Morning and Evening (devotionals)

 From Amish Peace...

Afresh Each Morning

"Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." - Lamentations 3:23

Jars filled with produce from autumn's harvest line the shelves of the pantry, to last until fresh fruit and vegetables are again in season.  The barns have caches of grain to feed the livestock through the winter, and pens are filled with clean straw to keep the floors tidy.  Yet even as the Amish family depends on their stored resources through winter, their souls need daily maintenance, daily gathering in the Word, and renewal through daily prayer.

We read in Isaiah 33:2, "Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you.  Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble."  To claim God's mercies, God's followers don't rely only on stored up resources but also on time spent daily with God.  Many Amish families have a time of Bible reading and devotions in the morning and a time of prayer together at night.

Do you have a similar practice?  You may calculate much in your own life: your shopping list, your budget, your calendar.  You may "store up" for a rainy day, but don't treat your moments with God in the same way.  Open yourself to God's goodness in the morning.  Take time to feel His smile at the end of the day.

Dear heavenly Father, sometimes I act as if a good Sunday sermon will carry me all the way through Friday, or as if worship songs from the radio will give me a boost for the day.  These things are certainly good starts, but they aren't enough.  Give me the desire to spend more and more time with You each day so that I can recognize and experience Your new mercies to me.

From Beside the Still Waters...

An Evening Look - Read: Matthew 14:1-23

"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray: and when the evening come, he was alone there." - Matthew 14:23

It is well at the close of the day to do as Jesus did and retire from the multitudes of our labors and thoughts.  The freshness and vigor of the morning has worn off, to be replaced by the tiredness and satisfaction of honest work.  It behooves us to take a backward look over the events of the day.  Have we accomplished the most important tasks?  Have we walked with God?  Have we served others, especially to meet the needs of our family?

Our evening look should have several aspects.  It should be an inward look, to lay down any negative attitudes.  "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26).  A time of evening quietness will allow us to hear God's still small voice.  We should be penitent over our shortcomings and humble over our successes.

Our evening look should be an outward look - to count our blessings rather than our grievances.  Pausing to ponder the busy events of the day will help us not to miss its blessings.  We can be thankful for what God has given us, thankful for what He has spared us from, and thankful for His forgiveness.

Above all, it should be an upward look.  "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:8).  This is a security far above any other.  We lift praises to God, who gives us life.  Any difficulties of the day will seem small.  Evening is surely a special time of day.  When we are tired, we can easily lose focus on the important things.  But a quiet, prayerful evening look can help us draw nigh to God as Jesus did.

Daniel Miller - Erhard, MN

I love to steal awhile away from every cumbering care,

And spend the hours of setting day in humble, grateful prayer. 

- Phoebe H Brown

In 2026 - "... aspire to lead a quiet life ..."

 

Here we are 4 days into 2026 already!  I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that 2026 will be a good year for you. 

 One of my pre-Christmas posts disappeared completely from my blog.  Never mind, only a minor hiccup in the grand scheme of things.

Although 2025 was a good year, it was also busy.  And I don't want to be so busy this year.  So, I've been planning.  Not exactly 'resolutions', but I do like the word 'aspirations.'

Resolution: a firm decision to do or not to do something.

Aspiration: a hope or ambition of achieving something.

Aspiration is a much nicer word :)

So, with that in mind I've found some Bible verses to keep me on track.

I looked them up in 7 different translations.  I prefer the more literal (word for word) translations and am using the NKJV (New King James Version).  The 4 most recommended ones are NASB, ESV, KJV and NKJV. I have 3 of them but would like to get an ESV.

This is the first verse/s that came to mind...

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12: "that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing."

And then I thought of this one...

2 Timothy 2:15: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

I'm sure there will be more as the year progresses.

Last year I endeavored to read through the Bible (Old and New Testaments).  I got to November (reading 3 to 4 chapters a day), getting behind some days but then catching up.  But by November I was too far behind to catch up, so I stopped.  I found it really too much to read (and absorb properly) in a day what with all the other daily chores and commitments, so this year I am concentrating on the New Testament.  Reading one chapter a day but will maybe also dip into the Psalms and Proverbs from time to time.  I will also write out relevant verses as I read them each day.

So that's the plan... more quietness, more focus on God and His Word.  Not getting stressed when I don't accomplish all the work I had planned for each day.  It will still be there tomorrow...   

I'm very much a homebody anyway, so staying home is not a chore for me :)

I would also like to try and read one book a month.  Not sure if that is realistic, as I don't get a lot of reading time, but will see how it goes.  And I want to finish the books I start.  Which might mean being more intentional in my choice of books.  Last year I started so many, but didn't finish them, just went on to another one...  

I don't want to do that this year.

So, my first book is...

I did read it back in 2020.  Time to refresh my memory!

Summer has finally arrived.  Unfortunately.  I'm already dreaming of autumn.  

a trip to the river always helps

Do you have any plans/aspirations for 2026?

xx

Family Fun Fotos

 Some photos from Jefferson and Jaya's recent visit over Christmas/New Year...

At the Park

Jaya pushing his dad on the swing :)

Jefferson pushing Jaya and Marnie on the swing

At the Beach

Denver and Jaya in action

Jaya making a splash

Marnie, Jaya and Jefferson

On their Overnight Hike

Denver, Jaya and Jefferson went on an overnight camp/hike on the east coast

Jaya decided he liked holding his big cousin's hand rather than his dad's :)

Denver making sure Jaya doesn't fall off the edge

They made it! (Jaya and Denver)

A blast from the past: Jefferson and Denver after their overnight camp/hike -   11 years ago

On the Way to the Airport

Denver and Sophie took Jaya to see the goats at the school farm

and the chickens

And now I'm in recovery mode.  I'm not use to having an active, talkative 6-year-old in the house for a week :)) 

But I'll be back soon ...

xx

The Good Shepherd (devotional)

 From Behold the Lilies ...

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." - John 10:27

The Good Shepherd does not lead aimlessly.  His goal for His sheep is green pastures and still waters.  The pathway to the goal may lead through dry, brown pastures and by turbulent waters.  If the sheep become tired and stay in the unpleasant places, it is their fault.  They are not listening to the shepherd's voice as He calls them to move on.

Although this world is not our place of rest, our shepherd wants us to come to a place of rest in Him.  As we pass through struggles and adversities, His calm voice calls us and invites us to rest in Him.  When we respond to the Shepherd's invitation, we find the green pastures and still waters in our relationship with Him.  The waters of our unsettling circumstances may still roar and uncertainties may still abound, but they become less and less threatening as we listen to the Shepherd's voice.

Other voices may beckon.  Some voices tell us to give up or give in, and some tell us we are following the wrong guide because the way is uncertain.  But as we keep following, we learn that we can follow the Good Shepherd with perfect confidence even if the way is uncertain.  Hearing and following His voice above the roar of the storm always leads to a place of calm.

We must pay careful attention and not allow other things to drown out His voice.  If we do, we will be lost in a storm or starve in the dry pastures.  But Jesus will lead us to vast green pastures and volumes of still waters when we listen to His voice.

Will you follow the good shepherd in 2026? 

Less is more (devotional)

 From Our Daily Bread ...

Resolving To Do Less: Read John 15:4-12

"Apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

When we think about New Year's resolutions what probably comes to mind is a list of lofty ambitions we rarely achieve (80 percent of New Year's resolutions are already abandoned by mid-February).  Author Amy Wilson suggests a better idea might be to reject entirely "the idea that we have to fix ourselves before our lives can get better."  Wilson suggests that, instead of adding commitments, we see the new year as an opportunity to do less, to finally "start saying no" to some of the "oversized and ongoing commitments that take our time and energy without giving us much in return."

In a world of constant pressure to do and be more, it can be easy to miss the radically different rhythm of life Jesu invited His disciples into - one of abiding in Him.  In John 15, Jesus describes Himself as "the true vine" (v. 1) and His disciples as "the branches" (v.5).

Vine branches don't grow through working harder but through the nourishment received form the vine.  So, too, the growth we long for can only be experienced when we let go of self-reliance in exchange for resting in and finding nourishment in Christ, for "apart from [Him] you can do nothing" (v.5).

Through Jesus, we have hope for a life of less anxiety.  Less striving.  And more resting in God's love and letting it flow to those around us. (vv. 12, 17).

- Monica La Rose

What might God be leading you to say no to this year?

In what areas of your life might God be inviting you to greater surrender?

Gracious God, please help me surrender my self-reliance to rest in You.

Christmas and family and a devotional

 

I HOPE you had a blessed Christmas...

Jefferson and Jaya travelled from Canberra to have Christmas with us...

at the airport

We had Christmas lunch at Marnie's...

me, Jefferson, Denver, Marnie, Jaya, Sophie, Rachel (Sophie's mum), Tom

And today (Boxing Day) we spent some time at the river...

Some thoughts to take you into the new year... (from Our Daily Bread Ministries)

In The Beginning

"Bethlehem is not the end of our journey but only the beginning."  So wrote Frederick Buechner in his 1966 work The Magnificent Defeat.  And while his words apply to any beginning, Buechner penned them in the context of the Christmas season where the temptation is to linger in the seasonal warmth of peace and joy.  But what did he mean, "Bethlehem is not the end of our journey"?  Buechner sheds light on that.  "Home ... for us in not the manger where the light is gentle and God is a child ...  We must also depart to our own country again, where peace is not found in escape from the battle but in the very heat of the battle."

If we're honest about the vast number of unknowns in store for each of us, the very first words of scripture have the power to steady us.  "In the beginning God ..." (Genesis 1:1).  Even before anything had been formed, "the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters" (v. 2).  That's the timeless nature of God's truth.  He was before all things.  He's there whether we acknowledge it or not, but why wouldn't we?  If we're serious about following his ways and will, we'll both remember and cling to that truth as we enter a new year of our life's uncertain journey.  As you journey on, remember, God's already there.  He's been there from the beginning.

- by John Blase

Father, I thank you for the gift of Your abiding presence as I look to the days ahead.

Garden treasures left on my bedside table by Jaya :)

"To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

... A time to plant, 

And a time to pluck what is planted ..."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Thoughts to ponder (devotionals)

 From Beside the Still Waters...

Born Again: Read John 3:1-21

"Ye must be born again." - John 3:7

In the summer of 2024, central Ohio had a severe drought.  The grass turned brown and sounded crackly when we walked over it.  After six weeks of temperatures often exceeding 90 degrees, rain finally returned and the grass turned nice and green again.  This serves as a good illustration of the new birth.  Being born again transforms our hearts from being barren and unattractive to being productive and beautiful.  This beauty is not something we can put on ourselves; it must come from a yielded heart, a restored relationship with God, and a willing obedience to His word.

Jesus said that we "must" be born again.  The new birth is not a matter of "take it or leave it."  We cannot neglect it and expect to obtain God's favor on our lives.  As the barren grass responds to the gentle rain, so our hearts must respond to the Spirit's call to be born again.  Consider what is involved in the new birth.

There is a change from living for ourselves and serving our sinful desires to serving only Jesus Christ.  By ourselves we cannot follow Jesus' command to love those who hate us or take advantage of us.  Our human nature dies hard and can be subdued only by Jesus within.  He offers His overcoming power to all who deny the sinful desires of the flesh and wholly follow God.

The new birth will cause us to hate what God hates.  A popular idea today is that we must tolerate and love everyone and everything.  Alternative lifestyles are not just permitted but publicly promoted by leaders in government and even in churches.  But sin is still exceedingly sinful and will come under God's judgement.  As God's born-again children, we dare not allow evil influences to harden our hearts. 

Denver Yoder - Somerset, OH

When a man is truly born again, he is transformed into a distinctly different person.

From Our Daily Bread...

With Us in Our Loneliness: Read Matthew 1:18-25

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." - Hebrews 13:5

Henry David Thoreau described a city as a place where many people are "lonesome together."  Those words have the ring of truth.  In my youth, songs like "Mr. Lonely", "Only the Lonely", and "Eleanor Rigby" focused on isolation and loneliness.  In recent years, the pandemic was one of the most isolating seasons the world has known.  And social media can feed that loneliness, giving us connection without relationship.  Perhaps loneliness is the new pandemic.

As Matthew shared the story of the birth of Jesus (1:18-25), he told us, "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet [Isaiah]: 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' (which means 'God with us')" (vv. 22-23).  Ponder that for a moment.  God with us!

As believers in Jesus, we're never alone.  We've been born again into the family of Christ, a family that spans the globe and the ages.  The apostle Paul said, "You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household" (Ephesians 2:19).  We're loved by the ever-present God, who said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:15).

Whatever you're facing today, your heavenly Father is present with you.  Allow Him to help you as you step into life's uncertainties and challenges.  He's with you.

- Bill Crowder

Thank You, Father, that because of Your abiding presence, I'm never alone.