Luke 1:37 ESV For nothing will be impossible with God. The Redwoods in California have stories to tell. Some of the trees alive today were growing when Jesus walked the earth. Despite an impressive 2000+ age, these live trees are not even the oldest living trees on earth. Still, Redwoods do rack up some pretty…
Psalm 118:24 NLT This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. One of my favorite times as a teacher was singing, This Is the Day, with the kids first thing in the morning. With the singing and dancing, the clapping and rejoicing, your good mood is…
Philippians 4:8 NLT Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. My husband built a shop. He is currently adding windows and siding. I am eager to help him, but my skill set in construction is…
2 Thessalonians 1:2 NIV Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps you will think this is strange, but when I think of the Peace and Grace of God, I often think of Dobby. Yes, the house elf from Harry Potter. While he is owned by evil (in…
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. Many years ago, when my son was in middle school, he had a rock painting art project. While it probably wasn’t exactly what the art teacher envisioned, I love it! He wrote, “Build Up! Don’t tear down.” There is so much wisdom packed…
Philippians 4:4 NIV Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Sometimes when the world seems to be dishing out more than your plate can hold, it’s hard to remember to feel joy, let alone Rejoice! But we need to remember what exactly it is we are rejoicing. I’m not rejoicing over…
Ecclesiastes 3:11 GNT He has set the right time for everything. He has given us a desire to know the future, but never gives us the satisfaction of fully understanding what he does. My husband and I often try to compare notes about when and where we were before we knew each other. There are…
Zephaniah 3:17 GNTThe Lord your God is with you;his power gives you victory.The Lord will take delight in you,and in his love he will give you new life.He will sing and be joyful over you. There is power in a shower. The cleansing, flowing water cascading over you rinses dirt, grime, and often emotional angst…
Deuteronomy 1:31 GNT And in the desert. You saw how he brought you safely all the way to this place, just as a father would carry his son. Often as a child, I would walk in the pasture with my dad and check the cows. During a storm, a hickory tree had toppled, but about…
1 Samuel 16:7 NIV The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. As I walked along the beach, I saw this rock formation covered with barnacles, limpets, and clams. I thought it looked more like a shaggy old buffalo than an ocean rock! It…
