Quilting Encouragement with Mary Tatem Look Around A recent visit to Yosemite National Park kept us craning our necks to look up at the magnificent granite mountains that surrounded us. Regardless of which direction we faced, immense pillars of stone reached to the sky, dwarfing even the tall Pines and occasional Sequoia. Beauty surrounding us. From the sounds of water crashing from tall mountain ledges to the caw of iridescent Ravens foraging for food, our ears were as absorbed with the of beauty as our eyes. We left for home, our hearts bursting with thankfulness for the world God made…
Tag: inspiration
This is our archive pageCourageous
Quilting Encouragement with Mary Tatem When I visit the Jamestown ship, the Susan Constant, which sailed from England to land in the wilderness of Virginia, I never fail to marvel at the courage of those who left the security of a known life style for the uncertainty of how they would secure the basic necessities. The 116 foot ship bobbed over the ocean for four months with seventy-one passengers crammed into the cramped spaces. I would hesitate to travel to the Bahamas on that little ship, let alone across the Atlantic. In May of 1607 when they disembarked on mosquito…
I Deserved the Traffic Ticket
Greetings from Kathy Collard Miller in the desert of Southern California where we are finally seeing the end of the heat and welcoming cooler weather. Driving down a California freeway on a superbly beautiful day of fluffy clouds, I just felt very happy. My happiness pressed my foot against the accelerator as I didn’t see the Highway Patrolman until the red lights from his cruiser caused me to pull over to the side of the road. He came up to my side of the car and asked me questions. Then I said, “I don’t expect you to not write a…
God’s Smile
Quilting Encouragement with Mary Tatem Lifting her feet high in order to run through the loose sand, the five-year-old girl’s face broadcast her delight in seeing me. She threw her arms around my legs. I bent to plant a welcoming kiss on her blonde curls, my heart awash with love for this precious child. Our faces beamed with smiles, and both of us laughed out loud at the joy of being together. In a moment she was back playing with her beach toys, but the bond between us was reinforced by that enthusiastic greeting. Her zeal wasn’t always so exuberant,…
The Rich Young Ruler’s To-Do List
Hello from Kathy Collard Miller in the Southern California desert near Palm Springs. It may be hot but as we say, “It’s a dry heat.” Do you want to see Jesus’ compassion and patience in action? It’s in Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler, even though the young man worships his “to-do” list. In one way or another, we’re all like the rich young ruler of Matthew 19:16-22. We just each have a different sinful strategy to cope with life. The young ruler’s sinful strategy was self-sufficiency through keeping the law and commandments. And when he talked to Jesus,…
Attacking the Cobwebs of Negative Thinking
Dianne Barker here confessing that I sometimes struggle with discouragement. One day while talking with the Lord, I caught myself pouring out my heart about my miserable condition—plagued with a multitude of flaws. I stopped with a jolt.
You Are the Apple of His Eye
Greetings from Kathy Collard Miller in the Southern California desert near Palms Springs. Have you had your eyes examined lately? The last time my eyes were examined, I felt tense having that puff of air come toward my eye to test for glaucoma. I knew it was coming and the longer I waited for it, the more tense I became. I knew it wouldn’t hurt me, but it still scared me. I wanted to push the machine away and protect my eye. Do you feel like your eye is one of the most sensitive parts of your body that you…
Launch Out into the Deep
Dianne Barker here with a few words of encouragement. Are you tired of jumping hurdles and pushing past obstacles that seem to impede every step? Here’s an idea. Launch out into the deep and let down your nets! The Lord told Simon Peter after a disappointing fishing trip, “…Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (see Luke 5:1-11). A crowd had gathered around Jesus by the Lake of Gennesaret to hear his teaching. He got into Peter’s boat and asked him to take it out a little further from the shore. Then he sat…
New 12-Step Program for Authors
Nutty with a Dash of Meat Jeanette Levellie here to share with you about a new 12-Step Program for Authors: “Hello. Welcome to O.P.A. My name is Jeanette and I am addicted to pens with scented ink, sticky notes, and highlighters. Let’s go around the circle and say our names—first name only, please, to keep our anonymity—and what types of office products we’re addicted to.”
The Prayer Warrior: The Syrophoenician Woman
Hello! It’s Kathy Collard Miller from the Southern Californian desert in the Palm Springs area. From Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30, we learn about the Syrophoenician woman who truly represents a prayer warrior. Her request is dire for her and her daughter. What’s amazing is she is a Gentile. In this account, Jesus goes to the region of Tyre and Sidon, on the Mediterranean coast. This is the only time Scripture indicates Jesus left the land of Israel. Just as he had to go through Samaria to meet the needy woman at the well, so he needs to leave his…
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