“Time is the least thing we have of”

this quote by Ernest Hemingway caught my attention~ But thankfully, Charles Swindoll argues that we have more time than we realize “once we get our priority ducks in a row” (Day by Day with Charles Swindoll).

Joe Stowell outlines how we can “[Embrace] The Virtues of The King” by making this observation:

Embracing the reality of the world to come radically alters everything in this world. Our values are prioritized and purified. . . .

If anyone should express the reality of eternity, it’s those of us who have been guaranteed safe passage to the other side through Christ, our divine passport. Yet interestingly, we who are marked with heaven in our hearts usually live as though it were real but irrelevant. We are consumed with the tyranny of the temporal, and we trade both the character and power of a…

Eight days ago, an accident changed our plans! We planned to spend Christmas in Louisiana with my side of the family. We were due to leave 2 days after the accident occurred. Many things this year did not transpire as we had planned or even had hoped. Two of our children had surgery, unexpectedly. Our granddaughter, who was due to be born in the month of October, came in the early part of August. Our Thanksgiving Colorado trip for Rodney to meet our newest grand had to be postponed. Our oldest daughter and son-in-law became foster parents to a sibling group of 2 children with alarming trauma. Then, a little boy who was now eligible for adoption, arrived a month after the foster siblings. The adoption process was a very slow and painful procedure. My daughter and son-in-law now had two 1-year old’s and a 2-year old which was never…

When we began the doctoral journey for Rodney in 2012, we left our nice townhouse and moved into a more economical apartment until we were ready to buy a home. During that period of time, we experienced many problems that needed an expert handyman. On one such occasion shortly before Christmas, we welcomed the nicest young man into our home, and I started to believe Santa was real!

I know Santa is real! He’s been at our apartment since 2 pm (4 ½ hours total)! When we left our luxurious townhouse, we came to a much older place that had a lot of what I will call inconveniences…like two knobs on the showers/tubs/sinks, and the worst place, the kitchen sink! I know, I was spoiled, but it had always been so convenient to push the kitchen knob with the back of my hand because my hands were full or dirty…

As I focus on a “no dairy, no sugar” fast for the month of September, I’m striving to be d.i.s.c.i.p.l.i.n.e.d. It seems when we become adults, we downplay it in ourselves but expect it of our children. However, if we modeled a disciplined life in front of our kids, I dare say they would fall in-line much quicker.

A disciplined life shows the world we are fighting to win. It’s bringing our thoughts and actions into subjection to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the Christian race, we aren’t matched against opponents but rather we “compete” against ourselves. We can all be winners if we run in such a way as to win the prize (2 Timothy 2:5; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

“Competes”
is a translation of agonidzomai from
which we get the English word “agonizes.”
To receive the prize of our Lord’s “well done” we need to…

Day 25

No sugar or dairy

This really cracks me up! My devotional for today from my little book, A Spectacle of Glory, by Joni Earackson Tada, actually starts out by saying: “Enjoying a bit of junk food now and then in moderation is no sin. A little salty snack, a piece of chocolate, or the occasional Frappuccino won’t do us lasting physical harm.” Did you hear that? “IN MODERATION!” Yes, Joni is totally right, if moderation is the result. But if you are a sugar-addict like me, it usually doesn’t resemble moderation. Interestingly, other words that are synonymous with moderation are restraint and self-control. It certainly is no surprise that “Self-control” is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Leafing through Charles Swindoll’s book, Living the Proverbs, I re-read parts of Week 18, “The Grind of Addiction”. Addictions or Compulsions come in all sizes, shapes and colors…

Labor Day morning, September 2, 1985, I began having contractions. It was about a week early so I wasn’t sure anything would come of them. Since my husband worked at the hospital (washing dishes) I knew he would be there if I needed him. But there was the matter of a two-year old who would need someone to watch over him if I left for the hospital and, how exactly was I planning to get to the hospital without a car?!

This baby girl grew up, married her prince charming, adopted a little boy, and fosters two others, while running her own business. She has repeatedly faced some major challenges in her life but not giving in to self-pity or denial, instead learning from the experiences.

But on that day, September 2, 1985, I labored through after making it to the hospital. Grateful for our very thoughtful pastor’s wife, who…