I don’t remember making an intentional decision about having friends of different generations, but I am blessed beyond description because of the younger and older friends in my life.

God repeatedly provided for his children in the wilderness. “But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.”

While scent has become a good marketing tool, that is not what the writer of Proverbs 27:9 had in mind.

“Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart.”

God, the master gardener, has executed a perfect plan that bears fruit and a harvest that brings flourishing. Our job is to grow where we are planted and find our strength and vitality only in Jesus.

What the world desperately needs to see is the church in full bloom living out the ways of Jesus that he taught us in the Gospels.

Psalm 105 is a great reminder of God’s mighty works through history so we can trust him now in our current situations.

In seasons of struggle, we can wonder if God sees and knows what we are enduring. The author of Hebrews wrote to believers who had the very same thoughts.

Today we can pay closer attention to the words of God for us in Christ. Today we can call and encourage a friend.

We are called together as sons and daughters of the King to live out the kingdom of God now as it is in Heaven. And while we are all in this work together, God has gifted us differently and given us different assignments to fulfill.

Sometimes it is best to remain silent, and other times there’s an opportunity to address or correct the lies someone is perpetuating. The Bible makes it clear that sometimes speaking and sometimes staying quiet is the best option.

Long before any employer considered what benefits to offer their employees, God was already reminding us of the benefits we have that flow from his love and kindness to us.

Jesus told us that in this world there would be many struggles, and you may have felt you are the poster child for that Bible verse!

“While there was no truth to the gossip, it damaged the reputation of the Christian organization where I was employed, damage that could be cleaned up only after many phone calls and meetings. “

What an amazing Savior and King we have! We can sing “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and sense his closeness or listen to “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” and imagine the strength and power of Almighty God.

In the last days there will come times of difficulty, Paul told Timothy. It may be tempting to think Paul is giving Timothy a hint about when Christ will return, but to do that is to misinterpret Paul’s teaching.

Many of the fascinating facts I learned about trees come back to me whenever I think about staying connected to God.

Psalm 92 says, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name.” And in the very next verse, the psalmist tells us to bring these songs of praise in the morning.

Maybe it’s because we are in the middle of football season and at the beginning of basketball season that 2 Timothy chapter 1 strikes me as a bit of a half-time locker room talk.

The familiar idiom is, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” But sometimes time also flies when there is so much to do! Paul admonished his readers to “make the best use of the time.”