Blessings of a smiling dog Psalm 118:24

Psalm 118:24 (ESV) 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. So, we finally buckled down and and got a couple of dogs. It’d been almost 3 years since our collie had died, 3 ½ since our lab had passed. Went to a no kill […]

Vanilla ice cream Psalms 51:10

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Vanilla ice cream. Why,when you can have chocolate peanut butter? Or sea salt caramel truffle? Or hazelnut chocolate chip? Or decadent chocolate moose tracks (right next to the regular chocolate moose tracks, vanilla moose tracks, and what’s next […]

It’s a process…. Psalm 25:6-7 Luke 9:21-22 Revelation 21:4-5

Psalm 25:6-7 (MSG) 6 Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, God; Rebuild the ancient landmarks! 7 Forget that I sowed wild oats; Mark me with your sign of love. Plan only the best for me, God! Luke 9:21-22 (ESV) 21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, […]

Hitch your wagon John 14:15-17 Colossians 3:1-4

John 14:15-17 15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells […]

That should be enough Psalm 91:11 John 10:12-14 1 Peter 3:13-16

Psalm 91:11 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Matthew 10:12-14 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone […]

John 1-46 Anything good

John 1:46 (NIV) 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Can anything good come out of Nazareth? I guess that depends on how we do with the teachings we’ve been given. Great things have come from there already – amazing miracles, amazing wisdom, amazing love. Yet, and I suppose not […]

Freedom… John 8:31-44

John 8:31-44 (ESV) “31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Today, we want freedom of/from everything. It’s our right. We want freedom from fear (safety), freedom […]

And the like Galatians 5:14-23

Galatians 5:14-23 (NIV) 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the […]

Grownups and children 1 Corinthians 13:10-12 Matthew 19:13-14

1 Corinthians 13:10-12 (NIV) “10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a […]

Spitting and Jeering Jeremiah 33:2-3 Matthew 26:62-68

Matthew 26:62-68 (MSG) “62 The Chief Priest stood up and said, “What do you have to say to the accusation?” 63 Jesus kept silent. Then the Chief Priest said, “I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus was curt: “You […]

Psalm 33:13-15, 20:22 John 14:1-4 The cotton thing

Psalm 33:13-22 (MSG) “13-15 From high in the skies God looks around, he sees all Adam’s brood. From where he sits he overlooks all us earth-dwellers. He has shaped each person in turn; now he watches everything we do. “20-22 We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need. What’s more, our hearts brim with joy […]

It’s a big, big, home Matthew 7:12 Romans 13:9-10

Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Romans 13:9-10 “ 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are […]

Love obliviot’s, haters and anti’s Psalms 84:10-11 Matthew 5:43-48

Psalms 84:10-11 (ESV) “10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does […]

An ostrich thinks it’s safe until it realizes it isn’t. John 4:23-24 Matthew 13:41-43

John 4:23-24 “23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Matthew 13:41-43 “41 The Son of […]

Deuteronomy 8:3 Matthew 6:33 You can’t always get what you want, but…

Deuteronomy 8:3 (NIV) “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Matthew […]

1 John 3:18 Philippians 1:9-10 Will your legacy be one of action or…?

1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” Philippians 1:9-10“9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be […]

Psalms 139:23-24 Matthew 8:19 Acts 17:6-9 The price is right.

Psalms 139:23-24 “23 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; 24 See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong — then guide me on the road to eternal life.” Matthew 8:19 “And a scribe came up and said to him, […]

Matthew 6:14-15, 8:11-12 Haters never prosper

Matthew 6:14-15 “14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 8:11-12 “11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, […]

Psalm 119:33-35 Matthew 6:30-34 Pig headed with an open mind.

Psalm 119:33-35 33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. 35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Matthew 6:30-34 “31 So […]

Romans 8:28-30 Imagine choosing your destiny.

Romans 8:28-30 “28 That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. 29 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as […]

Amos 5:24 Luke 7:47 Who do you love?

Amos 5:24 “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” Luke 7:47 “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Who do you love? Who do you forgive? Who do you bless? Do we live […]

Isaiah 54:10 Ecclesiastes 1:4 Some things never change

Isaiah 54:10 “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Ecclesiastes 1:4 “Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.” Some things never change. Like change. […]

1 John 1:9-10 Galatians 5:22-23 Come home to the good life

1 John 1:9-10 “9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is […]

Matthew 5:13-16 Good salt, bad salt, you know I’ve had my share….

Matthew 5:13-16 “13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot […]

Romans 1:16-17 Mark 12:29-31 I am not ashamed

Romans 1:16-17 “16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as […]

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Maybe the instructions aren’t so basic after all?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “16 Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” James 1:23-25 “23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone […]

Mark 10:48-51, Psalms 43:5 Teacher, I want to see!

Mark 10:48-51 “48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to […]

Psalms 9:9, Mark 10:28-31 My spending habits show the truth…

Psalms 9:9 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Mark 10:28-31 “28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother […]

John 13:34-35 Love like your eternity depends on it.

John 13:34-35 “34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” A new commandment. Love one another. Not just people […]

Psalms 32-9-10 Even a mule figures it out eventually.

Psalms 32:9-10 “9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by the bit and bridle or they will not come back to you. 10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.” Mules and […]

Habakkuk 3-17-18 When bread goes bad

Habakkuk 3:17-18 “ 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be […]

Romans 12:9 – 10 A sticky wicket

Romans 12:9 – 10 NIV “9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Here we have the hate word again. Man, God sure makes it hard to love Him when He keeps on hating. I think […]

James 1-19-21 What does your garden grow?

James 1:19-21 “19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly […]

Psalms 37-5-6, 10 What to do when scammed…

Psalms 37:5-6, 10 “5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday” How frustrating is it when cheaters prosper? When complete and total scammers prosper? When thieves steal your security, your peace, your […]

Proverbs 12:2, 13:5, 14:5 The need to lie

Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight. Proverbs 13:5 A righteous man hates lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and comes to shame. Proverbs 14:5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies. Lies, lies, lies. White lies, black […]

Ephesians 4-31 – 5-2 Showing real tolerance

Ephesians 4:31 – 5:2 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 5 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way […]

Proverbs 10-12 Psalms 42:11 Love covers all sin.

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strifes: but love covers all sins. Psalms 42:11 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Love covers all sin. Hatred stirs up strife. Ummm, what kind of a world do […]

Turn on the lights the party’s just beginning. Matthew 5:16 John 1:5 John 8:12

Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. John 1:5 – And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 8:12 – Then spoke Jesus again to them, saying, I am the light of […]

Joshua 22-5 John 8:32 Wait, don’t hang up!

Joshua 22:5 “5 But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all […]

1 John 5:1 There are no Fatherless children.

1 John 5:1 “Everyone who loves the Father loves his child as well.” If you love the Father, you will love his child. Love the child of the Father. Love. There are no fatherless children. Literally and figuratively. There are no fatherless children. They might not have a father, but they aren’t fatherless. He is […]

Luke 1:28 Visitors

Luke 1:28 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Sometimes we have a portending that things are going to get interesting in our lives. I imagined it’s nothing like what Mary was facing though. Imagine, an angel shows up at your front door […]

Isaiah 40:3 God don’t need no stinkin’ runway.

Isaiah 40:3 “3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord ; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” I used to think this was pointing to God being an alien and that when his ship landed, well it’d need a runway. Hmm, a spaceship traveling […]

Psalms 29-1 – 2 I need an ascribtion to cure what ails me.

Psalms 29:1 – 2 1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Ascribe isn’t a commonly used word any more. It means to to credit to, or to attribute […]

Psalms 94:19 Letting in a little Sonlight into our lives

Psalms 94:19 “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” At the jail last night one of the guys in the room said he just loved sticking a needle in his arm. Another guy talked about what brought him “joy” and it wasn’t about living in God’s word. Came home to an […]

Daniel 2-19-23 Matthew 18:19 I found a magic lamp – a Jesus in a bottle!

Daniel 2:19-23 “19….Daniel blessed the God of heaven, 20 saying, “Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever. He knows all, does all: 21 He changes the seasons and guides history, He raises up kings and also brings them down, he provides both intelligence and discernment, 22 He opens up the depths, tells secrets, […]

2 Corinthians 6-14 Romans 8:38-39 Heard a good yoke joke lately?

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? Romans 8:38 – 39 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 […]

Proverbs 15-16 Isaiah 33:22 Who is this guy?

Proverbs 15:16 “Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.” Isaiah 33:22 “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.” The Lord sets the rules and is our judge. It’s better to live in […]

Psalms 34-8 Luke 7:23 Tripping on Jesus

Psalms 34:8 “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Luke 7:23 “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” Stumble on account of Jesus? What a tumultuous time it must have been. John is telling people ‘wait for the Christ to come’, […]

Numbers 14-8 Matthew 16:13-16 Things get sticky in the land of milk and honey.

Numbers 14:8 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Matthew 16:13-16 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They […]

Lamentations 3-25-26 Psalm 62-7 Waiting patiently for a rock to move.

Lamentations 3:25-26 “25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Psalms 62:7 “My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.” “Wait! Stop! Dad – […]

Proverbs 11:9 Hebrews 4:12 what would you choose – bile or spring water?

Proverbs 11:9 “With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.” because Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” I could […]

Jonah 2:8 Galatians 5:6 Idols, law, and a big fish.

Jonah 2:8 “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.” Galatians 5:6 “6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Love as an action, as a thing expressed, worthy of God, worthy of being. Love […]

Psalms 40:5, James 2:8 Love your neighbor even when they don’t know how to blow their nose.

Psalms 40:5 5 Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor […]

Isaiah 26:9 In life and love, there are consequences

Isaiah 26:9 “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.” In this world, everyone is still connected to God; whether you want to be or not, whether you realize it or not, it’s […]

Acts 4:10-12 Do you believe what you’ve seen, or what you hear?

Acts 4:10-12 “10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 […]

Hebrews 12:14 I just can’t handle God and His expectations

Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” I just can’t handle God and His demands. His expectations are far too high and totally unreasonable. Live in peace and don’t take what isn’t yours, don’t cheat or steal, don’t sleep […]

Philippians 3:13-14 Run for your life!

Philippians 3:13-14 “13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Straining […]

Hebrews 13:5-6 Why we are all like Linus Van Pelt

Hebrews 13:5-6 “5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”” What’s […]

Matthew 28:5-7 A rolling stone as a hinge

Matthew 28:5-7 “5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the […]

Romans 8:6-8 Mind control

Romans 8:6-8 “6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” We’d like to think that we control […]

1 Peter 4:7 Turn out the lights, the party’s over

1 Peter 4:7 (link to v1-11) “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” Turn out the lights There are only two things that are certain in this life, death and taxes. Blah, blithering blah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Most folks prepare for tax season once […]

Deuteronomy 8:1-3 This ain’t the desert, and it’s not manna, so where are we?

Deuteronomy 8:1-3 “1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, […]

Psalm 42:1 Thirsty?

Psalms 42:1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. The deer pants when it is thirsty. So our soul that’s for our Lord. God made us with a longing for Him, a God shaped hole in our heart that can only be filled by him, yet […]

Proverbs 21:2 When our thoughts aren’t God’s thoughts, and God keeps loving us.

Proverbs 21:2 “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.” Ever get that feeling that what you’re doing just isn’t right? That’s God’s weight. On your heart. But you keep on doing it because…. That can lead to “non-belief”. I know from experience. I found the “pleasures” of sin […]

Isaiah 26:8 – An unnatural condition

Isaiah 26:8 “Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” These things are true: Isaiah 26:1 “…God make salvation its walls and ramparts” v3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose mind are steadfast, because they trust in you.” […]

Romans 8:20

Should you pick up that call? Romans 8:28 NIV “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 MSG “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is […]

Isaiah 61:10

Getting all dressed up and having somewhere to go! Isaiah 61:10 “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself […]

John 19:30

Overcoming obstacles John 19:30 “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 20:19 “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came […]

1 John 4:13

Transforming brokenness to joy 1 John 4:13 “This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.” He has given us his spirit. How intense is that? A God of pure love, who came and sacrificed himself for us so that we might live, […]

1 Timothy 1:15

It doesn’t matter 1 Timothy 1:15 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.” Paul had quite a track record before Christ introduced himself while, as Saul, he was on the way to Damascus to eradicate as many […]

Deuteronomy 6:5

The greatest commandment Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. “37 This is the first and greatest commandment. 38 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two […]

Proverbs 25:28

Anger, fury, rage: open wide and say “attack me, I have no peace”. Proverbs 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. The self leads us to all sorts of bad things – self will, self centered being the main ones, but self important, self righteous, follow closely […]