortable shoes and join me on our ongoing path. We will consider ways to renew our walk with God this spring by prayer, study, and…
Celebrate the Joy of Jesus on Resurrection Sunday with a New Easter Centerpiece
My mom made the best potato salad I’ve ever eaten, and she served it on Easter Sunday with ham, green beans, and all the trimmings. She dressed the table with a pastel linen tablecloth and added a vase of flowers for the centerpiece. I recall other childhood Easter memories, like egg hunts in our grassy backyard, crisp new dresses with a matching hat or flowered headband, and the sweet fragrance of lilies that permeated the small church we attended. My husband and I planned Easter activities for our children to help create similar memories. We arranged books about Jesus and…
Renew Your Walk with God This Spring
When I looked through the kitchen window one morning last week, I spied a patch of moss beside our Bradford pear tree. The neon green spot contrasted with the khaki-colored grass and tree roots around it. I went outside and stooped to examine the moss. The skinny blades that sprouted straight up out of the soil reminded me of new hair growth on top of a toddler’s head and made me smile. Then I smiled for a different reason. The bright green growth signaled the coming of spring. A friend and I predicted folks will welcome the new season…
Storing Treasures in Your Heart: Eight Ways to Memorize Scripture
When I open my mother’s jewelry boxes, I ponder precious memories attached to the pieces she wore. I can almost smell her Max Factor perfume when I pick up the gold rhinestone bracelet she wore when she and Daddy went out with friends. Mama’s jewelry boxes store treasures and safeguard dear memories. Peek into your jewelry box or another space where you keep jewelry and consider its value as safe storage for precious possessions and perhaps for fond memories. A ring or a necklace may prompt a smile as you remember the person who gave it to you. A bracelet…