The Scrabble fanatic and British actor Gyles Brandreth has estimated that we speak 860,351,500 words in a lifetime. I have no idea how Mr. Brandreth got to his conclusion or if he’s right, but it got me thinking about all the words and ideas we hear just in a day. We forget most of them, so how do we choose what we’ll try remember?

Elisha’s servants had the same question as Jesus’ disciples. God’s provision in their predicament can encourage us when their question is ours, too.

Of all the Bible heroes, Jehoshaphat helped me most during the pandemic with a plan I tried to follow and demonstrate.

It happens almost every day. Someone deserves the recognition that I deserved, too. But the teaching of Scripture shows what we should seek before honor.

Among many helpful themes trickling through this week’s posts is this: Whatever you’re facing today, God can handle. Be encouraged to lay it in his hands as you remember what’s written here.

Are you happy? That’s likely not the first question to worry about, because God has promised something better.

When it comes to weeding, I’m afraid my thoughts go faster to the devil than to God. Thoughts from a summertime gardener.

With unsure footing, they were—and sometimes we are—caught in the space of both/and.

It’s a simple message, really, but if “revolution” means “change,” it’s truly the most revolutionary message of all.

If you’ve had some success, you. may start believing you did it yourself. You may start forgetting how much you need God daily.

After thinking about the psalmist’s outcry to God, I decided I, like him, have a troubling tendency to tell God how to do his work.

Most of the time I can ignore criticism, but the enemy knows when I’m tired, I’m vulnerable to the negativity. But I don’t have to give in to it!

It’s the Fourth of July! Be sure and read yesterday’s post, linked here. Or follow any of these links for an uplifting beginning to your new week.

“God Bless America,” made famous by Kate Smith decades ago, really is a prayer, not a national anthem. Let’s pray the prayer this Independence Day.

When I find myself stuck between my problems and my weaknesses, I do well to imitate King Asa.

We need God at every age, through every stage of our life. But our biggest challenge may be to help the next generation discover that, too.

The more people involved, the greater the chance of forgetting the original mission. Maybe this is why Paul made such a big deal of the mission when he wrote the Corinthians.

“My grace is sufficient for you” threatens not to satisfy in our more-is-better world.

After reading all the ways the Corinthians needed to improve, think about how we can, too.

Our mission in life determines the way we relate to others. That’s one thread tying this week’s posts together. Maybe you’ll see other common themes as you read some of these again. You might choose one or two to share with someone you know!