Does God Really Love Us All The Same?

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

—Romans 5:8

“Pick a sticker,” my five-year-old granddaughter Addie said, holding out a sheet to her father, my son Tim.

“Ok,” he said, as he began to lift one.

“Not that one!” Addie interrupted, “That’s for someone special.”

“What?!”

“That’s for Grandma,” she whispered.

“Ooooh,” Tim acknowledged.

Addie turned toward me. “Here, Grandma. This one’s for you,” she said, peeling off a pink flower sticker.

“Well, thank you! You know pink is my favorite color, and I love flowers!”

“Uh-huh,” she smiled, as she nodded knowingly, her blue eyes meeting mine.

Returning the smile, I pressed the sticker firmly over my heart.

Building Fences: Is restriction good for you?

He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him.

—Acts 17:26b-27a

With temperatures in the 60s, nothing could keep me from my walk that January afternoon. I circumvented cow pies and mud puddles as I traipsed through the field and pasture on my way to the water’s edge. But when I arrived, I was dismayed to find fence posts now dotting the landscape.

Why would anyone want to put up a fence to restrict access to the bay?

Candy Cane Lines

It’s that time of year again—time to gather with loved ones to catch up and celebrate the Savior’s birth, and if you know me, it’s time to catch that perfect shot for my themed Christmas card. In more recent years, I’ve made a shift. Instead of a card created with photos of me and my children, I now include snapshots with my grandkids. And if you know kids, you know that getting that perfect shot is next to impossible. So, I’ve shifted my thinking too. Now I strive to catch that perfect imperfect shot. It certainly makes for less stress, and who can’t use a little more peace this time of year. This year’s theme is the candy cane (in case you didn’t catch that already), and it seems the confection got its start for that very reason—peace. 

According to The Legend of the Candy Cane that dates back more than 350 years, mothers used white sugar sticks as pacifiers for their babies. Around 1670 the sticks were bent into canes to represent a shepherd’s staff and were used to keep the attention of small children during Christmas church services. At the turn of the 20th century, the red stripe was added, along with the peppermint and wintergreen flavors.

Patiently Endure

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

—Hebrews 10:36 NLT

It was a whirlwind visit for my daughter Rebekah, her husband Jairo, and their two-year-old son Javier (“Javi”). They arrived at my house late on Friday and spent all day Saturday at our family reunion. The next morning they packed up to return to Pennsylvania.

Javi is a typical two-year-old boy. He loves climbing, jumping on beds and playing outside. He makes toys out of sticks and feathers and is especially fond of animals. Rarely will you spot him without an animal figure in hand.

When he comes to visit, a trip to the pasture is always in order so he can see the cows. But this weekend, there wasn’t a break in the schedule for tromping to the fields.

As Rebekah and Jairo packed suitcases in their Jeep, Javi and I followed. In a flash, Javi took off running, arms flailing, feet flying straight for the pasture, fenced in with electrified barbed wire.