Today's Musing is from Margaret Fowler. New every morning is the love Our wakening and uprising prove; Through sleep and darkness safely brought, Restored to life and power and thought. Written by John Keble (1822) Do you know this lovely old hymn? In this new year, I have been thinking of the many times in my life when I have dealt with something new. The best new thing in my life was when I came to know Jesus as my Savior and Lord. My favorite verse became 2 Corinthians 5:17, “… Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (5:17b NLT). The new joy of Christian fellowship was an awesome discovery. I felt […] Read more »

… “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:20b NLT The older I get, the less sure I am of everything. I used to assume, for example, that a doctor was always right. As I aged, it was devastating to learn that they are human, just like the rest of us. Of course, most doctors are doing their best, but they can still make mistakes and misread or misinterpret. That’s actually how I lost the hearing in one ear. A doctor misdiagnosed my sudden hearing loss. No ill intent. Just a costly mistake. Holidays aren’t sure things either. No one signs up to be sick over Christmas, but I know so many who were […] Read more »

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. —Psalm 90:12 A mid-1800s writing desk, gifted to me from my Ralph’s grandma, sits in my bedroom, well-loved and well-used. Along with the desk came an antique Roycroft copper desk set that grandma’s husband purchased back in 1926 for her twenty-fifth birthday. The desk set includes a perpetual calendar that I never change due to its age and fragility, yet there it sits, a constant reminder of time. Time! Oh, how fragile it is, and, oh, how quickly it slips away. We mark our years by birthdays, anniversaries, passings, and other significant events in our lives. When we look back over time, we find that so much has slipped through […] Read more »

… God took an oath in his own name, saying: “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. —Hebrews 6:13b-15 NLT Do you find it hard to turn the page and focus on the new year, even after the Christmas music is retired and the ornaments are stored? Me too! Looking back, however, I can see the truckload of blessings God has delivered over the past twelve months. Most encouraging was revisiting my prayer journal and recognizing the many prayers that were answered this year—after much waiting. This prompted me to reflect on the virtues of waiting [sigh] and how we are changed as we walk by faith. “Patiently” […] Read more »

Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. —Micah 6:7-8 NLT We humans are awfully hard on ourselves. We can define success in the silliest ways—and then fall into a pit of despair when we miss the mark we have created for ourselves. I have a proposal for this brand-new year, 2023. Let’s redefine success … using God’s standard instead of our own. Micah, the prophet, makes it clear to us in his writings, […] Read more »