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Questions From a Psalm

What do your thirst or hunger for? In Psalm 42 the psalmist states the deep thirst he has for God, like that of ‘a deer panting for water,’ verse 1. Do I have that same ongoing desire and need to meet with the Lord as this psalmist?I admit I have been struggling in this area recently. What about you? Do you have this same deep longing for God – that you simply couldn’t imagine life without Him? That you can’t wait to be in His presence? God certainly convicted me this hasn’t been my response of late. The psalmist recognizes … Continue reading →

How Can Reading a Psalm Help You?

Let me give you some ideas of how reading a psalm can sharpen and challenge our thinking. And suggest how to apply it to your life. This morning I read Psalm 57. In verse 1 David pleads with God to be gracious. Why? Because his soul ‘takes refuge’ in God. Is God my place of refuge and the One I run to when trouble comes? Is he yours? Notice David’s confidence in verse 2. He knows exactly where to turn and why to go there. He has confidence in God’s ability to undertake for him. David knew God ‘accomplishes all … Continue reading →

Where is Your Secret Place?

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“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’” (Psalm 91:1-2) A “secret place” is somewhere you can commune with the Lord; you can seek Him and pour out your soul. It’s a safe place where it’s just you and God; where the cares of the world cease. Sometimes we can get too wrapped up in our day to day life and forget the need to connect, just us with … Continue reading →

God Cares about Your Mental Health

I’m beginning a new series on mental, emotional and spiritual health. It’s not something that is always looked at from a spiritual standpoint though for us as believers, it should be. We know from reading Ephesians chapter 6 that there is a spirit realm and an enemy of our soul. It is Satan who hates us and wants destruction in our lives. He mission is to rob, kill and destroy us. Though God is gracious and merciful to help us, the choice of who we are to serve is up to us. Satan is crafty and does not tempt everyone … Continue reading →

Is the Bible Irrelevant?

Is the Bible irrelevant? Apparently many people, and some of them those who claim to be Christians, think so. That’s the conclusion drawn from statistics produced recently which showed the staggering fact that ‘less than 2 of every 10 Christians in Australia are engaging with God on a daily basis through the Word.’ This is horrifying. How can our churches grow, how can Christians hope to grow in knowledge of God, in obedience in holiness unless they are reading His Word? As I read write this I am convicted that today I have not stopped and taken that prayer and … Continue reading →

How to Deal with Fears and Worry

We all have times when we are afraid. Years ago someone told me the antidote to fear is prayer. Certainly that has been proved true in my life time and time again. By nature, I admit I am a worrier. It seems to come naturally to me – the instinctive reaction. Therefore it takes a concerted effort to train myself not to worry but to hand the situation to God in prayer. Even then, there is always the temptation to take it back again. I’ve needed to learn to leave it with Him to work out and every time I … Continue reading →

A Wedding Gift toTreasure

Is there a wedding coming up in your family? What about a unique wedding gift? In the marriage blog I wrote about a unique recipe book. This is adapted from that idea. What about giving the happy couple a book of the family’s favorite verses and those of family members? Each page could include a favorite bible verse or two as well as a few lines about why that verse is special to you. You might include an example of a situation or story of where that verse was a help to you in your life or a drawing, a … Continue reading →

Trusting God Despite Hardship

Fiction reflects life to us, I believe. I’m an avid reader though not usually of Christian fiction. However, recently from our library I picked up ‘All the Days of My Life’ by Jo-Anne Berthelsen, published by Ark House Press. This is the third book I have read by Ark House Press and they have each been very different but all interesting. Although written as fiction, it was ‘inspired by the real-experiences of a post-war Czech immigrant to Australia.’ The book was also a sequel to Helena which I hadn’t read. It didn’t matter. I quickly became interested in the story … Continue reading →

Author Interview – Laura Jensen Walker

I recently reviewed a poignant and touching book entitled “Reconstructing Natalie.” I’m delighted to bring you an interview with the author of that book, Laura Jensen Walker. Laura, your novel is the story of a young woman who undergoes a double mastectomy for breast cancer. You yourself are a breast cancer survivor. Was writing Natalie’s story difficult for you, or was it theraputic? Writing Natalie really wasn’t difficult because I’d already written a non-fiction book about my cancer experience a few years ago called ‘Thanks for the Mammogram! (Fighting Cancer with Faith, Hope & a Healthy Dose of Laughter)‘ so … Continue reading →

Dinner Discussions 2007 Week 52

This last week was an interesting one, since all of the manuals had finished up. This means that the teachers chose the lesson topic. Additionally it was a fifth Sunday so each bishop chose the lesson for the Relief Society Priesthood lessons. You may simply want to talk to your family and ask them what their lessons were about. You may consider talking a little bit about the Book of Mormon, since we will begin studying it in Sunday School next week. You can talk about the translation of the Book of Mormon and share stories of how the Book … Continue reading →