The Mirror of God's Word
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.- James 1:22-24
I don't like mirrors. Why? Because they reveal the truth. They remind me that I'm having a bad hair day. They inform me of my wrinkles, gray hair, and blemishes. They condemn me for the extra pounds gathering around my midsection. Mirrors. We need them, but that doesn't mean we have to like them.
When It Seems There Is No Hope (Repost)
“Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved. ” — Isaiah 57:10
During my Bible reading last week, this verse jumped out at me, and today, I would like to make an application with it. Let's begin with the first phrase: Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way. Does the way before you seem great today? Does the path appear long and scary? Troublesome roads can leave us weary, even if we haven't traveled them yet.
The Truth and Nothing But the Truth (Repost)
Have you ever felt alone? Do you feel like no one gets you? Like others don’t or can’t understand what you’re feeling or going through? I’m amazed at how many of us—though surrounded by family and friends—feel alone in our daily struggles and spiritual battles. As I read in my morning devotional, I realized why so many of us are keeping our deep hurts to ourselves and trying to face them alone.
Sometimes We Need the Rain (Repost)
We had a pretty decent winter storm come through last weekend. It started off as a wintry mix, then turned to snow, and then back to a wintry mix. Needless to say, it was quite treacherous outside.
By Sunday afternoon, most of the snow and ice had melted off the roads, but our side yard was still a big sheet of white ice. It was fun slip-sliding my way to the truck so we could go to church Sunday evening. (I looked like Bambi on ice, only in a skirt and boots.) On Monday, the sun came out, and it was a beautiful day with highs in the mid-50s. Still, the snow and ice on the grass in the sideyard didn't melt. By Monday night, we could still skate across the yard.
While You Were Sleeping
Have you ever fallen asleep in the middle of your prayer time? Come on, be honest. We get still, close our eyes, begin to petition the Father, and the next thing we know, we're waking up a half hour later with a crick in the neck and a guilty conscience. It happens. In fact, it happens far more often than it should. It even happened to three of Jesus' closest friends here on earth.
What's With the Tree?
After four years of having a single page on our mission website, I can finally return to having my own website. While I’m excited about the prospect, I realize how much work it is, and I can’t say I’m particularly looking forward to the building and transferring process. But I’m excited to have my own site again.
Whack-a-Mole
Have you ever played Whack-a-Mole? I'm not too fond of that game. No matter where I hit or how hard I strike, that silly mole pops out of a different hole, eluding my efforts to squash him. Since it's a game, I assume it was designed for entertainment, but it only causes me frustration. After ten minutes of expending copious amounts of energy and strategic thought, I'm left with that cheesy weasel grinning back at me in victory. What a massive waste of time and energy! Next game, please.
Some Days, It's the Little Things
We’ve hit full-on summer here in Wales. This week, the temperatures range from 72 to 80 degrees, which is quite warm for this area. I used to laugh at those who talked about how hot it was at these temperatures since I was used to SC summers of 100 degrees and more. But, my body has adapted to the cooler climate of Wales because this weather feels quite warm to me. It’s beautiful, but a bit toasty, especially since most places (including ours) have no air conditioning.
What's In a Name?
I must admit, I'm adapting to Welsh life far quicker than I expected. As one who fights change, I feared my transition to a new way of life would be slow and painful. But, I'm delighted to say that's not been the case. I've become accustomed to life here and am enjoying it immensely.
When the Wind Blows
I love living in Wales! The people are so kind and gracious. The scenery is breathtaking. The sheep are interesting beyond measure. And believe it or not, I even enjoy the weather. Take today, for example. It’s the 4th day of July. The weather was partly cloudy, with a few light sprinkles this morning. And the temperature? It was a low of 54 degrees and a high of 62. Isn’t that awesome! Despite the often drizzly weather, I’ve come to enjoy the Welsh climate.