The Sweetest Thing: Love expressed through our God-given gifts. Holding a newborn baby, hearing a 2 year old’s laugh, hugging a friend you haven’t seen in a while, and snuggling with a beloved pet, these are all some of the sweet ways that we experience love. Real love is an action. Love is something [...]
God is in the Details One of my favorite verses is found in Psalm 37:23 in NLT “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” I have seen this happen all around me lately. In many situations where there is a need, and circumstances are out [...]
ALIGNMENT The day after Pentecost, Peter and John were on their way to the temple. They had just experienced the amazing power of God indwelling them in the form of the Holy Spirit and seen thousands of lives transformed. I imagine they were walking in awe and wonder of all they had seen and [...]
Raising a Post-Roe Generation I recently took my granddaughter Harmony, age 12, to the 50th annual March for Life and a historical first since Roe vs. Wade was overturned from a federal level on June 24, 2022. I wanted Harmony to catch the spirit of a new era that her generation was experiencing. I [...]
TRUTH AND LOVE At a conference last month for the Network of Christian Counselors, one of the speakers said, “Love speaks Truth.” This simple yet profound statement really struck me. In our world we often hear people who are harsh with their 'truth'. Truth can become a relative term that can be used to [...]
DELIGHT As we approach the New Year of 2023, I come back to the tradition of picking a word that I want to focus on for the upcoming year. As I was praying and pondering what it would be I kept being reminded of different scriptures with the word “delight” in them. Delight means, [...]
BALANCE OR CONTRADITIONS – WHICH DOES THE BIBLE POINT TO? By Natalie Varrone, LPCC-S The Bible can be a confusing book. It is complex, has many layers of meaning, and is very interconnected. There are places in the Bible that seem to contradict itself. Have you ever had these thoughts when reading? I believe [...]
A Christmas Message of Hope The eyes of the audience were fixed on Jesus as he walked up to the podium in the Jewish Synagogue on Shabbat and read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to [...]
PRAYER Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care, And bids me at my Father’s throne Make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour [...]
WHILE YOU WAIT Hurricane Ian just passed through Florida. We were told it was coming right here towards us in the Tampa Bay area. Preparations for this storm began Monday as schools were canceled, and houses and businesses boarded up. Many people evacuated or left town. Then the waiting began. I have been working [...]
