SOUTHERN HILLS

Read: 1 Peter 1:3-5 Some of my favorite Christian fiction books tell the stories of characters from two or three different worlds. The lives of more than one generation are detailed and often we learn while reading the accounts, that the past truly effects the present. The authors generally accomplish this intertwining through the discoveries of old diaries. The entries are read by a character in the present in order to understand something that heretofore made no sense. I

Read: Acts 8:26-40 Recently, I heard a man who was speaking about how we can encounter someone each day who is open to hearing about Jesus. He had a way to pray that he said would bring about that result. I am thankful for each encounter he has had. They are gifts from God; however, he then said that a day without experiencing this should be considered to have been a failure. Oh my. My spirit slumped because according to that gentleman's assessment, I have had innumerable d

Read: Isaiah 40:12-26 It is a pleasure to observe someone who is truly skilled in what he does. There is beauty in work done well. That is what I had the privilege of observing a few weeks ago when two of my family members built a new deck for me. Such a blessing. As I thought about that day, I smiled when I remembered that there was one thing I didn't do while they were working. I never asked them if they could use a bit of advice. That would have truly been a ridiculous t

Read: Proverbs 20:5; Proverbs 18:2; Proverbs 18:13; Proverbs 12:18 It is kind of fun sometimes to discover the origin of idioms. Sayings like, "he is not worth his salt", for example. The phrase was used to describe someone whose work wasn't worth the salary he received. In earlier times, workers were often paid with salt which was a precious commodity. Another example. Where did the idiomatic expression "a penny for your thoughts" originate, and how long will it be with us

Read: Luke 7:11-17; Mark 5:35-43 Sometimes the same words can either be words that show a person is seeking to understand something or mock the one being queried. For example, when Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked "what is truth?", John 18:38. Depending on the governor's tone of voice and body language, there are at least two very different thoughts that might have been in his mind. The question might have been sincere. A desire to know if truth existed and perhaps e

Read: 2 Samuel 15:32-37; Genesis 15:6; John 15:14-15; Daniel 2:44 Lesser-known Bible characters. They're kind of fun to look at sometimes. For example, there is one lesser known man in scriptures whose name always makes me smile. In fact, his name should be used instead of cheese to help someone smile during picture taking time. Who is he? He's Hushai the Arkite. No, he wasn't a stowaway on the Ark with Noah. Did you smile when you said Hushai? I did! There aren't many ve

Read: John 12:1-8; Hebrews 12:2 Is it only me or has anyone else noticed that some words seem to have lost their sweetness because we try so hard to figure out all their nuances? For example, the word chosen. The scripture says in more than one place that we were chosen by God before the world was created, Ephesians 1:4. However, in trying to reconcile the sweet truth of being chosen with the other sweet truth of free will, John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9, the wonder of being chosen

Read: 2 Kings 22:12-20; Psalm 103:14; 1 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 4:7 There was a cute novelty song back in the 60s called "She Can't Find Her keys." In the song the young girl was pictured as pulling everything out of her pocket but her keys. She kept saying, "just a moment please, I can't find my keys." Truth be told, yesterday I was that girl. I had gone with a friend to purchase some flowers and tomatoes for my pots. Pretty ones that Lord willing will show forth H

Read: 1 Timothy 1:12-17 We all probably know her. Perhaps, we have actually been her. I'm using the example of a woman here, but men can carry around this same heavy load. Any of us can deal with this same struggle. Guilt and shame. They can nibble at our minds and cause our hearts to be heavy. For those of us who belong to Jesus and have therefore become His new creations, 2 Corinthians 5:17, we have been wondrously and miraculously cleansed from every sin, Micah 7:18-19;

Read: Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5 The other day as I was cleaning up in the yard, I noticed that they are back and blooming. Yes, the dandelions are making their appearance everywhere. Even growing in the rocks. So, wherever I encountered a clump of the fluffy little guys, I pulled it up and tossed it into the yard trash bucket. However, this morning I wondered. Why do I pull dandelions? Are they really a weed, and do they have a purpose? Here is a bit of an answer to bot

Read: Philippians 3:3-10 Some things that once were essential tools are no longer useful. For example, does anyone use dial-up anymore? I can hear the sound of everything cranking up as we waited to be connected. Or what about whiteout? That was a part of every-day life for my husband and I when we lived in Arkansas. I used to type his client reports, and the only available avenue we had to correct typing errors--I had many--was to use whiteout. It seemed that the harder I

Read: 1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17; Philippians 4:9 It's funny how one thought can trigger another totally unrelated idea. That was the case yesterday when I watched the last story on the news. Hoping for something encouraging. I was not disappointed this time. The segment featured a female soccer star, Carson Pickett. She is a standout player, in spite of the fact that she was born with a substantial part of her left arm as well as her hand missing. She was not fea

Read: Exodus 3 Last week, we looked into the lives of Abraham and Jacob and observed a time in their lives when Almighty God called out to them by name. An incident in each of their lives when God spoke their name twice. We were reminded that the Living God Whom we serve knows His own children and that, understanding and remembering that truth soothes the ache of loneliness that we all sometimes experienced. For today, let's see what we can learn from Moses' story. From t

Read: Genesis 22:11-13; Genesis 46:1-4 Okay, time to play ‘Name that Tune’. Ready? Name the song that became a hit for Bobby Vinton in 1964 which has a title that could describe our present world? You have thirty seconds. If you said Blue Velvet, you're wrong. That one came out in 1963. The answer is "Mr. Lonely." A song about a soldier who longs to talk with someone on the phone and wishes that he could go back home. Loneliness. I have heard more than once in the past mo

Read: Proverbs 1:7; Exodus 1:8-21; Jeremiah 5:20-25; Luke 23:39-43 What does it look like when it is walked out in our everyday lives? That question could be asked when pondering many things. For example, patience. What does it look like on a Monday morning or a Tuesday night? Waiting for a child to "move a little faster" or waiting for someone to finish a thought before chiming in? Yes, even in these little examples patience can show its beauty through gentleness or impati

Read: Genesis 3; Ephesians 2:1-9; Romans 5:6-11 Some things can be repaired. A stitch here. A bit of electrical tape. A little gravy or a little frosting to cover over the imperfections in a dish or a cake. However, this morning I was thinking about something that was absolutely beyond fixing. It happened more than three decades ago. I had made some pies for a bake sale. One more was in the oven, and I hadn't decided whether it would be the last one. That is until it happ

Read: Genesis 8:22; Psalm 145:13; Isaiah 40:8 Yes, there they were. Right where they were last year. The tulips are coming up in spite of the very dry conditions that we are continuing to experience here. Once again, as God promised Noah after the flood, the seasons continue to follow each other, Genesis 8:22. It's spring! A season to be reminded that God decorates both the yards of those who love and acknowledge Him as well as the yards of those who have not yet turned the

Read: Psalm 73 Three little words. Not I love you, but probably this little phrase is used almost as often. “That's not fair.” I have been thinking about these oft repeated words this week because a friend told me that she had heard them concerning God. Her coworker had spoken them after hearing that a nice young woman with small children had been diagnosed with a very serious illness. If that weren't enough, he knew of nasty people who were humming along without problems

Read: Matthew 5:14-16 Many years ago, I read a devotion written by Joni Tada that featured the lyrics to that beautiful old song. She said that when she was growing up, her family would camp. They would sing it on the beach as it was getting dark. Her father would remind the family about the importance of shining for Jesus. Though Jesus the Lighthouse shone, they needed to shine the lower lights so that those near could see the dangerous rocks and not be dashed upon them.

Read: Esther Last night, I looked up the date for the celebration of Purim for 2026. It will begin at sunset on Monday and it will end when the sun sets on Tuesday. Purim is a fun and festive time when the Jews remember the truth that God's fingerprints were all over Esther's story. Even though His Name was not ever mentioned in the book that bears her name. More about that in a bit. Little did I know as I thought about this holiday commemorating the deliverance of God's