Trying to get toddlers to sit still for a picture is like herding cats, especially when there are multiple young children you are trying to “capture the moment.” But for me, it didn’t stop at childhood. My best friend and I have the same issue: neither of us sit still very well and we get distracted very easily. I am always on the move,
A “beachhead” is the first objective, the primary location for a military force landing on an enemy shore, which, when secured, can be used to gain further advancement. On June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed on the beach at Normandy during the height of World War II. It was an extremely dangerous mission. Failing to secure the beachhead at Normandy would have led to
Before Jesus would endure the physical suffering, He would experience emotional and spiritual torment that was far greater. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the full scope of Jesus’ mission became readily apparent. Jesus knew, once He left the garden, all that would occur: the treacherous betrayal by one of His own; being derided and made sport of by soldiers; a circus trial in which
When God instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh, we read that Jonah, instead, went to Joppa and boarded a ship to Tarshish. Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that the minute you decide to walk away from God and the plan He has for your life, you are going to find plenty of ships going in the wrong direction. The Devil’s Travel Agency
In the most extreme moment of his life, when his entire household was threatened with annihilation, Jacob wrestled with a man through an entire sleepless night. Somehow, after this astounding encounter, Jacob came to the realization that he had been wrestling with God, and face to face! Once again, the Lord God of heaven showed Himself as a human being to a man He
In ancient times, when an oriental king gave a banquet and wanted to show how rich he was, he would take apples and cover them with gold, place them in silver baskets, and distribute them to his guests. “Take a golden apple with you,” he said, and these golden apples became prized possessions. We should never underestimate the value and power of our words.
We all know that prayer needs to be an essential part of our lives. And if you’re like me, we would love for the Lord to answer all our prayers instantaneously. However, we know from experience this is not always the case! Oswald Chambers was quoted as saying, “We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our
We have some rose bushes in our yard that have to be severely pruned every year or they would get out of control. However, when you prune them, they look like they will never come out of it. We basically leave only small stumps. But pruning helps the plants. It not only shapes the bushes, but creates more abundant, prettier roses, and a healthier plant.
There are so many things in life that we don’t have access to. We see signs that read, “No admittance.” “Employees only.” “Don’t go past this point.” No access. That is precisely the way it was with God in the days before Jesus. In the Temple, a veil separated God from the people and served as a barrier that only the high priest could
A farmer from middle America was walking in downtown New York City alongside a resident friend. As they approached a busy street corner in the center of Manhattan, the farmer seized his friend’s arm and whispered, “Wait. I hear a cricket.” “Come on!”, the city boy sneered, “This is downtown New York. How could you possibly hear a cricket?” His friend persisted, however, “No,
