Month: February 2026

The days are getting longer as the sun makes its journey north. The temperatures are trending higher.Spring is coming! Look up! Look around! See hope! See glory! See God! *** The heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of his hands.Day after day they pour forth speech;night after night they reveal knowledge.They have no speech,…

Here lies the tremendous mystery – that God should be all-powerful, yet refuse to coerce. He summons us to cooperation. We are honored in being given the opportunity to participate in his good deeds. Remember how He asked for help in performing his miracles: Fill the water pots, stretch out your hand, distribute the loaves.Elisabeth…

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). John 6:10 NIV Jesus, unhurried and orderly, had them sit down on the grass. (Interestingly, only the men were counted. Many Bible scholars believe the actual number, including women and children, could have been 15,000—20,000 people.)…

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”John 6:8-9 NIV Five barley loaves: Barley, an ancient and versatile grain, is packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and beta-glucan, making it healthy and sustainable. It yields a…

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6:8-9 NIV Andrew once again brought someone to Jesus. First it was his brother Peter (John 1:40-42). Now it was a lad with some barley loaves and two small…

Of all of Jesus’ many miracles, only the resurrection and the feeding of the 5,000 are recorded in all four Gospels. And of all the writers, John is the only one to mention a “small boy” as an integral part of the story. More on that later. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming…

I was forgiven; my spirit felt light. On to the next thing … Our church encourages small groups. We joined one last fall. Now it sign-up time for Spring. Unfortunately, many groups were the wrong demographic (college-age, young women), wrong time, or geographically too far. The one I wanted was filled. So, I chose another….

Then I acknowledged my sin to youand did not cover up my iniquity.I said, “I will confessmy transgressions to the Lord.”And you forgavethe guilt of my sin.Psalm 32:5 NIV *** Sunday morning, I decided to worship online. This disappointed Jenna, but I needed to be home if things thawed, or worst case, pipes burst. *** Pastor Joaquin’s…

Our church earmarked January 1-21 for community prayer and fasting. I fasted from the news and added systematical Bible-reading and prayer. At the end, I decided to continue that program. *** But only 3 days later, I stumbled and fell flat on my face. I needed to apologize. I didn’t want to. I thought of…

We all have a story about this terrible winter. (My friend’s bedroom is too cold to sleep in.) This is mine. I always trickle water in my bathroom sink and tub when the temperature dips below 20 degrees. But Friday the 23rd, was an unusually busy day and when I finally got ready for bed,…