enLIVEn Devotionals

Abiding in Jesus - Overflowing His Spirit

What's In Your Vacuum?

Today, I was using my vacuum and I noticed that she wasn't working very hard. I was surprised, because I have been quite kind to my lovely appliance, rarely making her do any work. She seemed to be having a difficult time "sucking"; the poor dear was having her own type of appliance asthma attack. I sat on the floor and began to peer into her cylindrical body parts. I determined that one of her vessels had to be clogged; she was going to require surgical assistance from me. Screwdriver in hand, I unclenched the cylinder that was connected to her heart. I was sure that whatever was ... Read the Post

Accepting the Journey

"Lord, how long does the season of suffering last?" I asked myself. Each day I go about my daily routine, I'm unceasingly asking the Lord to provide me with a fresh word that will comfort me in my anxiousness. Having the responsibility of being a full-time wife and mom along with work and ministry is often accompanied with a great amount of pressure. There are many times I might find myself overwhelmed. It's in those moments (of being overwhelmed) I find meditating on God's Word and the desires of my heart to bring me a sense of peace. Over the past few weeks I have been reflecting back ... Read the Post

God's Coincidences

Sometimes things happen that we might call coincidences but are actually divine interventions. There is always a special purpose behind them. They reveal that God is truly interested in His most important creation--human beings. The following story is about such an intervention. One night while I was at the ER with my daughter, a nurse began slandering my name in public. I could not understand why a total stranger would so vehemently attack me with such gross lies. Her cruel words had stung my heart though I tried unsuccessfully to hide it. Several months later, after much praying, I ... Read the Post

Soften Your Heart to Break Down a Wall

My path crossed Amanda’s* when she was a student in my second grade Sunday School in Connecticut. A problem child from day one, Amanda was disagreeable to the other children and disrespectful to me. Each Sunday I hoped she wouldn’t arrive and each week I would bristle with anxiety when she appeared in the doorway. Sunday mornings found me praying that God would help me hold my tongue and increase my patience 100-fold. Week after week was a struggle; she remained obstinate and each class left me weary with frustration. For the final class before summer break, the church took the entire ... Read the Post

No Matter What

My sister is the music teacher at the Christian school where I teach. It’s her first year as a music teacher and she has been nervous all year long. To add to her anxiety, her husband was sent overseas for a little more than two months with the military. During that time, she worked with the students practicing for the Spring Program. Almost daily, she asked prayer for the students who forgot lines, couldn’t remember the words (or the tune!) to the songs, or for some other aspect of the program. Her desire was not for a Broadway-worthy musical but rather that the message of the program ... Read the Post