• cemetery
    Taking a Closer Look

    Our Disturbing World

    Divide the human race into twenty parts. Nineteen of them are composed of those who work with their hands,... In the remaining twentieth part, how few men do we find who read! And among those who do read there are twenty who read novels for every one who studies philosophy. The number of those who think is exceedingly small, and they are not aiming to disturb the world. - Voltaire

  • Devotions,  Gratitude

    Gratitude in Action

    Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted.” – Exodus 15:20-21, NIV The tribe of Israel had just seen God perform an amazing rescue. They’d been freed from Egypt where they’d been enslaved for hundreds of years. Emotions must have been running high. The Israelites were probably stunned, scared, excited, and delighted. Where would they go? What would they do? How would they provide for their families? It would have been easy to give into overwhelm. But Miriam had another response. She quickly…

  • storm
    Devotions,  Gratitude

    Perspective Changes Everything

    “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” – 1 Chronicles 16:8, NIV Penny and her family watched the storm roll in from the safety of their house in the suburbs. The window howled and the branches on the neighborhood trees bowed under the pressure. The rains drenched the ground and as the wind continued, trees were uprooted. A transformer blew and the entire town lost electricity. But as soon as the storm was over, neighbors were outside, cleaning up the damage. Word quickly spread that a local store was opening their doors and serving hot food. Customers lined up, hundreds…

  • Devotions,  Gratitude

    Start Your Day with Gratitude

    “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” – Psalm 100:4, NIV Some mornings, it’s hard to enter God’s throne room with a grateful heart. Maybe you overslept because your alarm clock didn’t wake you or perhaps you had repeated nightmares or maybe one of your kids was up sick all night. On the mornings it’s hardest to practice gratitude, that’s when it’s the most important that you do it! If you’re struggling to be grateful, try one of these activities: Journal. Dial into your five senses and use them to help you journal. Make a list like “I’m grateful…

  • gratitude
    Devotions,  Gratitude

    When You Need Courage

    “When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.” – Psalm 138:3, NIV Todd was facing pressure at work. A project his firm had promised a client was very far behind schedule. He was responsible for the project so he brought it to his boss, looking for advice on how to handle the situation. Unwilling to anger their biggest client, Todd’s boss advised him to lie. He wanted Todd to tell the client that not only was the project on time, it was being completed under budget too. He even gave Todd the falsified expense reports. Todd struggled with what to do. He wanted to come clean with the…

  • gratitude
    Devotions,  Gratitude

    Bring Your Heartache

    “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” – 1 Samuel 2:2, NIV Hannah lived in a time where a woman’s worth was defined by how many heirs she could produce for her husband. Since she was barren, many people considered her worthless. She was frequently taunted and looked down upon by other women. Every month, she felt the same hope. “Maybe this time I’ll be pregnant,” she might have whispered. But month after month, she faced the same disappointment. Her empty womb probably felt like a rejection, a constant reminder of her failure as a woman.…

  • gratitude
    Devotions,  Gratitude

    Who Are You Thankful for?

    “I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Corinthians 1:4, NIV Jenny and her friend, Marie were outcasts at their high school. They were frequently the target of unkind rumors and mean pranks. They never knew what cruel joke would be played on them next. But at school, there was a sophomore named Tony. All of the students liked Tony because he was kind to everyone, regardless of their social status. Tony used his influence to discourage bullying of other students. Jenny and Marie noticed whenever they were around Tony that they weren’t treated poorly. He became a safe place…

  • gratitude
    Devotions,  Gratitude

    Show Your Gratitude

    “You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, and your giving through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God…” – 2 Corinthians 9:11, NIV You can show your gratitude to God for all of the blessings He’s given you by being generous to others. Sometimes that generosity might be financial. For example, you notice that the single mom who lives nearby doesn’t own a winter coat. Seeing her need, you buy a coat and leave it on her doorstep to be…

  • gratitude
    Devotions,  Gratitude

    When God Carries You

    “Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.” – Psalm 68:19, NIV Dwayne was walking through his neighborhood with his three-year-old daughter. She toddled in front of him, taking in all the sights and sounds of their street. She was fascinated by everything around her. But after walking for a few minutes, she became tired. Dwayne quickly scooped his daughter into his arms and gently placed her on his shoulders. At first, she was afraid to move and clung tightly to his face and neck. But Dwayne stood still and patiently waited. When she finally realized she was safe, the tiny toddler…

  • gratitude
    Devotions,  Gratitude

    Do It All for Him

    “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, NIV Tyler hated unloading the dishwasher when the plates were clean. To him, the task felt pointless. In just a few hours all of the dishes would be used anyway, so he wondered why he should even bother doing that chore. Tyler’s wife didn’t share his feelings. She worked long hours and was rarely home. She expressed several times how much it meant to her when Tyler did small chores like emptying the dishwasher. Still, Tyler saw no reason to…

  • gratitude
    Devotions,  Gratitude

    His Love Endures Forever

    “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” – Psalm 118:1, NIV Sara’s mother was emotionally abusive. When Sara was growing up, her mom would withhold affection and comfort if Sara did something she didn’t like. Sara tried to please her mom but she never received the support and kindness she so desperately longed for. Sara was left feeling like she had to earn the love of those around her. She spent a lot of her time trying to be good enough. She worked hard on every project to prove herself. She was quick to help others in the hopes that they would like her.…