Author Archives: karbly

Explore God’s Word
Elizabeth Brown of Augusta, GA, USA

We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us-and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? -1 John 3:14, 16-17

For me, God’s word is a personal message of love. I find the best ways to mature as a Christian and get to know God in a personal way is to spend time with God and spend time in God’s word. Here are a few examples:

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” And the words of John 5:24 offer, “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Being a Christian is an incredible event. For many, it is a way to find peace. “For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).

Romans 8:28 tells us, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

In the New Testament, suffering is part of the Christian experience. Christ died and suffered for us. At times, we also suffer. The text from 1 Peter 4:1 says, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin).”

Zechariah 13:9 tells us that followers of Christ experience testing:

And I will put this third into the fire,
  refine them as one refines silver,
  and test them as gold is tested.
They will call on my name,
  and I will answer them.
I will say, “They are my people”;
  and they will say, “The Lord is our God.”

In Matthew 28:19 we find the Great Commission. Here Jesus instructs us, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Prayer Phrase

Help us see beyond our dark places and find our way closer to your loving light.

Spiritual Practice

Healing for Broken Spirits

Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Take Time to Wait for the Lord!
Diane Goold of Saint Joseph, MO, USA

…those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
  they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
  they shall walk and not faint. -Isaiah 4:31

I was rushing today to get some things done. I started with a water aerobics class, proceeded to do a little shopping, and rushed to make a chiropractic appointment. While being treated my mind raced forward, thinking of things that still needed to be done.

At the end of the treatment, my chiropractor placed me on a therapeutic bed with rollers that move up and down my body. It massages away aches and pains and helps my tightly wound body relax. While lying there, my mind went to busy mode again, and I thought about jumping up, not waiting for the ten-minute session to end.

A small voice in my head told me to stop fretting and to relax and enjoy the massage I was receiving. As I focused on the moment, I realized this was just as important as any other activity I needed to do, maybe even more so. As I relaxed, I felt the benefit of the table rollers moving up and down my body from neck to thigh. It felt great! I then realized it would be a week before I could enjoy this ten-minute rest again. So I quieted my impatient mind and allowed myself to fall under the spell of pampered relaxation.

Are we like this with God? Do we rush around, then stop for just a second to talk to him? Do we put it off until a better time? Are we so concerned with our activities that we fail to realize the most important one of all is spending some quiet, peaceful time with God?

Next time you’re tempted to rush through or put off reading the scriptures, meditate, or spend time in meaningful prayer, pause and remember that spending time with our Lord is precious. It’s to be enjoyed, not rushed through. Take time to wait for the Lord and your strength will certainly be renewed, just as the scripture passage promises.

Prayer Phrase

Help us see beyond our dark places and find our way closer to your loving light.

Spiritual Practice

Healing for Broken Spirits

Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Passing the Peace of Christ
Gene Allen Groner of Independence, MO, USA

For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. -Romans 14:17-19

At reunion one year at Camp Farwesta, there was a memorable evening worship service. The guest minister came down into the audience and stopped at each aisle, cupped his hands together, and placed them in the hands of the first person in each aisle. I can’t begin to explain the peace and the power of the Holy Spirit as soon as he placed his hands in the hands of the person, and said, “May the peace of Christ be with you.”

I could feel the Spirit of Christ in my heart. Everyone had tears of joy in their eyes, and so did I. Each person in every aisle passed the peace in their hands to the person to their right and said, “May the peace of Christ be with you.” This continued throughout the meeting space until everyone had experienced Christ’s peace and the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Never have I seen or experienced anything like it. It was a gift from God. All were blessed that evening. And I have carried that experience in my heart and mind throughout the remainder of my life.

In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus directs his disciples to share his love and peace with all the world:

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

May we all be faithful to Christ’s commission. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer Phrase

Help us see beyond our dark places and find our way closer to your loving light.

Spiritual Practice

Healing for Broken Spirits

Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Hold on to Your Hair!
Noelle Gaffka of Mount Pleasant, MI, USA

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. -Luke 6:36

The stars called me outside around 3:00 a.m. They were bold and magnificent. As I stood staring up at the sparkly sky, my inner voice acknowledged the view would be better if I lowered the patio umbrella. I’m glad I listened to that inner voice, or I would have missed what came next.

Silent, enormous dark wings flew just a few feet overhead as a creature swooped down over me and then up to the roof peak. There sat a huge owl. I stood in complete awe and stared at it trying to make out every detail of its face in the dark shadows of the early morning. It never made a sound. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until it silently flew off and I exhaled. I continued to stare at the spot it once sat for several minutes debating whether I should follow it. The smell of a nearby skunk answered that question for me.

It’s been a little while since I’ve had the privilege of being in the presence of an enormous owl. As much as it made me yearn for trees to run through, it gave me a sense of appreciation for the wildlife I do have nearby.

As I reflect on the experience, I chuckle as I think of how connected we are to creation and the Spirit that intertwines us if we listen. It was as though I could hear that Spirit say, “You think the stars are cool? Put your umbrella down and watch this! Hold on to your hair!”

Prayer Phrase

Help us see beyond our dark places and find our way closer to your loving light.

Spiritual Practice

Healing for Broken Spirits

Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

The Exodus Journey
Barbara Carter, Council of Twelve Apostles

Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. -Exodus 14:30-31

I grew up only blocks from the Pacific Ocean. I could hear the roar of the waves and smell the salty air from my room. Some nights I would listen to the repetitive crashing of the water and allow myself to fall asleep to the rhythmic sound. Much of my spiritual formation is shaped by the steadfastness of this vast presence in my life.

As a child I had a recurring stress dream about a large wave, 30-40 feet tall, chasing my family as we drove along a beach road. There was overwhelming fear that the wall of water would crash down and engulf us. The dream would end as we drove up a hill at the end of the road. We always outran the water. The wave never touched us.

My experience influences how I envision the Israelites standing on the edge of the Red Sea and Moses telling them to cross to the other side. I can frame this story in light of the nightmares of a child, or I can claim the steadfastness which points me to God’s chesed love (Hebrew for foundational, inclusive, expansive). The Israelites stood on the edge of their unknown future where fear and trepidation could overwhelm them, but they stepped forward and discovered a new future with God.

When we recognize God calling us into something new, we experience the exodus journey. We take steps away from what is known toward an experiment with God and each other.

Prayer Phrase

Help us see beyond our dark places and find our way closer to your loving light.

Spiritual Practice

Healing for Broken Spirits

Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Fifteen Minutes
Grace Andrews of Independence, MO, USA

May the Lord give strength to his people!
  May the Lord bless his people with peace! -Psalm 29:11

In her book A Simple Gift of Comfort: Healing Words for Difficult Times, Jane Kirkpatrick shares these ideas: Instead of giving up an hour to think of what could or should have been, the wise soul makes a phone call to a friend; reads a book that brings laughter; ..and fills the time with what they decide will give them strength (Harvest House Publishers, 2008, ISBN 978-0736922326).

During the pandemic, I had eye surgery. Following surgery, my recovery depended on me staying in bed 24 hours around the clock with only 15-minute breaks every hour for up to two weeks.

What can you do in 15 minutes? I soon had to face the fact that it was not nearly enough time to do much of anything. Not enough time to prepare a meal and eat it, take a walk, vacuum floors, do the dishes, or get involved in a TV program. Lying in bed during the daytime I thought and planned what could be accomplished during my next 15-minute reprieve. Setting an alarm at the beginning of the 15 minutes, I bound out of bed only to have it ring incessantly before I could manage to get much of anything done. It was frustrating, yet I knew the treatment was necessary for healing.

Time is a gift, and 15 minutes is enough time to call someone who is suffering; it is enough time to find joy, peace, and thankfulness in having that time to heal; it is enough time to appreciate a wonderful husband who had food prepared and ready for each meal. It is enough time to look outdoors where life goes on and appreciate nature and birds singing. It is enough time to repeat daily, “This, too, will pass.”

What could you accomplish during a single 15-minute portion of every hour? What are your priorities? Try setting an alarm for that small segment of time and determine what you might do to bring happiness for you or someone else. Now that I am past that part of my healing, I have so much more appreciation for the gift of time that God has given me. I pray that I will not forget to use it well.

Prayer Phrase

Help us see beyond our dark places and find our way closer to your loving light.

Spiritual Practice

Healing for Broken Spirits

Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Wilbert’s Welcome
Jeannine Ward of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. -Ephesians 4:22-24

When I was young boy, my mother would always make us get up early and clean the house on Saturday mornings. She had loud gospel music playing in the background, usually Shirley Caesar. I had the mom that vacuumed a few times a week just to see the lines in the carpet, so you know my Saturday mornings involved rubber gloves, furniture polish, and a lot of window cleaner. It was a weekly tradition my entire adolescent life.

Every March, we would DEEP clean. This included everything from getting rid of old items, giving away clothes, cleaning cobwebs, and rearranging furniture. Most people would call this “spring cleaning,” but my mom would just say, “We need to freshen up our home.”

Her words still ring in my ear today whenever I’m cleaning or donating something or making big decisions. Sometimes we need to freshen up our lives by getting rid of old ways that hold us back. We need to reassess some relationships that aren’t benefiting our future. We need to think about the habits that are destroying us. We need to develop new mindsets from the ones that keep us locked in place and not getting better. It may be time for some of us to freshen up our choices. Doing this may show us that sometimes a quality “spring cleaning” or “life cleaning” is good for us all.

Prayer Phrase

Help us see beyond our dark places and find our way closer to your loving light.

Spiritual Practice

Healing for Broken Spirits

Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Freshen Up
Brandon Neloms of Pooler, GA, USA

You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. -Ephesians 4:22-24

When I was young boy, my mother would always make us get up early and clean the house on Saturday mornings. She had loud gospel music playing in the background, usually Shirley Caesar. I had the mom that vacuumed a few times a week just to see the lines in the carpet, so you know my Saturday mornings involved rubber gloves, furniture polish, and a lot of window cleaner. It was a weekly tradition my entire adolescent life.

Every March, we would DEEP clean. This included everything from getting rid of old items, giving away clothes, cleaning cobwebs, and rearranging furniture. Most people would call this “spring cleaning,” but my mom would just say, “We need to freshen up our home.”

Her words still ring in my ear today whenever I’m cleaning or donating something or making big decisions. Sometimes we need to freshen up our lives by getting rid of old ways that hold us back. We need to reassess some relationships that aren’t benefiting our future. We need to think about the habits that are destroying us. We need to develop new mindsets from the ones that keep us locked in place and not getting better. It may be time for some of us to freshen up our choices. Doing this may show us that sometimes a quality “spring cleaning” or “life cleaning” is good for us all.

Prayer Phrase

Help us see beyond our dark places and find our way closer to your loving light.

Spiritual Practice

Healing for Broken Spirits

Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Feed My Lambs
Grace Andrews of Independence, MO, USA

…Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” -John 21:15

Just picture Jesus gathering the chosen few disciples around him, teaching them, listening to their hopes, dreams, and fears, and loving them unconditionally.

I can still see in my mind’s eye the unforgettable experience of the close of the day growing up. At bedtime, it meant baths had been taken, teeth were brushed, and pajamas were on. As I walked into the living room from the kitchen, drying my hands on a towel, the sight that greeted me was always the same-our five children lying in a circle on their tummies on the big oval rug in the middle of the living room floor, leaving a space only for me. They already had whatever book we were reading, prominently waiting and open to the right page, in the center of the circle. It had become our routine to read to them from a variety of books each night. These included Bible stories for children, None to Give Away by Elsie Doig Townsend, Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney, and many other wonderful uplifting children’s stories.

As something emotional would come up in a story, I could not help my voice faltering, and I would tear up. A small voice, or voices, would immediately protest, saying, “Mommy, don’t stop now; we want to hear what happens.” So I would compose myself and read on. At the end of two or three chapters it was time for hugs and kisses and prayers. Then I would watch as my precious children all happily trundled off to bed. That time was all too short, but it lives on in memory.

They have all grown now with wonderful families of their own, families with their own traditions and nurturing. If I had one message today it would be this: If you are young, feed Jesus’ little lambs. Teach them; listen to their hopes, dreams, and fears; and above all, love them unconditionally. Like those honored disciples, they will reap great rewards. If you are old, gather up each one of these treasured memories as they come to the surface like cream, and hold them in your heart. These are joyous moments well worth remembering and savoring.

Prayer Phrase

Help us see beyond our dark places and find our way closer to your loving light.

Spiritual Practice

Healing for Broken Spirits

Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

Click here to comment or read online.

Deep Discussion
Jan Hill of New Brighton, MN, USA

Click here to comment or read online.