In this series, I’m sharing how we can open all parts of our hearts—our thoughts, words, and actions—to the Light of Christ. Here are links to Open Our Hearts PART 1 and Open Our Hearts, PART 2 . Today in Part 3, we’ll talk about our words. As a third grader, the person I admired most was Señora Carmen, our Spanish teacher. A tall, beautiful Puerto Rican lady, she dressed in stylish clothes and wore gorgeous drop earrings—along with a radiant smile and enthusiasm for teaching. I wanted to look like her, but more than that, I wanted to sound…
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How Does God Renew Our Thoughts, and Why Are They Important?
In this four-part series, I’m sharing how we can turn all parts of our hearts—our thoughts, words, and actions—to the Light of Christ. Here’s a link to Open Our Hearts PART 1. Today in Part 2, we’ll talk about our thoughts. A problem with my thoughts Recently, I flipped the switch to turn off my ceiling fan and wondered if the control still worked. The fan blades continued to spin for several minutes before stopping. My mind is like this sometimes. When I try to turn off my brain to relax or pray, it continues to whirl and buzz. Sound…
How Can We Open Our Hearts to the Light of Christ for Spiritual Growth?
Lately, I’ve noticed how the sunlight streams through my kitchen window and brings health to my plants. I’m exploring how the Light of Christ changes my heart—my thoughts, words, and actions. Here’s how my study began. My husband rarely complains about anything—unless my plants crowd the kitchen counter space. “But they love the morning sunlight,” I say. “They may love the sunlight, but I like the counter space,” he replies with a smile. “I can’t wash my hands in this jungle without bumping into leaves.” “I’m sorry. I’ll move them,” I usually reply as I plan to sun them another…
Rise, Shine, and Share the Blessings
Liz Curtis Higgs grabbed my attention with joyful greetings when she opened her weekly “Rise and Shine Mondays LIVE with Liz” online presentations. “Lively” is a more apt description. “Good morning, Lord!” she often prays in a cheery voice when she teaches online. Then she praises Him and requests His help and blessings for listeners. Liz sprinkles funny stories into her teaching, often laughing at herself. She shares the names she assigned to her wigs during chemotherapy and giggles about the large, colorful earrings she prefers. Although I learn from Liz’s deep study of Scripture and obvious reverence for the…
How Winter Frost and Manna Remind Us of God’s Love and Faithfulness
Winter frost sparkles on our lawn like diamonds and reminds me of God’s provision. The higher the sun rises, the more reflections shine from the tiny ice crystals on the tips of the grass blades. Bread from Heaven This morning when I looked at the frost from the kitchen window, I thought of the manna I’d recently read about in chapter 16 of Exodus. God had promised Moses He would “rain bread from heaven” for the Israelites who were traveling through the wilderness after God had delivered them from enslavement in Egypt (v. 4) *. As Moses witnessed, after the…