Recently I read a book about immigrants in America and their pursuit of faith. My thoughts turned to my family’s story. My paternal great-grandparents and my maternal grandparents were immigrants from Finland. They settled in northern Michigan and participated in the Finnish Apostolic Lutheran Church. My parents returned to the…
During our lifetime we may experience criticism. The best criticism is constructive. It may come from a supervisor at work, a close friend or a spouse. I have experienced marriage as a refining influence. I am blessed to have a good marriage. My husband and I are both better people…
In the past few years my husband and I have read through the whole Bible twice. During dinner we listen to some chapters recorded on CDs. And then we read additional chapters out loud to each other. We see how God reached out to men and women. We see God’s…
When I am in a fabric/crafts store, I sometimes look through the remnants of fabric. Recently I found a remnant of cloth just the right color. I wanted to repair a torn and fraying fabric. If you look closely, you can see the strip of fabric that is a patch…
In this Lenten season my husband and I are reading a devotion each evening from 40 Lives in 40 Days: Experiencing God’s Grace through the Bible’s Most Compelling Characters by John MacArthur. On Sunday mornings we have a class discussing the devotions. Other books have taken me around the world. I have…
On Sunday mornings we meet in a gymnasium for church. We sing hymns and listen to scripture readings. We greet each other. People share concerns and we pray. Our pastor gives a sermon, a lesson from the Bible. We sing a closing him and then pastor gives a benediction, quoting…
The promises of God are faithful and true.
At our women’s Bible study last night, we were discussing the book of Esther. The Jews all across the Persian Empire were in danger of being killed as a result of the edict that Haman wrote and sealed with the King’s signet ring. Mordecai asked Queen Esther to intervene, but…
I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. O LORD, the God of Abraham,…
Are we prepared for the unexpected? We have the tools we need.