One-a-Day...for the Heart: Home Sweet Home

     Lord, through all the generations, You have been our home! Moses declared that in Psalm 90:1 (NLT). In verse 2, he reminds us (Message translation), Long before the mountains were born, long before You brought earth itself to birth, from "once upon a time" to "kingdom come" — You are God.

     Dorothy said it well in The Wizard of Oz: “There’s no place like home!” Her fictitious home was Kansas, but our true home is in the Lord. He affords us peace, comfort, safety, sh

One-a-Day...for the Heart: For Such a Time as This

 She was in the right place, at the right time, saying the right words to the right man. Queen Esther’s people, the Jews, were in trouble as an evil plot was devised to destroy them. Her husband, King Xerxes, adored Esther, and when she approached him with a simple request, he extended his golden scepter and listened intently to her. Curious as to what she wanted from him, he offered to grant her up to half the kingdom—he loved and esteemed her that highly. 

     Little did

One-a-Day...for the Heart: I Will

   When we love the Lord and are determined to live a God-honoring life, there is no predicament we can get ourselves into that the Lord cannot get us through. If we mock God and turn to our own ways, the dynamic changes, and we suffer the consequences of sin. 

     The Lord is not a fair-weather friend who stays by our side until problems arise. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and as Proverbs 18:24 declares, there is a friend who sticks clos

One-a-Day...for the Heart: Jezebel

     Manipulating, intimidating, and dominating are the adjectives used to describe the characteristics of spirits empowered by an evil force in the unseen world referred to as the principality of Jezebel. Such spirits are not gender-sensitive—they affect and oppress women and men alike, and even children in some instances.

     Most of us have either been, as I say, “Jezebel'd or Jezebob'd” by someone who manipulated, intimidated, or dominated us. Perhaps the struggle with

One-a-Day...for the Heart: Not Anymore

I used to have multiple sclerosis. Not anymore. I used to have endometriosis. Not anymore. My expiration date from Stage 4 cancer was July 2012. Not anymore. Each disease was a powerful life-draining attack from the enemy, which I believe was intended to end my time and purpose here. But the God we serve and love proved Himself more powerful and quite capable of defeating such ominous foes in a body that He created, with a destiny that He saw before I was even conceived. T

One-A-Day...for the Heart: Not Alone

     Most of us have felt alone at some time. Jesus experienced loneliness, especially as He was dying on the cross, and sensed utter separation from Father God. Emptiness creeps over the soul when we are separated from family, friends, and familiar settings. Parting goodbyes are not easy; separation through death is even more difficult. Sadly, some people never recover from being alone, and life takes on bitter hopelessness. 

     Jesus understands our emotions. He felt so

One-a-Day...for the Heart: Freaked Out!

It started as a carefree, fun shopping excursion. My mom and I went to a favorite department store when I was twelve or thirteen. She headed to the ladies' department, and I went to the teens’ section. When my shopping was completed, I searched the store for Mom and spotted her looking at a rack of ladies’ pantsuits. She had singled out an extremely unattractive one and seemed to be admiring it. This will never do! I thought. I stood behind her, lovingly put my arm around

One-a-Day...for the Heart: Leviathan

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits (Proverbs 18:21 ESV). Our words matter, and whether one is a believer or non-believer in Christ, his words generate either life or death. The spoken word has the power to edify or destroy.

     If you’ve ever been the victim of malicious gossip or slander, you understand the devastation such accusations cause. No one loves its crippling effects more than Satan, who, as scripture points

One-a-Day...for the Heart: God's Military Men & Women

  Along with knowing about spiritual warfare, weapons, authority, and armor, a closer look at the military man himself helps understand whether a battle will be won or lost. As Christians, we are called to fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12). 

     In the preceding verses, we are encouraged to “run for our lives” from those wh

One-a-Day...for the Heart: If You Smell Smoke, RUN!

 It’s wise to locate the exit signs in public places, whether in a mall, movie theater, restaurant, or other place, in the event of fire or emergency. 

     Nothing is more annoying than setting off a home smoke detector by burning a piece of toast, but the shrill, piercing noise it makes effectively gets our attention to deal with the potential threat of danger. 

     The Word of God warns of danger, too. Giving into temptation and sin leads down a pathway to destruction, s

One-a-Day...for the Heart: Last Song

 I will sing to the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me (Psalm 13:6 ESV). Jacques (Jock) had a perfect life despite living in a cage. All his needs and wants were met—food, water, shelter, protection, warmth, entertainment, etc. Everything a bird could want came easily to our beloved canary. 

     We found him in the exotic pet area of a local Grants Department Store. I think we were allowed to take either Jacques or a Black Molly fish home, so we opted for the pe

One-a-Day...for the Heart: The Help of His Countenance

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance (Psalm 42:5 NKJV). The psalmist knew that whether in a valley of despair or on a mountaintop of ecstatic victory, his only real source of peace was in the presence of the Lord.

     Countenance here means face, but other translations refer to it as the help of His presence. Nothing is more reassuring and helpful than recognizing the

One-a-Day...for the Heart: Faith or Fear?

     The year was around 1958. At a local firemen’s carnival, the Ferris wheel stopped to fix a mechanical problem. I was perched at the very top, swaying gently in the hot summer breeze till the wheel stopped.

      Looking down at the tiny people below, I saw my young life flash before me. How, in an instant, could the exhilaration of climbing this high in the sky turn to terror at being this high in the sky? Get me down from here, and I will never do this again! I though

One-a-Day...for the Heart: Preacher Cat

 For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. God said that in Psalm 50:10-11 (NKJV). 

     The creativity of the Lord, as expressed in the animal species alone, boggles the mind! I never got past drawing stick men in art class, but God? He designed the elephant, the porcupine, the manatee, the gerenuk (look it up!), the Siamese cat, and an incredible 8.7 million o

One-a-Day...for the Heart: Gentle on My Mind

  Most people in my little corner of the world are pleasant to think about. Thoughts of them make me smile or bring comfort and joy to my mind. As the late Glen Campbell sang, they are Gentle on My Mind. We think of our friends and loved ones often in a day, a week, or a lifetime. 

     The Lord also has billions of people He thinks about continually, and they are gentle on His mind. They are us! Imagine it. Psalm 139:17-18 (NLT) says, How precious are your thoughts about m