Articles

Starting college was one of the most growth-producing experiences I have had yet, and it was drenched in grace…While grateful for the practical skills I learned through living states away from home, there are some less tangible lessons the Lord has been teaching me that have left their mark.

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And Earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26).

This verse covers so well my 84-year-old perspective these days, which I am sure was NOT my perspective in my younger years!!

In 2020 when the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I faced my first season of trial and wilderness in my Christian walk. I had been saved for two years at that point and was flourishing in all areas of my life, especially in my faith. Since I live alone, during the required quarantine period I was isolated from everyone, but most importantly, I was isolated from community and fellowship.

The song “We Don’t Talk about Bruno” from the new Disney movie Encanto has hit the charts as one of the most played songs on music media, and let’s admit it, in our own homes too. Sometimes when I am asked about my devotional times, the initial response in my mind is, “We don’t talk about my devotional time…no, no, no.” 

One of the first tools I remember using and still use to study the Bible is the cross-reference, sometimes called the chain reference. These are the tiny little letters  that you see in the verses you are reading (this is where a magnifying glass can come in handy) that lead you to a key either in the center or the outside margin of your Bible.