Author: Barbara

My passion is to encourage women wherever they are on their life journey. In everything I write and in every opportunity to speak, my goal is to offer hope. May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV

Summer Loves: Ice Cream!

~ Barbara ~ 7 Comments

I hope the Summer Psalms series enhanced your peace and lifted your hearts. I’m going to relax my topics for August and post four summer treats I love. Feel free to chime in with some of your own.

Ice cream! Yes, I know it’s a year-round dessert, but doesn’t it just taste best in the summer? The picture on this post is of our grand-triplets licking cones while seated in their attachable wagons (the best way Shane and Amy could keep them in one place). That was many years ago. This week they celebrated their 19th birthdays—with Ice Cream Cake, of course.

Fun Facts:

  • A form of ice cream has been eaten since around 4000 BC.
  • In 2012, Italy put the most scoops on one cone—71!
  • 90% of Americans eat ice cream, with vanilla ranking the #1 favorite.
  • We’ve been singing, “I sing, you sing, we all sing for ice cream” since 1927.

Rich and I love trekking to the Bellvale Farms Creamery, where the scenery is as awesome as the ice cream. Rich’s favorite is the Bellvale Bog (think chocolate amplified), and mine is Coconut—with dark chocolate-covered almonds. Be still my heart, and don’t count the calories!

So, what’s your favorite flavor?

Summer Psalms: Stronghold

~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

Once again, we find compelling comfort from the psalmist in this last Psalm of our series. He assures our hearts in Psalm 27:1, and then asks a probing question:

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

Who, or what, causes us to fear when the Almighty God is our strong place? If we shift our attention from Him to the threats before us, we dangerously wander from the safety of our Stronghold. When we forget who God is, fear is ready to take hold.

If you argue that He did not keep you safe when this or that happened, I ask if you truly took refuge in Him. Did you fully trust His plans and purposes despite discomfort and hardship? He doesn’t guarantee that we will escape trouble, but He does promise to keep us safe from the enemy’s plots to harm us. When God is our stronghold, we live in the place where we know it is well with our soul because He holds us. He’s got this!

A stronghold is a fortress built to protect. It is a safe refuge, a sanctuary, a haven where we can hide. From this protected place, we can echo the words in verse 3:

Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

The writer wanted only one thing: to live in the Lord’s presence all the days of his life. Only there would he experience the peace of being safely sheltered in God’s stronghold. May our hearts’ desire be as singular as that of the psalmist’s.

What makes you afraid? Is it personal, like health or finances? Is it relational, maybe the threat of abandonment? Is it our world, with wars, or our country with its strife and unrest?

There is only one place to hide, in the stronghold of God’s presence. From there, we can sing despite the taunts of darkness. Make the final words of Psalm 27 yours. Proclaim them from the safety of His stronghold:

Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Summer Psalms: Silent Witness, part 2

~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

Last week we read that the silent witness of nature wordlessly proclaims the existence and majesty of God. Anyone can know Him through the wonder, grandeur, and power of nature. In the verses that follow, Psalm 19 describes the power of God’s words—what I call the silent witness of the Word.

These blessings come to us through God’s words:

  • They are perfect.
  • They revive our souls.
  • They are trustworthy.
  • They make us wise.
  • They give us joy.
  • They give us insight for living.
  • They are true.
  • They are fair.
  • They are sweet and desirable.
  • They warn us.
  • They reward us when heeded.

Do you want your soul to be revived? Do you want wisdom and joy in your life, insight and warning to keep you safe? They are our reward for absorbing the Bible—because its words are perfect, trustworthy, true, fair, sweet, and desirable.

When gifted speakers explain the Bible and inspire us, the force and authority of their words come from the Book they’re preaching from. The Word of God is expounded on from pulpits and lecterns, broadcast over the airwaves and displayed on our televisions, and we respond with raised hands or voiced amens. That’s all wonderful, but if we rely solely on these means, we miss out.

The way to receive the Bible’s blessings is deeper and quieter than listening to riveting preachers and gifted teachers. It is through the silent witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. When we are in quiet, thoughtful meditation, the Spirit reveals God’s heart and stirs ours. We are able to absorb His words and process the light He gives us. In our stillness, He expands our understanding and inspires obedience, bringing us joy in the process.

Learn to love the silence. Selah often—pause and calmly think about God and His Word. The posture of a bowed heart allows access to the powerful, silent witness of the Holy Spirit.  

Image by Tep Ro from Pixabay

Silent Witness, part 1

~ Barbara ~ 3 Comments

How often have you wished to hear God speak? Like me, I imagine that with every decision you agonize and pray over, you long to hear Him clearly speak—or at least write a message on your wall. His revelations are usually a process that cultivates our patience, but…!

But He lets us see His heart, His power, and His sovereignty. We are comforted in the wait when we discover His character, love, and care. He reveals Himself, not only to His believers, but to all people, in all nations and all environments. Romans 1, verse 20 explains:

Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Creation is a silent witness of God’s presence and power. Surely, we must agree with Psalm 19:

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display His craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make Him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

As you’re reading this, I’m preparing to spend the day down the shore with two of our grandsons. The sky will be glorious; the waves will erupt; a jumble of shells will wash up on the beach; and sea breezes will carry their unique scent. All silent witnesses to God’s might, dominion, and faithfulness.

So, if you see a star-studded sky tonight or spot a bolt of lightning, kayak in a deep blue lake or walk a mountain trail, watch the deer drink from your birdbath or count the goldfinch at the feeder, enjoy the silent witness that reveals the glory of their Creator.