Meat for the Hungry

  FLAG robert-linder-fcFEnjBmm14-unsplash God Most High, who is Three-in-One—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—please deliver A m e r i c a from evil. [1]   As we who love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength pray, seek Your face, repent of our personal sins, and the sins of our nation, L ORD , honor Your Word—heal our hearts and then our land. [2] In just seven days, we celebrate  A m e r i c a’ s 2 5 0 th B i r t h d a y   and what a celebration it will be! But as we do, O God, give us the determination to continue working hard to take this country back from the evil that has stolen  it—seeking  to erase it and You.   Your Word tells us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the L ORD , the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” [3] While we understand this Psalm speaks to Israel as Your inheritance, You also established and protected A m e r i c a and its people. However, many have expelled You from their hearts just the way...

  FLAG robert-linder-fcFEnjBmm14-unsplash Holy, holy, holy, are You, O LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of Your glory. And holy, holy, holy, are You, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. You alone are worthy, O Lord, to receive all glory and honor and power, for You created all things and for Your pleasure they are and were created. Let my prayer be set before You as incense and the lifting of my hands as pleasing to You as the evening sacrifices were before Jesus Christ, our Lord, God in flesh, came to die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin, was buried, arose the third day from the dead, ascended to heaven, and lives forever to make intercession for us. Thank you, Lord Jesus. We repent before You in dust and ashes.   Today, LORD, the man You chose to be the President of this great nation, Donald J. Trump, has called us to rededicate our country, A m e r i c a , back to You. You chose and preappointed this land as our dwelling place and gave true ...

    FLAG robert-linder-fcFEnjBmm14-unsplash Almost fifty years ago now, my daughter and I took part in America’s 200 th Birthday with our church at the time, St. Jacob’s United Church of Christ. Lorrie was only eleven months old and not walking. So, when we marched in Salem, Ohio’s parade down State Street, you guessed it, I carried her the whole way. But at age 23, that wasn’t a problem for me.   Lorrie and I sported matching 1776 dresses and bonnets I had made, which remain hanging in my closet (I can’t bear to part with them). Before the parade, the women’s group at St. Jacob’s held a fashion show. All who were participating had the privilege of modeling their dresses. It was so fun, and I felt honored to be a part of my country’s celebration.   In 1976, it never occurred to me I would be able to celebrate America’s 250 th Birthday , yet here I am, much older, and I hope, wiser. Today, May 15, 2026, marks fifty days until this second monumental celeb...

Cross Jesus - sewingdivine.com Five days before His crucifixion, Jesus had seated Himself upon a colt, the foal of a donkey, to travel a rough and dusty road to Jerusalem. While this simple, mundane act was something people did daily, for Jesus, it fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy and once again identified Him as Israel’s Messiah.   But Jewish eyes were veiled .   Many who had heard Him teach and witnessed His miracles of the past three years took palm branches and met Him on the road. “Hosanna!” they cried. “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD. The King of Israel.” Yet others were there only for the show.   “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified,” Jesus said.   Knowing the meaning of His statement was hidden from the disciples, [1] He elaborated using a metaphor all could relate to.   But Jewish eyes were veiled .   This was the moment in time when Jesus would be the grain of wheat that falls into the...

  www.freepik.com Love  is in the air! Can you feel it? Even in bitter cold and knee-deep snow, our hearts warm with love for our spouse, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all the people who make our lives complete.   If we think about it, during our lifetimes, we’ve experienced a gamut of love: fresh, new love, passionate love, comfortable love, anticipated love, and lost love. But no love as inclusive, all-encompassing, or as perfect as God’s love for us.   I know you know these things and can probably quote John 3:16, alongside the best Bible Quizzers. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”   This glorious, eternal truth escapes many. And these are left wondering whether physical life is all there is.   In 1969, artist Peggy Lee sang the ballad, “Is That All There Is?” The song’s words and melody were so melancholy and ...

My Seraphina Vine from my brother It’s  May , and we have so many things to celebrate! Graduating seniors from high school and college. Memorial Day, to remember and honor our fallen military heroes. Also, the month of May celebrates the nation of Israel. May 14, 2025, marks their 77 th year of being back in the land God promised in an everlasting covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [1]   However, May’s most notable celebration is Mother’s Day . If I were speaking to an audience right now, I’d ask all the Moms to stand, and we would celebrate you in style because you so deserve it.   Being a mom myself and now a grandmother, I know it isn’t easy. Little ones take so much care, and we’re exhausted. As the years fly by, little ones grow and take on a mind of their own. And even though this was our goal all along, it’s also where the emotional pain starts. Soon, our children flourish into adulthood and leave home. As they do, most understand and respect the sacr...