“You can’t always control your situation, but you can always control how you respond in it.”
Pictured is where historians and archeologists agree that two significant biblical events took place.
The rocky area upfront is where Jacob slept and had his famous stairway to heaven dream. He named this place Bet El or the House of God (Genesis 28) because that stairway led into heaven itself.
Years later, after Israel split into two kingdoms, Jeroboam, king of the northern tribes, built two golden calves. He put one in Dan and the other right here at Bet El (1 Kings 12). What remains of that site is under the green mound at the far northern section of this picture.
Same location, two entirely different choices. One led to the trust in the God of heaven and earth. The other led to the trust in the god of this world.
It’s time to take new territory…in your own home. As many are spending large amounts of time at home due to CoVid19, you’ll have many choices in how you spend your time.
Will you spend it with your drugs of choice (golden calf) or with Jesus (House of God)? Same location, two entirely different choices.
Now is the time to take new territory. Now is the time for us to be bold. Let’s come out of this season in your home stronger and better prepared than ever before!

“It’s in our darkest hour that we must focus each minute on the Light.”
In the movie, The Wizard of Oz, the main characters were standing before a big screen being frightened by what they saw, smelled, heard and felt.
Little did they know, a little man was standing behind a curtain pulling levers and pushing buttons to make it all happen. In other words, the information they got through their senses, which caused them to fear, was man made.
If only they could have seen behind that curtain!
During our current world challenge, we’re being inundated with information. How do you not let it negatively affect you?
Listen to, stay focused on and follow Jesus, the One who sees behind the curtain of tomorrow.
He’s the One who said that if we practice what He taught we’d be kept from anxiety, worry, stress, fear – some of the possible negative side effects of not staying focused on Him.
During times like today, we are to rejoice in the One who can see behind the curtain.
We are to rejoice in the fact that if we focus and act on the truths Jesus gives us, He promises that we will experience a mind blowing peace.
Our faith in Jesus, not a religious dogma, is being tested.
Who will you listen to – those you can see and hear or the One who sees behind the curtain?
Research shows that we are social animals. And, in times of uncertainty, will look to other people for cues about what to do, and then follow them, even if what they do is crazy.
What if Jesus believers choose to follow the One who sees behind the curtain? Not only will we experience the peace we’re longing for, but people around us will also see how Jesus works in real life situations like social distancing and self-quarantining.
I pray that others will see Jesus in you and me, and then ask, “How can you be so calm? Where do you get your peace from?”
And our answer will naturally be, “I’m glad you asked. Let me share how Jesus helped me!”
Let your faith grow in the One who can see behind the curtain of tomorrow to guide you into peace today. He is the light that shines brightly at any given moment so that you can be set you free from the dark clouds of life.
Want to know more? Email me and I’ll tell you!

Be thankful for you’ve been given.
This is a partially excavated section of the Siloam pool. It is where the blind man, who received Jesus’ spit made mud, went to receive his sight.
As Israel doesn’t own the property to the left, only some of the steps leading to the pool and none of the pool itself have been unearthed.
Notice, though, the pomegranate tree growing from the non-excavated side. In its season, new fruit will be cultivated.
Despite the dirt in our lives, He brings forth fruit. He doesn’t have to, but He does. Grace realized.
He sees the pool, the masterpiece of Jesus’ image, underneath the non-excavated side of our lives. He is waiting patiently to excavate more dirt until we surrender. This too is grace realized.
He knows where you have been. Thank Him for His grace. He has changed your life, which gives you hope for today and tomorrow. Thank Him for His grace. And thank Him for His willingness to wait on you to surrender. He doesn’t have to, but does, which is grace realized.
We deserve or are owed nothing. The fact we get to experience His love through grace…well, it should cause us to be extremely thankful.

It’s true. Believe it!
Pictured is believed to be the mountain where Satan wanted to see whether or not Jesus knew who He was; and then, would He act consistently with that understanding.
Matthew used a word for “tempted” in 4:1 that means to test a metal, say gold, to see whether or not it really was gold and then what percentage within it was gold.
Twice Satan said, “If you are the Son of God” (4:3,6). Jesus was being tested. Are you God (gold)? And, if so prove it (100% or something less).
In both cases, Jesus never directly answered the “if” question. He knew who He was and didn’t need to prove it by either making bread appear or jumping off a cliff.
Jesus was comfortable in the skin God gave Him and was secure in who He was, the Son of God. And because of this, He walked in victory.
A day of testing is coming! And you will pass it through knowing and believing who you are, a secure child of God, with nothing to prove and no one to please, except the Father, which is exactly what Jesus did by following the Spirit.

This is a pathway to the beach in Ashdod, Israel. It was a cold and super windy day, which made walking quite interesting. The wind blew so much sand on the path that I had to meander down to the water; and at times, I even had to lean into the wind to keep going.

Yet, I enjoyed every minute of it. The sights and sounds of the waves were quite relaxing.

This pictures the reality of following Jesus. Our daily walks with Him can be on firm ground, which allows us to walk further with less effort/faith.

While on other stretches, we’ll face resistance that requires increased energy/faith and alertness to navigate life’s choices to keep in step with Him.

This is the point of Psalm 23:3. The “paths of righteousness” are more like “circles of righteousness”. As we follow Jesus, despite our ups and downs, fears/failures/challenges, we will still end up righteous. Why? His name is on the line.

If you are on the down side of the cycle; don’t fret. Keep following Jesus. If you are on the upside of the cycle; enjoy the sites and sounds. Keep following Jesus.

In either case, He IS walking with you to make sure you get through the cycle righteous.