I pray you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The holiday season can be difficult for many. The stress of shopping and finding that perfect gift for that special someone. Some are traveling which adds extra expense and creates busy schedules. For me this year, it is the first Christmas without Dad. Though we have not celebrated a big family Christmas for several years, it is still difficult this year.
Through all the challenging, stressful days, there is One who gives us hope, the...
Sometimes life gets crazy messy, like my house while we were waiting on new flooring. We ordered vinyl flooring for the office and carpet for the bedroom. They estimated it would be about three weeks before it arrived. I saw no hurry to empty either room and paint. After all, I had plenty of time.
My three weeks turned into about ten days, and I had very little notice they were coming to install the office flooring. I literally dumped piles of papers into boxes as I cleared the desks and...
Faith is an element in my life, which I have questioned from time to time. What exactly is faith? Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) says “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” If I pray for something in faith and it doesn’t happen, is that a lack of faith? I have come to realize over the years that it is not. We need to understand and be thankful that God sometimes says, “No.”
I grew up in a godly home where examples of faith surrounded me. On the family farm, there...
I still remember the phone call I received from my sister while on vacation several years ago. She called to inform me that our nephew Heath had embezzled money from the family farm to support his addiction to prescription narcotics. Though many of us were suspicious or even knew there was a problem, we ignored the signs. We did not realize how horrible his addiction had become. Now several years later, if you ask Heath about this day, he will describe it as the best and worst day of his...
We recently visited De Leon Springs state park in Florida. It was a beautiful setting with a natural spring and many huge old trees filled with moss. It was relaxing to take a walk through the trees, see the wild azaleas in bloom, and just sit on a bench and soak in the sunshine.
Unfortunately, you weren’t in Florida with me, but hopefully you can relate by the picture of the trees covered with moss. How are your branches? Do you feel as if they are bending down under a heavy load of moss?
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My friend signs her notes KOKO, which means keep on keeping on. In other words, when life is difficult, stay the course, don’t give up, go the extra mile, and keep being a witness for Christ.
In some respects, KOKO is easier on paper than it is in person. There are times when we get weary and struggle in our faith. In those moments of frustration or discouragement, we need to dig deep within ourselves for the motivation to continue. Walking the Christian road alone is not sufficient in itself....
Whenever I have a fortune cookie, I have to read the fortune. Most of them are more of a puzzle than they are wisdom, but on occasion I receive one that makes me think.
This fortune has been sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks, and I have read it periodically. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” I believe it is important to live a life of gratitude, but I would like to rephrase the fortune for you. “Gratitude toward Jesus is not only the greatest...
Picture in your mind your happy place. For some it is a walk in the woods, a cabin in the mountains, or a stroll along the beach. Many people enjoy the morning silence with a cup of coffee in their favorite chair. Possibly it is the view from your front porch, or a leisurely drive in your car. Wherever your happy place is—go there in your mind.
I believe Peter’s happy place was the Sea of Galilee. This is where Jesus first asked Peter to become a disciple, and where Peter committed to a...
It is the little things in life that make a huge difference in our hearts. A hug from a child or a friend. Settling in with a good book in the morning sunshine. I few quiet moments with God in the middle of the day. Sometimes it is showering your friends with an unexpected homemade treat!
When life gets super busy, we often miss the moments of splendor, which seem insignificant in the day-to-day struggles. We forget to look at the flowers in bloom, or to take an evening walk. On the rainy days...
Unfortunately, we are experiencing high temperatures and a moderate drought in Central Ohio this year. My personal opinion is that some fields in the area have a severe drought as the corn appears to be shriveling and starting to die in early July. Since farming is our livelihood, God is definitely testing our faith and our drought index this year. When times get tough, how is your drought index? Do you have scriptures which give you peace in times of trouble?
Due to lack of rain and high...
At a recent event known as the Walk to Emmaus I was blessed to be on the leadership team and help lead discussions with some wonderful ladies. On our last day, we asked one another about our favorite Bible story. For me it was so hard to choose. You have the story of Esther. The Samaritan Woman. The woman who touched Jesus’ robe. Peter walked on water. How do you choose just one? I admit I don't remember which one I selected, but I remember Iola's favorite. It was the widow woman's offering.
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God created us with amazing senses—sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Each of our senses work separately, yet they also work together. For example, a blind person typically has a greater sense of hearing and touch to compensate for the loss of their sight. But even though their other senses are heightened, it will never totally replace their loss of sight.
Our senses can often cause us to experience flashbacks of great memories. While driving last week, I could smell smoke in the air. It...
My husband and I stopped in Shanksville, Pennsylvania this summer on our way home from vacation. This isn’t your typical vacation spot, but our son had encouraged us to stop and see the temporary memorial site from Flight 93, which crashed during the attacks on September 11, 2001.I have to admit my initial response was a little mixed. There didn’t appear to be much to see, an open field and a few signs posted along a chain link fence. Propped against the fence were some gifts, poems and...
While recovering from major surgery I had a day of setback. My pain seemed different and more painful than previous days. As if the pain wasn’t enough to dampen my spirits it was a dreary morning. There was very little sunshine which eventually lead to pop-up thunderstorms in our area. Though the storms and rain weren’t close the gloomy gray sky was above as the thunder rumbled in the distance for what seemed like hours.
I needed some sort of pick me up and grabbed my Bible to see what I could...
Sometimes in our lives we exhibit tough love to a friend or family member. Tough love is the moment you give another adult an ultimatum as a result of their bad actions. Tough love is a two-way street though. Your offer for help may be accepted or it may be rejected. If the person continues down the wrong road, you must rely on the power of prayer and seek understanding from God. Now that is truly tough love!
My friend is at this crossroad in her life. Her son was recently picked up for drug...
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike...
We recently remodeled our master bathroom. One of the first steps in the project was the removal of a six-foot-wide mirror from the wall. It now leans against our bedroom wall, but it has been rotated. Instead of being six-foot-wide, it is now six-foot-tall which gives me a totally different perspective than before. We do not intend to leave it there permanently yet I have grown accustomed to the benefits of a tall mirror.
This mirror gives me the opportunity to reflect upon my physical...
Last night I read an article about the ten practices which should be eliminated from the church. The writer felt that sermons should be eliminated from the church service, which totally shocked me. They compared the length of the sermon to the attention span of people as a result of social media. They didn’t feel it was a valuable use of time and that there were more effective ways to teach in today’s society. So, for all of the social media people reading this book, here is your devotion for...
While Pastor Kathy was leading the Communion mediation, numerous times she asked the question, “Who are you?” The odd thing is, every time she asked the question, she was looking directly at me. I was starting to get a little paranoid and leaned toward my friend Angie and whispered, “Why does she keep looking at me?”
She replied, “I don’t know, but I was wondering the same thing?”
The first time Pastor Kathy asked the question I thought to myself, well I’m Joe Conklin’s daughter. A phrase I...
I have recently become friends with Leah as a result of my first book. We have never met in person. I’m in Ohio and she lives in New York. I love reading her blogs and seeing how her faith is strong through the many struggles in her life. In spite of these struggles she is always focused on Christ and His goodness.
Just so you understand the bigger picture, she is recuperating from some back problems. Her mom has cancer which has spread, and her son also has some special medical problems. You...