Devotions with Denise
The Gentle Cycle
Have you ever watched how the gentle cycle in the washing machine works? I got curious one day and ..well, you know where curiosity can lead!
Impression or Impact
One of the tips my mom taught me when I first learning to bake a cake was to open the oven and press my finger onto the top of the cake to see if it was done baking.
Decisions, Decisions
I saw an advertisement for something I'd never heard of before...an 'interactive' movie. The main character was at a crossroads in her love life and with the touch of my remote control I could help her choose which guy she should pick and watch her decision play out.
What's Your Order
When you go to a restaurant you've eaten at before do you order the same thing on the menu that you did before? I think our answer to that question may reveal a lot about us.
Seeing Value
A woman set out for a thrift store one day. Maybe she was looking for something specific. Maybe she was doing what so many others do...looking for something that was 'old to someone else and new to me'.
What Dims The Light?
One of the most infrequently cleaned things in my house is the globe around the light fixture in my ceiling fan.
What I Learned From Job
When something happens that shakes our faith, in the moments that follow, we are faced with a decision to lean into what we know to be true about God or allow the doubts of His love for us to take up space in our mind.
Open Eyed Prayer
I admit that I am not a morning person. While there are mornings that I wake up feeling fully rested and cognizant enough to begin the day with prayer...
Freedom
I am proud to be an American. God has uniquely blessed the United State of America. We have honored His blessings on our country and we have, at times, brought shame upon this great land...
IMpossible
Imagine that you are walking through a deserted, dry field by yourself and you see a bush a little ways off that looks like its on fire!
Double Lines
Those pesky double lines on a roadway come along at the most inconvenient time. Always when I am crunched for time...and always when I get stuck behind someone driving too slow.
Fruit That Lasts
One of the beautiful benefits of summer is all of the scrumptious, fresh fruits and vegetables we have access to eat. I know what I love but I'm not very good at judging the ripeness of them.
Putting Practice
Over the years our family vacations have often included a round or two of miniature golf. It's something the whole family can play.
Stored or Sown
You can count the number of seeds inside of an apple. But you cannot count how many apples are inside of a seed. You know what that is called? Potential! And potential....is powerful!
The Planner
What do you write on your calendar? Birthdays and anniversaries...special events...doctor appointments, date nights and coffee dates? Some of us are not just calendar keepers.
Speechless
Rarely in my lifetime have I ever found myself 'speechless'. Let's just say I was very zealous with my gift of gab when I was younger.
Potholes And Pitfalls
One of the shopping areas in my hometown, the one I frequent most often, has a main thoroughfare that has several really rough potholes in it.
Effects Of The Wind
We can't see the wind. But we can definitely see and feel the effects of the wind. I have literally watched as the wind shifted and left behind paths of destruction through corn and wheat fields and wooded areas.
Pockets
Have you ever found yourself dragged into a conversation that you really didn't want to be in? Perhaps someone made a personal comment to you...
Advice From Dad
What’s the best advice your Dad ever gave you? Since we just celebrated Father's Day I was thinking back over things that my Dad taught me.
A Little Time Away
The first computer that we bought had a screen saver on it with a man on a little island surrounded by water. At first glance it looked like a nice little get away.
What's Holding Us Back?
What holds us back? I used to think it was all the hard things we've been through in our life. Past experiences that scared us, hurt us, and hindered our growth in one way or another.
What I've Learned About Grief
It's been two years since my brother, Brent, went home to be with Jesus. I've gone to several funerals in the past couple of months and I confess...
Where Do We Put Our Trust?
Let's talk about trust for a minute. The other day I was riding behind an enormous vehicle transport truck. You know the kind that can transport about six or eight SUV's at a time?!
Stain Remover
I have a terrible habit of spilling things. No matter how hard I try not to...something often makes its way onto my shirt.
Today's Chapter
A friend of mine shared the most beautiful picture of a sunset from her vehicle's side window and it made me think about how glorious it is to watch the sunset on a day...and how breathtaking it is to watch the sunrise on a day.
It's Time
Waiting is an all too familiar place for us. It feels like such an enormous waste of time most often. Every day, it seems, we are required to wait for something or someone.
Filling Up the Space
The Apostle Paul told us to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." We know that it is easier said than done.
What's That Smell?
Years ago I heard a story about limburger cheese that I've never forgotten. I've never tried this kind of cheese but the way I've heard it described it smells like really dirty socks.
Remember the Promise
"You can't have a rainbow without a little rain." You've probably seen that saying before. Can you imagine what it must have been like to look up in the sky and see the very first rainbow?
