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Foolish Decisions that Look Smart
“Common sense is not so common.” I chuckle to myself every time I hear this wise old saying. There is so much truth in those words. Common sense is the good sound judgment that is presumed most people will possess. Each of us come to the table with our own uniqueness, and our brains might…
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Down on One Knee
When a man decides to go down on one knee and ask a woman to be his wife, it means he’s seen something within her that has touched his heart profoundly. He’s determined that his search is over, because he’s discovered in her what could not be found in others. This is a choice that…
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Ouch…This Hurts Too Much
From sun up to sun down, you can tell a person all day long that you love them, but if your actions don’t prove your love, it will be difficult for them to believe what you say. I had an up close and personal view of this when I saw my friend, Josh, the other…
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Training in Godliness
Like many others, I have been glued to the television watching athletes from around the world compete for the gold in the Olympics. I happened to see a segment the other day on what it takes to be an Olympian. Three female athletes were interviewed. They explained the grueling, yet rewarding, preparation and training for…
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God’s Contagious, Ever-Abiding Love
I’m sure you’ve heard people make the statement, “You can’t help who you love” or “The heart does what it wants to do.” It’s true that the heart can be untamed in its desires, but God has given us something called free-will. He has also given us the responsibility to exercise the gift of free-will…
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Not Mine, But Your Will Be Done!
Whether we witness it now or later, there will soon come a time in all our lives when we’ll face a crucial decision. It will either solidify the foundation on which the rest of our lives will be firmly anchored in Christ, or it will send us spiraling down into the camouflaged darkness that the…
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When Heaven over Our Heads is Brass
In 2Corinthians 4:18 (NIV), through the Apostle Paul, God gives us an incredible piece of wisdom that is fundamental to living a life of abundance and peace. This verse says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen…
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Everyone Had Just Enough
When the Children of Israel were in the wilderness, God fed them manna from heaven. It nourished them to such an extent that none fell to sickness or disease during the entire season of which they ate it. Exodus 16:16-18 says, “16 These are the LORD’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it…
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Lesson #5, Never Look Back!
In Genesis 19, we learn more about the biblical record of Abraham’s nephew, Lot. After the death of Lot’s father, he went to live with his uncle, and Abraham loved him tremendously. Lot became prosperous just like Abraham, and when the Lord commanded Abraham to move to Bethel, Lot tagged along; but their households were…
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A Strong and Stable Union
Call me old fashion, but I still believe that adhering to the virtuous standards God has set in His Word are the absolute best chance any of us have for a successful relationship. Staples like good communication, mutual respect, and a willingness to be vulnerable are necessary, but there’s one particular standard that is an…
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Be the Change You Want to See
A distant relative has been having issues in her marriage for a long time. The situation is complicated, and would make it extremely challenging for any woman to stay. She’s gone through stages of tremendous anger about it, but surprisingly hasn’t ended the marriage although she’s threatened to do it many times. Every now and…
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The Greater the Challenge, The Greater the Reward
One of the commitments that we made to Heavenly Father when we started this ministry many years ago for our exquisite sisters in Christ was to continually put those reminders out there about the dangers of sexual sin. It can be tough business to do this. Some think we’re off our rockers to expect that,…
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When God Reroutes You
The other day, I woke up early to go pick up a new table that I’d been wanting for a while. Since it was Saturday, I figured if I got up early enough I could beat the weekend traffic to the stores. Got on the road and was making good time until I saw flashing…
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Your King!
There is somebody for everybody! I know you’ve heard this before, especially in the case of a person that is so eccentric or persnickety that you couldn’t imagine they’d be satisfied with the company of anyone. Yet, they seem to find a partner that is patient and appreciates their uniqueness. It is often someone that…
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Dangling A Low Hanging Fruit
When a relationship is at a point where it’s held together by a thread, often the woman on the other end of it is holding on for dear life. The man, on the other hand, is dangling it before her. It’s a string without a meaningful commitment attached to it. At one time, he might…
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The Pay-Off of Sacrifice
One of the things that we learn very early in Christian life is that we can’t just do anything we like. There are disciplines to the faith, and there are sacrifices that we need to make in the present that are required for our long-term benefit. In other words, we most definitely have to…
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A Little Something for Yourself
A friend of mine told me a story about something funny that happened with her over the holidays. She moved to New England some years ago, but her roots are in the south, and she typically ships gifts to her family there. Admittedly, shopping during the holidays can be a little hectic, but mailing gifts…
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‘RING’ in the New Year?
Some of the urban vernacular we hear these days is so cryptic that it could literally become a second language. Words like ‘ratchet’, ‘shade’, ‘filthy’, ‘lit’, and ‘baddie’ meant something completely different just a short time ago. Today they’ve taken on a whole new meaning. I have a feeling that ten years from now, they’ll…
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She’s Rich, But Can’t Find a Man
Celeste is a very independent and fierce woman. She’s built her career on being labeled ‘the first’. She was the first woman to hold the position she had in a large construction company; she was the first African American to be promoted to a senior level management position, and she is the first woman in…
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Are You Ready to Hit the Reset Button?
The countdown is on! We have only a few more days before we all bring in a new year. Some of us are seriously excited. Others of us…not so much. That’s not exactly the mindset God wants us to have. If you give it some thought, you’ll see that Heavenly Father has woven a few…
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Shine Bright This Holiday Season!
Matthew 5:14 (NLT) “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” Yep! We’ve officially commercialized the…
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Changing A Temporary Position to Permanent
Our ears will fall upon information at certain times in our lives because it is just the information we need in order to move forward. For instance, my nephew recently shared with me a case study he completed. It was about a very lucrative company struggling with the idea of changing their business strategy. A…
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Did You Make it Disappear?
1 John 3:16-17 (MSG) “This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about…
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Saying the Right Words Can Save Our Relationships
Proverbs 13:3 (NLT) “Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.” We can never underestimate the power of the words we speak. Proverb 13:3 is one example of how God wakes us up to the damage that can be done by what we say. It’s why I…
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How Can One Be Warm Alone?
One day, my youngest daughter asked me a question that, when answered, began a myriad of other questions; not just in her mind, but mine as well. Children are so inquisitive. They are curious in a way that sometimes forces adults to think deeply about things they haven’t given much thought. “Mommy, where do babies…
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Leftovers Anyone?
There was only one thing that drove my aunt to fits, and it was seeing a woman completely lose herself over a man. When I was younger, I never understood why it made her so angry. As I got older it was clear to me that she didn’t like the idea of a woman crumbling…
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Squeezing Fear Out of Your Relationship
Just about every Christian has heard the record regarding Job in the Old Testament. Depending on each individual, his story is impactful for different reasons; and those reasons change as we reread the Book of Job. Each time our appreciation for this account deepens and we find the jewel of another life lesson. For some,…
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Six Degrees of Separation
There is an idea, you may have heard of it, called six degrees of separation. It’s a theory that we’re all inter-connected, and that within a pool of random strangers, no one would be more than six individuals from someone they either know or knows them. It’s an interesting concept and at times you might…
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The Reflection of Your Heart
The Word of God teaches us how to live in such a way that we keep His blessings flowing in our lives. It is critical that the single Christian woman believes this, because one of the major setbacks in a Christian’s life is that after a while, our senses become dull and we grow less…
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From Lonely to Coupled
Matthew 6:26 (NLT) “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” Do you believe you are worthy and lovable? God says you are. But this is still a question we should ask…