Pulling Up Poppies

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’””‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13:27-30‬ ‭ It wasn’t

Slow Going

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ Okay. Seriously. We’ve waited through another tough, long winter, and we want Spring. We really, really want Spring. I’m

Caught Red Handed

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭ “Excuse me, Mrs. Lowes.” I turned to face the owner of the polite interruption. I had been explaining something to what I assumed was an engaged and

The Predator’s Bite

“Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel…”‭‭Judges‬ ‭6:3‬ ‭ Some days start better than others. Yesterday’s start was – well, the saying “This bites!” comes to mind. And it does. Literally. There has been a herd of deer hanging around this neck of

“Teacher, Teacher!”

“And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:10‬ ‭ “Hi, Teacher!” Yep. Again. And another. “Hi, Teacher!” *giggle, grin* Plus one with a little extra ‘something’. “Teacher!” *warm hug* You may think this was the response after Christmas holidays, or even a long weekend. Nope. My littles

Losing My Religion

“The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.”‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭ Costumes. They can be a lot of fun! But they can also be very disturbing… See, a costume is just something you put on your outer

Double Portion

“Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61:7‬ ‭ Twins are pretty special. I mean, two babies developing in a womb at the same time? A double blessing. Just like these daylilies.

Double Trouble

“The Lord detests double standards; he is not pleased by dishonest scales.”‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:23‬ ‭ Have you been getting them too? Crank calls, I mean. The kind that pop up using a familiar area code, but are really from some call centre on the other side of the globe trying to wheedle some data out of

Called by Name

“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:1‬ ‭ Let’s name drop for a moment, shall we? Shiphrah and Puah. No? Not ringing a bell

A Little Lesson on Decorating

“Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.” Titus‬ ‭2:9-10‬ ‭ Really? A verse used in the past by