“God helps those who help themselves.” I heard this often as a child. Many people quoted it as if it was a Bible verse; and if it wasn’t, they thought it should be. This quote is not a Bible verse; in fact, the scriptures reveal how God always makes the first move. He loved us…
Author: Dara
God’s Love Series: Day 2 – As Much As He Loves Jesus
Sometimes I gauge God’s love for me by the circumstances in my life, or by my warm, fuzzy feelings, or lack thereof. Until one day, “God loves you as much as He loves Jesus,” I heard the preacher say. I couldn’t believe my ears. Blasphemy! I thought. Then the preacher read a Bible verse. “I…
God’s Love Series: Day 1 – Mistaken Identity
I grew up in church, thinking God was an angry old man with a long white beard and an even longer stick, waiting for me to make a mistake so He could give me a whack. I am not sure where this thought originated, but it was lodged in the center of my heart. Perfection…
God’s Love Series: Introduction
I was 6 when my family began regularly attending church. For the last half a century I have read my Bible, visited a plethora of churches, and listened to many Bible teachers. I’ve naturally adopted theologies along the way. Today I am 60. When I was in my 40’s, I noticed my conflicting ideas about…
Go Ahead. See Again.
“He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts. When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on. They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is going by.” He yelled, “Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Those ahead of…
The Bread Man
We called him the bread man. Always smiling, Wayne worked for the Wonder Bread Company and delivered hamburger buns to the restaurant every week. Church was not part of our family-life, so Wayne took our family on as a mission field. Wayne talked about Jesus while my dad blew cigarette smoke in Wayne’s face and…
In the Back Room
Some of my earliest memories are in the back room of my parents’ Reaban’s Drive-In, a burger place. I sat at a butcher block counter in the back corner of the room, playing with dolls, especially my Little Kittles. Occasionally I peeked through the saloon-style doors which separated the back room from the public part…
Ethel
Spending so much time at home in 2020, I wanted more creativity in my cooking. I also longed for comfort food, so the obvious choice was baking. While scrolling Instagram, I noticed a resurgence of bread baking. This created a challenge, because not only did we have a shortage of toilet paper, we also had…
An UnTroubled Heart
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (Jesus) John 14:1 (ESV) Popular opinion tells us there is not much we can do if our hearts are troubled. Having a troubled heart is not your fault, bless your heart. This scripture says otherwise. “Let not your hearts be troubled.” If…
Dancing To The Beat Of A Different Drum
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting…