My Soul Glorifies the Lord

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. — Luke 1:46-47, 49

When Mary visited Elizabeth, she greeted her.

At that, the baby leaped in Elizabeth's womb.

And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Then Mary sang this song of praise to God.

Thanking Him for His goodness.

And glorifying the Lord.

The Father of Righteous Child Has Great Joy

The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. — Proverbs 23:24

The father of a righteous child has reason to be joyful.

Kirk's dad was so proud of him and his love of the Lord.

And he was also proud of our daughter and her growing faith.

When God's wisdom enters a child at any age, there is reason to rejoice.

Happy Birthday!

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. — I Corinthians 13:6-7

Yesterday we went to a wedding, and this was one of the Scriptures read during the service.

We had such a fun time with friends old and new.

Here's Kirk holding baby Joseph, who's just as content as can be.

Today we celebrate Kirk's birthday.

An amazing father, husband, friend, brother and son.

Wishing him the best day ever!

Kirk's love, similar to God our Father's, always protect, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

It rejoices with the truth.

The Father of a Righteous Child Has Great Joy

The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
25 May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful! — Proverbs 23:24-25 

My father-in-law Gary had great joy seeing his sons grow up.

And seeing his middle son become a righteous man,

Serving God with all his heart.

His mom also rejoiced and was joyful.

Rita gave Kirk birth and rejoiced at the person he had become. 

We rejoice in having Kirk as my husband and Abby's father.

Happy Father's Day!

The Father of a Righteous Child Has Great Joy

The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. – Proverbs 23:24

We are very blessed by our husband and father.

Here he is playing basketball in high school.

He has done a great job of raising up our child and his students.

The father of a righteous child has great joy.

A man who father's a wise child rejoices in that child.

We rejoice!

Love Rejoices

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. — 1 Corinthians 13:6

Our niece Maggie celebrated her birthday yesterday in Virginia.

This was also my mom's birthday.

And my boss at Christian Ed. Publishers.

My mom was my mentor and my Christian example.

She would stay up late when I was in elementary and high school just to talk.

She would answer my questions about God, Jesus, and the world.

She was also a singer, singing tenor in the choir my dad conducted.

My parents used to joke that she was the only pregnant tenor in his choir!

My Soul Glorifies the Lord

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant." — Luke 1:46-48

This afternoon we held our middle school girls Bible study Christmas party.

We did a gift exchange, made Christmas cards and spiced cider mix, roasted s'mores, lit the advent wreath, and sang Christmas carols.

I made these Santa cookies.

Usually I would make them and have the girls decorate cookies.

This year because of covid, we didn't frost cookies or carol through the neighborhood.

But we still had a fun time worshipping God together.

Magnifying His name with our songs and prayers.

My Soul Glorifies the Lord

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." — Luke 1:46-47

During this time of year it's so easy to get wrapped up in all the lights and glitter and blow-up Santas.

But the real message was God sending His only Son to earth. 

Born as a baby in Bethlehem.

Come to save us from our sins.

To die and rise again for me personally.

The best gift of all!

My Heart Is Glad

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. — Psalm 16:9-10


My heart is glad.

I rejoice in the Lord.

My body is at rest.

I rest secure in the knowledge that God is with me.

He will not abandon me.

He watches over His faithful flock and brings us back to the fold.

We were born into community.

Love Rejoices in the Truth

Love . . . rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. — I Corinthians 13:6-7

Yesterday was Kirk's birthday!

Abby and I rejoice in his love for our family.

We are blessed to have a wonderful Christian man for my husband and her dad.

Our love has endured many things.

Through it all, Kirk has rejoiced in the truth and has believed completely in God through His Son, Jesus.

This sensitive and caring guy has been an awesome and humbling example of God's love.

Abby and I have been able to lean on him for guidance and direction.

We surround him with our love and appreciation.

We are thankful to God.

My Heart Rejoices

I trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me. — Psalm 13:5-6

My Bible study book has a great quote, "The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that the worst day is not the last day."

Even my most agonizing loss, my worst day, will be cast in the light of shalam — redeemed and restored as all things are made new.

Jesus' death and resurrection redeems, renews, restores, and revives me.

So I can tell my past hurts and worries that they are not the boss of me.

God will shalam — literally He will help me make peace with my past and the hard days of my present.

Thank goodness.

My heart rejoices in God's salvation.