Tom and I like to play a game called Rummikub. The object is to create either runs of the same colored tiles (ie; orange 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) or a grouping of the same number in different colors (ie; the number 5 in three or four different colors). It's necessary to be flexible in your strategy. For...

Daily, we are faced with choices about how to spend our time. Some options are clearly destructive, but for most of us, it is often a matter of choosing between a number of good options. When we're trying to decide what to bring into, or take out of, our lives, it helps to ask ourselves questions...

I am learning how important it is when, in a state of panic or anxiousness, to STOP (even sit down, if necessary), PRAY and WAIT for God to quiet my emotions so I can hear what He's trying to say.   Too often, when I'm in a panic, I'll shoot up a prayer for help, but then I continue to try to...

I learned the hard way that I need to keep focused on what God's calling me to do, and let others discover what God's calling them to do. I once had a vision for our son, and my husband and son pursued that vision with me. The problem was, that wasn't God's vision for our son, and as a result, it...

Back when I was a fairly new Christian, I think I had erroneously come to believe that walking by faith meant I was supposed to ignore my feelings, lay aside all logic, and say yes to everything that appeared to be the unselfish thing to do. This belief system complicated the decision- making...

Determination is good when it's truly needed, but if we fail to be flexible, we can miss out on a blessing. My husband is better than I am at balancing work and pleasure. I have asked him to help me in this area. I will share an example of when my determination robbed me of a blessing. To give you...

I once read an account of the many political defeats Abraham Lincoln suffered before he finally got elected to the presidency. I wondered why he hadn't given up. I decided that God must have continued to encourage and motivate him to pursue that path. The apostle Paul, on the other hand, asked...

In making decisions, it's good to consider what the Bible says and how others feel. Except in instances where the Bible is black and white on a subject, discerning God's will is a delicate process and it's possible to misunderstand Him. In such cases, it's good to seek guidance in the Bible and...

Chapter 13 of 1 Kings in the Bible contains an interesting story which has some applications for me. There were two main characters: the man of God and an old prophet. The Lord gave the man of God a message to deliver to the king, which he did. (That took courage because it wasn't a happy...

I once discovered that I can save myself a lot of time by humbly seeking a second opinion! Something had come up that caused me to be concerned, and I was praying for guidance on whether or not to send a letter to someone addressing those concerns. I could have spent a lot of time debating the...