My Time at the Inn

       As  Reformation Day approaches I took my devotion last night  from Luther Day by Day, and his thoughts centered on Isaiah 45.15:"Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour."  Does it ever  feel  to  you as  it did to Luther that God  hides himself from you? Luther felt that at times that the enemies of God did  what they liked with God's  Word and with Christians, and that in Luther's words, "...He lets us call and cry, and keeps silence as though he were writing a poem, or were  preocupied with something else, or  were  out in the fields, or were  alseep and could not hear us."  Luther knew what it was  like to wrestle in prayer with God  in the dark times of his life.  All of  us have such times when it appears that God is silent.  Yet Luther knew too that God does not sleep or slumber.  He always  watches  over us....

Trials will always be a part of a Christian's life.  My family has certainly had our share of them this year.  We are facing health challenges along with a roof that leaks and needs repairs, a floor in the bathroom that needs replacement, and then the wonder of how will we ever pay for it all.  I am sure you've experience similar things in your lives as well.  Have you ever gotten to the place that you want to say, "Enough already!"   We can't escape them, but we can learn from them, and I think there are times when I'm a slow learner. My daughter reminded me of Psalm Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God..." She said the Hebrew word for still meant to Let Go, and she wondered it that were true.  I looked it up in Strong's Concordance, and it is true, it does mean to let go.  Just learning that was powerful to me, and lifted me up. I had thought it mean to be quiet and listen to what God is saying, and of course, we should do that, but ...

                               We make all kinds  of  resolutions at this time of year.  We plan on losing weight; we plan to exercise more; we even  plan to read our Bibles more, and yet statistics show that no matter how motivated we may be, only 8% of  us will keep the resolutions we make.  Only two out of  ten people  will actually follow through.  Yet the beginning of a new year brings a time for reflection.  We may look in the mirror and decide yes, we  do need to loose weight, or exercise.  We all should read  and  study our Bibles more and pray more.  Yet simply  put, we are sinners  and  we  fail, so what can we do? First, resolutions  are not wishes. We can hope that we make it through the light before it turns red.  We hope that someday  we can buy that new car.  A resolution i...

                           Yesterday we  celebrated Thanksgiving with my brother's family. We have a new member of the family  and I got to  see this baby  for the first time. As I watched everyone, memories came flooding back of past Thanksgivings.  I thought of my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles all gathered together on the farm or at my grandmother's house.  My cousin, Gloria, would sing a hymn in  her sweet soprano voice.  So  much food and so much laughing, so many wonderful memories. I thought of my own sweet children  around  me at my mother's house with their aunts,  uncles, and cousins gathered around.  It all seems like yesterday in my mind's eye.  So many treasured moments fly  past us. I thought too, how precious these moments are. Enjoy every moment.  I have two sons that could not be with us.  I missed  them, b...

             What are you afraid of?  Someone asked that question the other day.  As a Christian I am suppose to say, I have no fear because I know Christ is with me. I also suppose that the answer  to that question might change as we move through the various stages of our lives.  A little boy might be afraid  to  try going down the slide for the first time, but then finds out there was nothing to fear and runs to go  back up the slide again.  A tween might be  afraid to  move into a middle  school  from the safety of his elementary or primary school.  A teen might be worried or fearful about dating.  A young mom might be afraid something will happen to her new baby.  A grandmother has fears about her grandchildren.  It's natural to have these  fears because we live in a sin filled world.  Worry and Fear are often companions and walk arm and arm, but we don't ...

          While cleaning out a bookshelf, I found  one of my  old journals.  I needed a break so  I opened it and read the following from a 1984 entry      " Today, Timothy came into the house with another little baby bunny.  The mother  is not nursing  these poor little bunnies, and one by one they have died.  Since the bunnies have been  Timothy's responsibility, he has had to bury  them.  I saw the sadness on his little face.  I got the milk we had to feed them and the small bottle and began to try.  We  kept the bunny warm and every hour  I  tried  feeding it, but it didn't take the bottle as heartily as it should.  Doubtful that the little thing would make it, I prepared my little guy  for another  heartbreak.  He took it  well, but the bunny just didn't survive.  I told Timothy I would  bury this one.  Timothy lo...