Be Devoted to One Another In Love

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. — Romans 12:10

God commands us to be devoted to each other.

To show love to each other.

To honor one another.

Putting the other person above yourself.

 And giving God the glory.

Carry Each Other's Burdens

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.— Galatians 6:2 

My coworker who's going through a divorce offered to pray for us today.

She is struggling with custody battles and misses her girls when they're with they're dad.

But she was anxious to pray for me as well as for her needs.

I'm blessed to work with some wonderful people.

And my former coworker sent this photo of their family at the pumpkin patch in Oklahoma.

It hasn't felt much like fall here in San Diego with our warm weather.

But God has called us to carry each other's burdens.

So we lift up the needs of others to Him in intercessory prayer.

And He hears and answers us.

Bear With Each Other

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. — Colossians 3:13

Put up with each other.

Forgive each other.

Talk out your grievances.

God forgave us while we were undeserving.

Now He asks us to forgive others in the same way.

Even if I have a grievance against someone,

God asks me to forgive them.

Actually, He commands me to forgive them.

It's not a question but a statement.

Forgive them as the Lord forgave me.

Taught By God to Love Each Other

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. — 1 Thessalonians 4: 9

We have love for each other.

We love, because He first loved us.

For love comes from God, who is perfect.

We have been taught by God.

He has taught us how to love each other.

But it's easy for us to forget and treat each other badly.

When we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we are more apt to follow His will.

And to love each other with the love of God.

May Your Love Increase and Overflow

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.  — 1 Thessalonians 3:12

May God help my love to increase.

Where I used to hate, let me love.

May my love overflow for others and for everyone.

Just as Paul's love overflowed for the people in Thessalonica.

Just as the love of Jesus overflows for me.

Here's a picture of our choir pool party in August.

My friend Lorraine hosted us at her home, and it was a beautiful day.

Kirk and Ron threw horseshoes, we swam and enjoyed good food together.

Do What Is Good for Each Other

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. — 1 Thessalonians 5:15

A few months ago my friend Kellie led us on a fun hike through Oak Canyon, not too far from my house.

Kellie's the one in the maroon t-shirt leading the way.

But toward the end, one of our friends twisted her ankle.

Of course, Kellie had a cold water bottle to put on it and we rested so she could put her leg up.

Then, when it was time to start up again, a couple of friends propped her up between them so she could hobble down the mountain without putting pressure on her ankle.

Finally, Kellie gave her a piggyback ride the rest of the way down.

My friends are always ready to do what is good for each other,

And for everyone else.

I am so thankful for them all!

Build Each Other Up

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. — 1 Thessalonians 5:11

God asks us to encourage each other.

To build up each other.

To love our enemies as well as our friends.

To continue to be advocates for each other.

Our friends brought this wine for us in celebration of my birthday.

How thoughtful.

We are blessed. 

Love Each Other

Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. — 1 Thessalonians 4:9

Halloween night we put candy on our courtyard table so children could help themselves.

Kirk lit a fire in the firepit and propped open our gate to welcome them.

Abby and Kirk watched from the living room as the children entered our courtyard.

Then they wished them "Happy Halloween" and the children called back, "Happy Halloween."

One girl told her little brother, "The sign says to take 2 so just two!"

Lots of parents came dressed up, too.

We had about 25 children, which was a lot for our neighborhood. 

I got home from church in time to see the last few.

They were very kind and loving to each other and very happy to have candy!

May Your Love Increase

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else. — 1 Thessalonians 3:12

During this time of conflict and divisiveness, God calls to love.

Our prayer is that God will make our love increase.

That he will help our love overflow to others.

Not just to our friends, but also to our enemies.

May God help our love overflow for everyone.

The Lord Forms the Light

I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. — Isaiah 45:6b-7

Palm Desert Sunset 2017

God forms the light to guide us during the day.

He creates darkness to help us sleep well at night.

He brings prosperity and creates disaster.

He is the Lord and there is no other.

The Lord accomplishes all of these things.

At the same time, He does not shower blessings just because I follow His way.

He leads me through the path of difficulty, giving me a chance to grow closer to Him and to rely on Him more and more.

He asks me to follow Him no matter what occurs.

And He continues to bless me, even through the tough times.

The Lord does all these things.

I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. — Isaiah 45:5-6

Palm Desert Sunset

God is Lord, and there is no other.

Apart from Him there is no God.

He gives me strength to get through any trials that come my way.

My Bible study group is reading Pilgrim's Progress right now.

Reading about the Hill of Difficulty that Christian climbs and the people he meets who try to take the easy path of Destruction or avoid the narrow way is very humbling.

I often act that way, too.

Even so, God gives me strength, forgiving me when I don't acknowledge Him.

From the rising of sun to its setting, people may know there is none besides Him.

God's Power

He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. — Psalm 111:6

Today one of the ladies who lives near Cowles Mountain posted a photo.

She was looking through binoculars and saw over a hundred coyotes.


She also saw two deer, two fawns, a buck, a couple of bobcats, and a mountain lion.



The sad thing was that they were all trying to eat each other.

Now that there are no people on the mountain, the animals are taking over.

It's only been a month, but they now have free reign.

Quite a difference from the animal-free mountain I experienced when I hiked in March.

God has given us the animals as well as this beautiful area to live in.

We see the power of His works each day.