Sweeter & Deeper

Do you pray for Christians who are being persecuted for their faith? Here are 15 powerful prayers for persecuted believers--including a printable!

15 Brief, Yet Powerful Prayers for Persecuted Believers

By on • ( 17 )

A little over a year ago I wrote a post about prayers for persecuted believers. It wasn’t I wanted to do. Honestly, I wanted to stay as far away from it as possible. But as usual, God changed my heart and my mind. You can read about it here. God used something as simple as writing my signature to remind me to pray. And for the last year, every time I have signed my name–whether on a document or an electronic signature pad, I’ve lifted persecuted Christians before the throne of grace. They certainly are not long prayers, but they are prayers… Read More ›

Do you ever find yourself in a hurry to finish reading Scripture? Do you skim or soak?

Do You Skim or Do You Soak?

By on • ( 10 )

While my friends lettered in athletics and academics, I lettered in shorthand. (Some of you are asking if that’s even possible. Others are asking, what in the world is shorthand??) Shorthand goes with my personality. I am wired to get things done, get them done fast, and get them done right. Obstacles to these goals cause me a great deal of frustration. I am a doer. I make things happen. I write lists. I check items off my list. I accomplish. I get a lot done in a short amount of time. While speed and accuracy are great pals and… Read More ›

God uses the ordinary to point us to the extraordinary. I saw the other side of the world, so I soaked off my acrylic nails.

I Soaked off My Acrylic Nails

By on • ( 6 )

I soaked off my acrylic nails today. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. They don’t look so great right now. In fact, it will be at least four months before most of them are completely grown out and strong again. I love having lovely nails. But I do not love the time it takes have them maintained. Plus, the refill process has been more painful lately. :/ I have felt increasingly uncomfortable my last several visits to the nail salon. Sitting at the manicure table having my acrylics refilled, I observed the women in the pedicure chairs. Two or three sat… Read More ›

Have you ever caught the whiff of a familiar fragrance and stopped to remember? Often those are happy memories--but sometimes it's about suffering.

The Fragrance of Suffering

By on • ( 5 )

Frankincense, spikenard, myrrh, hyssop. Not sure which one it is, but the fragrance has clung to me all day. And I remember. Every year a church in our area provides a walk-through “Passion Week Experience,” Wednesday through Friday of Holy Week. It has become a regular part of my personal preparation for Resurrection Sunday. Using black curtains, they separate their darkened auditorium into several sections–each one representing a scene of Christ’s passion. It begins with a hand washing station, then the Lord’s Supper, a station with thirty silver coins, and several others. One of the last stations is a table… Read More ›

The ordinary points to the extraordinary. Something as simple as a signature. I choose if it's scrawled or legible. God uses it as a reminder to PRAY!

Scrawled or Legible?

By on • ( 10 )

Soon after my husband and I became engaged, I began the inevitable–practicing my new signature. No longer would I sign, C. Dianne Strangmeier. I would sign important documents as Dianne Thornton. I couldn’t wait for it to be official! A couple of years ago I realized that I had become sloppy with my signature. Literally, it was a scrawl. My D was the only legible letter. It was a challenge, but I decided to take my time with my signature. The next time I bought groceries and was signing the card reader for my purchase, I was in a hurry. I wanted to… Read More ›

Meditation on Scripture is how our roots grow deep in our relationship with the Lord, but it takes time and effort.

Hmmmm–Meditation

By on • ( 3 )

When you hear the word meditate, what comes to mind? Do you imagine a person sitting cross-legged, wrists on knees, saying … hummmmmmmmm. Dictionary.com defines it this way: ** to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect. ** to engage in, transcendental meditation, devout religious contemplation, or quiescent spiritual introspection. Quiescent means to be at rest, quiet, still, inactive or motionless. Does that remind you of any Scripture verses? How about Psalm 46:10 (NLT) “Be still and know that I am God.” What about some synonyms? Contemplate, brood over, cogitate, consider, deliberate, design, devise, dream, entertain idea, figure, have in mind, intend,… Read More ›

Do you need a fresh start? Stop chasing last year's emotional high. Listen today and God will do something new.

Something New

By on • ( 4 )

This week I pulled out my Experiencing God workbook. As I read through it, I remembered how much I loved that study and how significantly God used it in my life. Some studies are like that. They are game changers. I thought to myself, I need to do this one again! I need God to do stuff again! So I started looking around to see of there was an updated version. Not. Then, on the way to Bible study yesterday morning (we are studying The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7), God spoke to my heart, you are studying one of the most… Read More ›