enLIVEn Devotionals

Abiding in Jesus - Overflowing His Spirit

The Video

Last fall my mom’s side of the family began preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. On December 24th, 2014, my maternal grandparents celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. We decided to make a video marking this special day. My cousin recorded Grandma and Grandpa sharing how they met, details of their snowy wedding day and life on their farm (Grandpa was a farmer in Ohio for many years), and other sweet details of a long life lived together. My husband, our boys, and I taped our portion of the video; the boys made up a short, funny skit wishing Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa ... Read the Post

The Package

In the rear view mirror we can easily spot Christmas and are probably still dealing with some of the aftermath of cleaning up all of it. From candy canes to wrapping paper and empty boxes to lights on the house, the holidays came and went in a flash, yet still possessed beautiful reminders of God's perfect gift...Jesus. Often when preparing to close out one year and start the next, we determine to look even further back in our mirrors so we can see reflections of the entire year. We remember new and various experiences, growing relationships with people, pleasant or uncomfortable changes, ... Read the Post

The Aroma of Praise

Freshly-baked bread may remind you of simple days at grandma's farm. Aromas of vanilla and cinnamon bring memories of baking snickerdoodles with your kids. A musty-pine scent provides sweet recollections of your late dad. Blooming roses, and their various fragrances, treat you to thoughts of first dates with your husband (No, I won't ask if he still brings you flowers). Lavender-laced lotion transports you back to baby bedtime baths. Specific laundry detergent perfumes elicit reminders of now college-bound children. Favorite fragrances have the power to remind you of treasured times and ... Read the Post

Spiritual Amnesia

There have been many occasions in my life I’ve prayed fervently for a “miracle.” My beloved grandmother Ella was rushed to the ER as the EMT tried to revive her 63 year old lifeless body. We got the call from New York from a frantic aunt saying they don’t know if she’s going to make it! I ran to my bedroom collapsing on the floor praying fervently ,“Dear Lord please spare my beautiful grandmother Ella who is like a mother to so many."  I was in such emotional despair as a teenager and new Christian, and my deep prayers and steady flow of teardrops felt like I was sweating drops of blood. My ... Read the Post

Stilled Silence

Every morning, come rain or shine or rain (we do live in almost-tropical Tampa, after all), I walk our dog, Jedi. I don’t drink coffee, so my morning walk is like a large cup of caffeine. It’s a perfect time to get outside, get some exercise, and get with the Lord in quiet prayer as I enjoy His creation. Christmas morning? Just another morning to Jedi, so after presents were opened and cinnamon rolls and scrambled eggs were devoured, our eager pointer/boxer mix and I took off for a one-mile loop around our neighborhood. Silence is not my usual walking companion. Our subdivision is ... Read the Post

Redeemed Joy!

For the past 10 years, I have been struggling with depression and feelings of hopelessness. I believe it started after I married my husband strictly out of trying to obey the Lord. My husband and I were living together and not married. We were invited to visit a church close to our work with a fellow coworker. Once we were in, the Holy Spirit did His thing and started working on our hearts. We quickly began changing our ways and becoming more involved with the church. The last thing that remained was us living out of wedlock together. So on a whim we decided that we needed to get married, ... Read the Post