I am a Bo Peep. Yes, I grew up on a Suffolk sheep farm– so Psalm 23 is very personal to this Shepherdess’ heart. Let’s just glimpse at the first few verses: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. One of the common heart cries of the human race is for greener pastures- a life better, brighter, quieter or calmer. God knows this is dream is on our hearts. When I read, “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside…
Tag: devotional
This is our archive pageSunday Reflection : Light in the Darkness
As storm clouds gather, they often cover the sun and a harsh greyness vails the light. This was the place B ill and I found outselves for three long years, as Bill commuted back and forth almost weekly through gridlock Los Angeles traffic to care for his againg parents, all while we worked to keep up with our acre of land, and our Love-Wise ministry of writing, speaking, and travel. While our marriage was weathering the storm, we both we tired of the treadmill that seemed to have now end. A darkness of depression was trying to cover over our…
God Talk
God Talk By Susan G Mathis Talking about God is not just for Sundays; it’s for every hour of the day. Deuteronomy 6: 5-7 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” I don’t think this Scripture is only for parents. It’s for all of us—with…
Sunday Reflection: Keep Hope Alive
In today’s world with frightening headlines blasting the worst possible scenarios into our homes, and the stress of the daily responsibility of providing for ourselves and our families weighing heavy on our hearts, coupled with the unpredictable, unwelcome, unwanted, unbelievably hard or harsh circumstances like floods, fires, relationship strife, death and disease it is very easy to get depressed, discouraged and down-trodden. But God has a solution for our despairing hearts! While writing my newest book (co-authored with Bible teacher Jean E Jones and artist Karla Dornacher), Discovering Hope in the Psalms: A Creative Biblical Experience, Jean, in passing said,…
St. Patrick’s Day Shamrocks
St. Patrick’s Day Shamrocks by Susan G Mathis In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, because I’m Irish, and because my novel, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, is about the Irish immigration, I want to share with you how St. Patrick used a simple weed to share the Gospel. St. Patrick lived in the fifth century Ireland where the shamrock clover was abundant, even a staple food for livestock. The shamrock is a weed that grows quickly and is hard to get rid of. In Ireland it was everywhere, so as Patrick traveled the country, he had a…
A Valentine’s Gift That Lasts
A Valentine’s Gift That Lasts By Susan G Mathis On this Valentine’s Day week, I’d like to remind you of the importance of keeping your marriage strong. It’s the best gift you can give your spouse. “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails,” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Remember…
Resting on the Sabbath
Resting on the Sabbath By Susan G Mathis There was a good reason that God invented the Sabbath, and I think that’s doubly important for families. Our kids never stop. We often feel pushed to do, go, do. We’re always on the move. But we need to stop and take some time to honor the Sabbath as well as our body, mind, and spirit. Rest your body. Get your sleep. Take time to do—dare I say it?—nothing. Just sit. Just relax. Our culture is frantically pushing us to the point of craziness and so do the kids Busy is…
New Nonfiction Releases and a Wonderful Review!
Becky Harling has a new book releasing February 6th titled, Who Do You Say That I Am? This new Bible study considers the challenging questions Jesus asked and answers those question by considering His I Am statements. What do you do when your marriage isn’t broken, but it doesn’t seem to be growing, either? Noted author and speaker Cindi McMenamin shows you the small changes you can make to touch your husband’s heart in a big way in her Feb. 1 release from Harvest House Publishers: 12 Ways to Experience More with Your Husband. McMenamin, who has been married 30 years to a pastor and introvert, is…
Fiction and Nonfiction Choices for Last Minute Gifts!
It’s a busy season full of wonder, miracles, and–let’s be honest–at least a little stress! Gift cards are an easy option when we’ve run out of ideas or energy, but how about the gift of literature? After all, a book is like a present that you get to open again and again, right? Here are two new titles that have recently released from our CAN authors! Care to put a little mystery and suspense in your holiday shopping? Try Pendant, a new release from M L Hamilton. A field trip gone awry. A student gone missing. Haunted by her student’s…
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Book Reviews Galore
Looking for unique book ideas for that special reader this Christmas? We’ve got three book reviews from three very different genres to present today! A medical thriller, a devotional cookbook, and a Christian fantasy offer some less-than-mainstream choices for the bookworms on our list. See what others have said and then check them out at your favorite outlet! ******* Medical Judgement by Richard Mabry, M.D. Abingdon Press Medical Judgement, a medical suspense novel by Richard Mabry, M.D., kept me in a state of suspicion to the end. I suspected everyone of harassing Dr. Sarah Gordon, a woman who had…