Category: New

Happy Day!

~ Barbara ~ 4 Comments

We heard the sweetest words at David’s oncologist appointment, “Your son is cancer free!” The doctor spoke it with a period at the end, but we heard it with an exclamation point.

Almost exactly six months to the day we had heard another doctor say, “Your son has testicular cancer.” We were dumb with shock. Our first thought (after no, this can’t be) was How is David going to do this? Chemo, injections, nausea, lying for hours watching destructive poisons drip into his skinny body? But he did it! We did it. And together we watched the Lord, our Shepherd, care for us. Psalm 23 was our reality:

We lacked nothing. Caring Christian nurses were assigned to David; friends brought meals at just the right time; we were keenly aware of the grace of God.

He made us lie down and refreshed us. Yes, hours in a hospital recliner, but also sustaining naps when we got home, and the sweet assurance that we could trust Him in the middle of this storm.

He guided us along the right paths. He brought signs of anemia to our attention, He helped us master the steep learning curve of a cancer journey, and He gave wisdom and discernment to us and the medical staff who were caring for David.

Even though we walked through the dark valley of cancer with a child who had limited understanding, we did not fear because God was with us and comforted us.

In the presence of the enemy called “cancer” we were fed from His table of supply and, truly, our cup overflowed.

As much as we can testify to God’s goodness and love, our greatest joy is that we never lost sight of our future—dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. Yes, we won the battle with cancer and David was granted more days to worship and demonstrate God’s love on this earth. But even if we had lost him in the fight, we had the assurance that he (and we) will live in God’s presence forever. Actually, our awareness of Heaven was made even clearer and the sweet peace of its promise grew brighter.

We thank all of you who were praying for David and us during this time. You made our journey lighter.

Happy New… Opportunities!

~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

It’s easy to continue doing the same-old-same-old. We call our activities routines, but could they be ruts? They don’t call for greater effort or creativity; they simply ask us to keep on keepin’ on. Why should God’s children content themselves with the same old way when God is always doing something new?

Think about God’s actions.

  • He redeems—frees from captivity.
  • He renews—makes fresh.
  • He restores—perfects that which is imperfect.
  • He revives—brings to life.
  • He regenerates—makes the dormant active.
  • He rebuilds—creates newness to make the old better.

I want to be alert to the ways of God in 2025.

I want to allow Him to redeem, renew, restore, revive, regenerate, and rebuild me.

I want to be available for the God-opportunities He opens for me and not miss a single astounding invitation He offers.

Happy New Opportunities, my friends!

For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
Isaiah 43:192 NLT

Dwelling and Feeding

~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

I can’t move on to my next blog post until I share part of a verse that gripped me the other night. It is the last phrase in Psalm 37:3: “Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”

I laid in bed and turned the words over and over. How does one “feed on” God’s faithfulness? Does it mean think about it? Or thank Him for it? When I feed on food I don’t just think about eating—I’d still be hungry. I thank Him before my meals, but I’m not full until I actually ingest food. How do I “feed on” God’s faithfulness?

You probably see the answer quicker than I did, but just before dozing off a picture flashed in my mind—the picture I posted last week. I saw the birds feeding on my husband’s faithfulness.

They were not deterred by the storm. They were not hiding in their safe places or huddled in a feathered conference. They were freely, innocently enjoying the food faithfully supplied for them.

Lord, let us be that simple. Guard us from the worries and fears that complicate our lives. Give us hearts that readily accept the gifts you freely give, the supply you never fail to provide. We are grateful. Thank you, Lord.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Psalm 37:3 NKJV

Finding Hope, 65 Meditations for a Broken Heart

Happy New . . . !

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

New— blank slate, fresh experience, anticipated opportunity, unblemished gift, bright promise, awaited discovery.

I got lost inside my head trying to understand why the coming of a new year causes such a high sense of anticipation. Nothing is certain and anything can change in a moment. With relief we close the chapter on the previous year’s pain, sorrows, and regrets and hope for better days ahead, but we have no guarantees. So why does a new year expand our hearts?

As I wandered these paths of thought, seeking understanding while becoming a bit cynical, I considered how newness is celebrated in the Bible. God doesn’t ignore the threat of disappointment or the regrets of the past, but He does rejoice in the new. Look at what I mean:

  • God makes us new. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17,ESV). He delights in taking damaged souls and making them new with new life and new purpose.
  • God’s mercy is new every day. In every challenge and hardship the new year will bring, God is present. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23). I will not face one day in 2024 alone.
  • God assures us the best is yet to come. “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize” (Phil. 3:13-14). Looking ahead is not escapism, it’s solid hope.
  • God equips us during our wait on earth. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa. 30:41). Disappointments will not diminish me, but grow me.

God celebrates newness. He is all about new birth, new lives, new beginnings, new strength, new opportunities.

What new thing will He do in you and through you in 2024?