Author Archives: Intentional Faith

  The Importance of Forgiveness READ Matthew 6:14-15 "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." It’s an amazing thing to be forgiven by God. Because of his grace poured out through Christ, we canContinue reading “Forgive Me”

With Randy Blanton taking his life, I thought it might be valuable to share some thoughts concerning how we view the act and treat the survivors. Some survivors struggle with what to tell other people. Although you should make whatever decision feels right to you, most survivors have found it best to simply acknowledge thatContinue reading “Suicide”

READ | Romans 5:6-8 New believers may find it difficult to accept the fact that God loves us just as we are. Much of the world operates by conditional love, which offers approval and acceptance on the basis of performance. It is hard for us to shake the habit of conditional love. So when weContinue reading “Love Without Conditions”

If you have enjoyed the devotionals posted here in the past, they will still be available on my church website http://brownstownchristian.org where you will find the devotional hyperlink on the home page.  I am now devoting by blog to a broader discussion of the church and relevant faith issues.  I believe this will serve oneContinue reading “My Blog Is Changing”

Shannon Woodward offers a wonderful thought today “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.” (1 Chronicles 29:17, NIV) It’s been a tough week. Saturday, our goat Jimmy escaped from his barn and ate one of my favorite bushes. Sunday, our dog Larry chewed up the cover to oneContinue reading “Life Is a Test”

I am on vacation but will forward some thoughts as often as I can. “Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. (Matthew 11:29a, Msg) As Larry Crabb describes it in his book, The Safest Place on Earth, “… we should expect to grope a bit, to know we’re alwaysContinue reading “Don’t Stop Learning”

“And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.” (Philippians 1:6, NLT) As I get older I see life in segments. There’s no longer a rush to do it all – and toContinue reading “Do I Get Up Again?”

Erma Bombeck was one of my favorite people.  Here is a mediation that follows her gift. I inherited my mother’s arm. The three of us girls each received unique qualities and character traits from our mother. One sister got her gracefulness. The other inherited her decorating skills. But me? I have her restraining arm. YouContinue reading “My Mother’s Arm”

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, Msg) This is one of my favorite passages in the book of Proverbs because it soContinue reading “Stay on Track”

"Don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance." (2 Peter 3:17, CEV) One of the events in the summer Olympics is the pentathlon. It is composed of five events: pistol shooting, fencing, horseback riding, running, and swimming. The pentathlons’ goal is to succeed inContinue reading “Don’t Lose Your Balance”