Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about maintenance. My husband and I are blessed to have a paid-for place to live and a couple of reasonably decent paid-for vehicles. While we are immensely thankful to be in that situation, we are also keenly aware that just because you have something, that doesn’t mean it’s entirely and forever trouble-free.    We have a special section in our budget for our home, for example—insurance, pest control, regular maintenance visits by the HVAC pr

I’m fascinated with my current study of the Old Testament books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which describe the return of the Jewish exiles to their homeland. As often happens, I’m also finding parallels with current events, plus applications to my own life.    Ezra opens with the amazing story of God’s timing for the return, just as prophesied; the support received from King Cyrus of the Persian empire, including retrieval of Temple objects seized years earlier by Nebuchadnezzar; a

Since my regular Bible study has a “weekend wrap-up” without introducing new material, I enjoy spending part of my weekend devotional time in the Psalms and Proverbs. Reading Psalm 27 recently, I could still quote some of the verses I memorized as a child, including v. 1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?” (NIV)   For years, that verse gave me comfort in scary situations ranging from Kansas torn

But which of us are worthy, in our own power, of God’s attention? Have I taken Jesus’ work of atonement for granted? And when I receive a special blessing or answer to prayer, do I thank Him?

Even without the current Middle East considerations, Purim is an encouraging reminder of the faithfulness of God.

In spite of all that, Paul encourages the Philippians to rejoice. Why? Because “the Lord is near!” Our hope is for eternity, so our rejoicing should be “in the Lord,” regardless of this life’s circumstances.

Mixing cultures while trying to keep everyone happy had led to some poor theology in the Corinthian church; a major part of Paul’s letter was to return the focus to Jesus.

For every questionable church leader, there are many pastors faithfully serving churches of all sizes, leading them in blessing their communities.

Genesis 2:15 describes God giving Adam meaningful work, of sharing in God’s creativity by tending the Garden of Eden.

The month of February is always a contemplative time for me. It’s the birth month of my biological mother, who died when I was just four years old, and also of my amazing stepmother, in my life from age six until her passing in 2010. Valentine’s Day brings more memories, as both my stepmom and my husband’s late mom loved to send cards and bake cookies.     My best memories of my stepmother are of her faithfulness in reading the Bible and teaching me the importance of doing so

These days, one probably has to be living under a rock to avoid at least some interaction with artificial intelligence. Whether it’s Alexa playing your favorite music before you ask, your phone recalling that you go to church on Wednesday evenings after work and putting it in your maps function, surgeries done with robot assistance, quick fact-finding for a report, or the dreaded robocall; most of us are impacted by AI.    AI can be a timesaver to quickly summarize factual in

Fast-forward to now: We tend to expect people to either answer their cell phone or get back with us right away.

The beginning of another calendar year seems like a good time to consider general principles for success in life, growing in wisdom and as a follower of Christ. Many of those can be found in the Book of Proverbs.    Recently, a young friend who is “deconstructing” used a verse from the Book of Proverbs to assert that God is inconsistent and the Bible should not be trusted. Unfortunately, the example she picked is frequently taken out of context, leading me to ponder the quest

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen and heard lots of New Year’s resolutions, through personal conversations and a variety of media. I enjoyed reading the Globe’s list of local people and resolutions, many of which involved commitment to family, personal goals and community involvement—some of my own thoughts for the new year as well.    There has also been considerable devotional material about spiritual goals for the new year, but during my quiet time a few days ago, o

Written on Christmas Day, 1863, the poem is Longfellow’s personal reflection while hearing church bells during such a tumultuous time in our country’s history.

What is less encouraging to consider, however, is the waiting; there, we can look to those involved in Jesus’ birth on earth for inspiration.

Dr. Denison gave examples of successfully applying this advice during his own tough times—the loss of his father, a child diagnosed with cancer.

I have not had time to thoroughly research these various connections, but after prayer and discussion with my husband over the years, we have agreed that on Halloween night we will have the porch light on and a generous basket of good candy.

One thing I will gladly give a positive review for, though, is God’s faithfulness. Over several decades of life, my ups and downs have helped me identify more and more with the writer of Ecclesiastes.