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Once upon a starry nightA single star shown ever brightOutshone angels hovering a fieldTelling shepherds who rightly kneeledOf the birth of the Chosen OneBorn of Mary, God’s own Son Wise men followed that singular starTraveling for days from afarWith the shepherds they came to seeThe King of kings who sets us freeLying in a lowly manger stallTo save the lost, one and all Each December I search the skyBut perhaps I should look in mid-JulySince we don’t know when He was bornWas snow on the ground or fields full of cornBut the fact of His birth is true and sureFaith in His grace will salvation secure As we gaze upon a starry nightLet us not feud, bicker, and fightMay we prove hate is defeated by loveAs we ponder the heavens aboveKnowing we are never aloneAnd mercy sits upon His throne LINDA L...

When I was 9 years old, my twin sister and I sat alone in a church service on a Sunday morning in a small Baptist church in rural Louisiana. The pastor delivered a message and when he began the altar call, I got up and timidly walked down to the front of that church. It was in that moment that I realized the weight of my sin and my desperate need of this Savior he spoke of. It was a deep realization (as deep as a 9-year-old could have) that I needed Jesus’s help to get through my life. Life had already been quite hard for me. My mother had been killed. My dad was an alcoholic who had married many times. I had endured much abuse. And there was something about this Sunday morning that was made clear by the power of the Holy Spirit that I could not do life without Jesus. Life’s weight was far...

Scripture writing plans are incredibly simple yet incredibly effective for helping us read, interpret, and absorb the Word of God. Rather than simply letting our eyes pass over a verse and perhaps miss its full meaning, writing Scripture down helps us absorb each word and think through what the passage before us is saying. Click the Download button below to access your challenge!  Photo Credit: ©SWN Join Our Telegram Group : Salvation & Prosperity  

Scripture writing plans are incredibly simple, yet incredibly effective for helping us read, interpret and absorb the Word of God. Rather than simply letting our eyes pass over a verse and perhaps miss its full meaning, writing Scripture down helps us absorb each word and really think through what the passage before us is saying. Each day in November you’ll have opportunity to write down a verse. We suggest using a journal where you can add any additional mediations or prayers that the verse brings to mind. Photo Credit: ©SWN Join Our Telegram Group : Salvation & Prosperity  

The three of us are up in the mountains, cedars and redwoods reaching toward warm October sky. The path we walk is wide enough for Mugsy, who, on her leash, finds every rustle in the shrubs an irresistible invitation to explore. We make our way to the lake, a wide expanse of deep blue and teal sparkling with ripples across its otherwise smooth surface, and walk out onto the dock, intent on getting as close as we can to the cold water without plunging in. It was a delicious four-hour drive to our friend’s cabin, talking about family and makeup and wallpaper and God. I love her dearly, the friend who loves me and moved away and still comes to visit often. Whenever we are together, people ask if we are sisters, and we love it—leaning in close, hip to hip, head to head, and smiling ear to ear....

In memory, the turbulence created by losing a loved one causes those first long days of mourning to become foggy, but the people who showed up, stood up, and rose up amongst the chaotic whirl of life stand out.  As one who has been cocooned in grief and blankets on the edge of the couch I remember the faces that flowed in and out. When the sorrows of life and death pile high, our thoughts can easily become characterized more by messy questions than solid faith. It would be foolish to assume that life can happen without mess, though I might just take that option if it were available. We all face trials and bear witnesses to how quickly life can become layered and difficult. It is there in the stacking of trial that we face a choice.  Let people in.  Let the God (who already k...

Scrubbing. Dusting. Washing. Vacuuming. If there’s one extra-biblical theologically-sounding statement my family believes in, it’s “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” With three dogs & four humans, our house can get messy. Even if it’s been less than a week since cleaning, the dirt and grime stealthily builds up. I dread the beginning of the whole process, but I love the end result. There’s nothing like a clean toilet and uncluttered surfaces. I truly admire a dust-free house, even if it only lasts a few days. There’s something triggered deep within my soul when the weekly chores have been completed. I can rest in knowing I have a window of time to enjoy the clean sparkle. Much like my admiration for an unsullied household, there’s something to be said about a washed life. This world i...