Autumn Woods

As discussed in the last blog post, establishing a strong guard over your eye and ear gates is extremely beneficial to your relationship with God. The longer you walk with Him and seek Him, the more He will transform you into a truer reflection of Himself, as you seek to imitate Him in your day to day dealings. But it isn't just the two of you on the road. Your brothers and sisters in Christ are there, too. Some are ahead, some beside, and others behind, depending on how they

It may sound like "Christianese," but describing your eyes and ears as gates to be guarded is actually an excellent analogy from a Biblical perspective. In the Old Testament, a particular blessing often recurs in conjunction with changing events: “may you possess the gates of your enemies.” God first told Abraham that his descendants would possess the gates of the enemies in Genesis 22:17, after Abraham passed the test of laying Isaac on the altar. When Rebekah departs her ho

Many times in scripture, God will reveal one of His Names to us. He announces Himself as El Shaddai, the Almighty God of the Mountain; as I AM, the omnipotent being with no beginning who was and is and is to come; as Yahweh, or Jehovah, the relational God. But Jehovah Jireh is a name that was given to express part of God's character by a very dear friend. When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, to Him on Mount Moriah, the friend of God made ready to obey Him. Unwitting

Authority and Submission The other day, I was browsing a job listing site, and noticed an area for applicants to create a profile, uploading skills, credentials, certificates, and other such things. I realized that, though I don't have many certifications, I have a wealth of experience because of choosing to learn and do things on my own time. While I do have a degree in a particular field, which has been helpful to me in various forms of work, for the first time, I understoo

I know that Jesus is coming back. I want Him to. I long for it, as I'm sure you do, too. And I fully agree that it is important to study end time prophecy and keep an eye on the sky. But there is a subculture among apocalypse enthusiasts that appears to take great delight in making others fear the future in regards to the approach of the Second Coming. It isn't wrong to prepare for the future, but it must be done with the knowledge that "a man’s heart plans his course, but th

I hate spiders. As much as I love animals and feel disloyal not liking something God made, I just can't consistently keep on good terms with them. Too many bites as a child; too many viewings of Lord of the Rings and other such things. But I had a very humbling encounter with one the other day. I had walked outside to check the mail. Our mailbox is on a shared stand with our next door neighbors'. As I opened the flap, something moving under the two boxes caught my eye. A rela

Has anyone ever tried to beat you over the head with the phrase, "a gentle and quiet spirit?" It's unfortunate that 1 Peter 3:3-4, verses encouraging women to cultivate inner beauty by remaining peacefully secure in Christ, have been weaponized into an "ugly stick" to whack women with. The verses say: "Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible

The television was my nemesis. Not because I wanted to turn it on in the morning, but because it's part of my husband's morning routine. He will have it on in the morning as he's enjoying coffee, possibly preparing for his own God time, and beginning his day. I like to jump right into the word and my prayer time with hot tea and silence. Not long ago, I would stew in frustration as episodes blared while I attempted to organize my thoughts into prayer. My flesh was getting ven

In the Psalms, David and other writers talk about God setting their feet in a broad place. What does that mean? The phrase is used to describe God taking the speaker from a place of danger and insecurity to a place of safety and security, as in Psalm 18:19. Psalm 18 begins with David crying out to God for help as waters of oppression, ungodliness, and death threaten to drown him. Because of God's delight in David, "He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters

The Miracle John 9:1-39 tells us of Jesus and His disciples encountering a man who was born blind. When His disciples asked whether his blindness was punishment for his sins or those of his parents, "Jesus answered, 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him... When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, 'Go, w

A brief guide on how to stop yourself from mentally spiraling out of control by taking your thoughts captive.

Gardens offer glimpses into the heart of our Heavenly Father.