I enjoyed crafting magnets with encouraging sayings to give as game prizes at my weight-loss club. But the ones that said “Hello, Beautiful!” sat on the eight-foot table like unadopted pound puppies. What is wrong with these people, Lord? I muttered. Why don’t they like themselves? But when I looked at my own fridge, I noticed the lack of a “Hello, Beautiful!” magnet. I couldn’t take a dose of my own encouragement. Perhaps we’re afraid to come across as arrogant. Or perhaps it’s because our society equates beauty with outward appearance only. Even though God made us in his…
Category: Encouragement
This is our archive pageFeeling Defeated? It’s Time for a “Resurrection”
Are you having a bad day? A bad decade? If you’re struggling to find peace, if you feel a certain emptiness, or you’ve misplaced your faith, there is hope. In the midst of your mess, take heart and remember anew that the power of the resurrection is available in your life today. Recently, Christians around the world celebrated Easter. We remember each year the true story of Jesus Christ dying on a Cross and rising from the dead—alive and victorious! He said He would and He did! Christ defeated death so we could live forgiven and free, empowered by the…
Historic Scotland
Recently my family and I were able to travel around historic Scotland researching our ancestral ties to this beautiful country. One of the amazing places we visited was Paisley Abbey where our ancestors, the Lords Cathcart I & II, were interred. We searched and searched all over the huge church for their tombs. But we needed to know some crucial information. Traveling Historic Scotland can flip your assumptions 180 degrees. Paisley Abbey was built over time in the 12th century. Major benefactors included the Cathcart family. Over the centuries, major benefactors and important people in society were very often buried…
I Am Cyrus: A Miracle of Our Time
A Miracle of Our Time In May of 1948, as the British Empire ended their mandate and withdrew from Palestine, five Arab nations sat on the border ready to invade. At that moment, David Ben-Gurion, the leader of the Jews, stood in Tel Aviv and declared the establishment of the State of Israel—marking the rebirth of a Jewish nation in the Holy Land after 2,000 years in exile. I Am Cyrus: Harry S. Truman and the Rebirth of Israel tells the amazing true story of Israel’s rebirth—promises made, promises broken, and ultimately the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy that this…
Disappointments that Matter
My husband and I spent February driving to and from Florida, away from New England cold. A strong motivator for this trip was the relatively new Museum of the Bible in DC. Great reviews, and I badly wanted to experience it. Had it all planned out, down to the purchase of a parking slot—# 14 on G Street, near the museum. The museum hours were 10:00 to 4:00, so we left our hotel with plenty of time for the half-hour trip. As we drove, tension crawled up my neck. Why was the GPS taking us in the wrong direction? I…
History Matters
“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”—Sir Winston Churchill History still matters today, and with all the revisionist history going around our world—in the media, popular culture, and even in our educational system—we need to be wise. As Churchill wisely warned us, we need to learn from history so we don’t repeat the failures of the past. The historical parts of the Bible are important for that reason. So is our own history. We can learn so much from the people who lived before us. They shaped and were shaped by the events of their…
Resting under God’s Wings
My husband and I recently visited Miami to attend a wedding. One evening while walking outside, I noticed a duck and her six ducklings navigating the parking lot to a grassy spot beside the road. I couldn’t believe that momma would risk having her babies so close to traffic. But a quick glance told me she had an expanse of water across the road as well as the spectacular bay behind the hotel. When I got close enough to snap a photo, the little mother eyed me with suspicion as if preparing to attack. She wasn’t afraid. That reminded…
Forgive Well to Live Well
Forgive Well to Live Well. Meet Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. Patrick was a wild youth in England when raiders invaded and took Patrick to Ireland as a slave. Years later, Patrick escaped, reunited with family, and became a priest. But Ireland called in his dreams and he returned. The people of Ireland thought Patrick came for revenge. Instead, Patrick traveled the Emerald Isle telling his former captors their lives could be different. Superpower Reacting out of bruised feelings hurts those we most love. It’s an emotional Hatfields and McCoys when you are hurt so you hurt others who are…
By the Letter
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17). I love words. So God uses them to get my attention, especially when I play word games with my friends as I sip my morning coffee. Today the letters were T-L-A-I-R …hmmm. I could spell trail or trial. The only difference in the two letters is the position of the vowels, A and I. That got my mind whirring. When things are in a mess, I want the quickest way out. I…
Asking Why Puts Us in Good Company
Reading these words in Psalm 116:7 (KJV), “the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee,” reminded me of conversations with two of my strongest Christian friends. On the same day, both spoke of being mad at God. One said a relative felt angry because of what she considered the undeserved suffering that came into the life of her young child. “Why didn’t God do something?” The other friend spoke of a huge disappointment she had experienced. “Why didn’t God stop this?” Both friends felt God had not dealt bountifully with them. He hadn’t done what they asked and expected. He…