God’s correction brings life

March 31, 2026

Maria Conviction, 1 Timothy 6 , 1 Comment

But you, O man of God . . .pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11 NKJV

I woke up heavy-laden, preoccupied with an ongoing health issue that I can’t seem to ‘hack’ my way out of. Nothing I have tried has brought relief—whether advice from traditional medical people, friends, or even ChatGPT.

Putting on headphones to listen to a podcast while I fed the cats, made coffee, and did my morning stretching, I chose instead an audio message from an Argentinian mom who is part of my weekly English conversation group I lead.

Her five-minute recording sparked tears, for I realized that despite what discouraged me this morning, I apparently had ministered to her in a meaningful way. She explained that she trusts me and feels like she can safely share her worries about money, faith, and relationships. God sweetly revealed to me that physical discomfort is no impediment to helping a sister in Christ.

Sitting down with coffee and Bible at hand, I opened a devotional by Ken Boa. Under the section “Character I want to cultivate” was a first-person affirmation taken right from Paul’s instructions to Timothy (see above). This young pastor needed to center on God’s Kingdom and personally “pursue” the character traits of a godly man or woman.

Immediately, the Holy Spirit pierced my heart: “Just what are you seeking first in your life, Maria?. What has grabbed your heart? ”

Humbled, I knew what He was asking. I had let this pursuit of a solution concerning a physical condition be front and center in my life. Sovereignly using that audio from Veronica, the Lord proved that despite certain issues, I can serve others.

I repented and asked for God’s help to refocus and remain centered on what matters most to God—Kingdom expansion and righteousness.

As though to encourage me, another young woman texted me after my morning time with Jesus. She wrote how today’s selection from the Feed on Him book had steadied her nerves about some new classes she was about to lead later in the day.

Thank you, Father, for Your ongoing corrections. I receive them gratefully as proof that I belong to You. I know You are always speaking to me through people, creation, the Word, and thoughts You plant. Today, I will try to keep my ears, eyes and heart fixed on You.

Chance, luck and accidents

March 16, 2026

Maria Anxiety, Fear, God's Peace, God's Sovereignty, Psalm 23, Psalm 31 , , Leave a comment

I will fear no evil nor any scary news, for You are with me. Psalm 23:4 paraphrase

This morning, Joe challenged and encouraged us as he preached through John 21:18-19, adding some life-altering applications.

My major takeaway came from this premise—We should draw comfort and find stability in the truth that God has ordained everything in our lives. As the Almighty Sovereign who lovingly works all things for our good, neither luck, chance, nor accidents exist. Yes, harm can befall us, but all events are in His hands. Therefore, no one can say truthfully, “What dumb luck”, or “she never gets a chance”, or “he’s accident-prone.”

I can sense God growing me out of my former identity as a practiced negative forecaster. For some years now, I’ve been pleading with my Father all the while trying to break this self-sabotaging habit. Is it not insane to imagine all that might go wrong instead of all that might go right?  Who really wants to be depressed in this way, just from our own thoughts!

With the world in a media-proclaimed crisis in the Middle East, I woke up this Sunday morning with a pressing need to Feed on Him and meditate on what is beautiful, good, and life-giving. Of course, the Holy Spirit came through. 

Daily, I ease into time with the Lord through reading and praying through two pages of a small book by Ken Boa: Handbook to Renewal:Renewing Your Mind with Affirmations from Scripture. Today’s readings included Psalm 23.  I paused and lingered when I read:  I will fear no evil, for You are with me. 

What a lot to draw out from that affirmation. I noticed that ‘evil’ is assumed—no denying the reality in God’s Word. Yes, our world is broken and suffering is woven through every facet. Who can deny that all humans are sinful and Satan is our enemy?

But God teaches that we have agency.  I CAN decide not to practice fear, empowered by grace and truth.  What is that truth?  That Jesus, through His Spirit, is always with me. 

So, Joe’s proclaiming that luck, chance and accidents not only don’t happen, they can’t occur made me breathe with relief. 

Fretting about what might occur tomorrow–as in, for example, “What if I get into a car accident?”—is fruitless. Of course I should pray for protection, but then follow that with a calm relaxing into God’s promised care. 

Two realities support that. First, my fretting won’t block suffering.  And second, if God’s plan for tomorrow includes pain or sorrow, I can trust that He has also foreordained more than enough grace. What gives me most peace is that He has assured me of constant presence as the Good Shepherd.

Father, help me put my active imagination to better use—imagining all the good that you have destined for me. “How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.” Psalm 31:19

Can we really eliminate worry?

March 9, 2026

Maria Genesis 28, God's presence, Jacob, Nehemiah, Trusting God, Worry , , , , Leave a comment

At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. As he slept, he had a dream . . . Genesis 28:11–12 NLT

God has been pinpointing several accounts in the Bible to capture my attention about sinful worry. The patriarch Jacob’s reaction to stress while fleeing contrasts with my well-practiced angst. How could this young man sleep knowing his murderous brother was after him?

Then there is Nehemiah. This brave Jew’s response on a perilous mission trip reinforces what I still lack—solid faith that replaces fretting.

Consider what the audacious royal cupbearer for King Artaxerxes undertook when he journeyed the three to four months from Susa to Jerusalem. Not only could he not predict what each successive travel day would bring, he couldn’t plan for potential obstacles or challenges involved in rebuilding the wall. How did he handle all the ‘What ifs’?

Scripture such as these, along with life’s circumstances, press me to admit how little sway I have over life in general and my particular circumstances. My general response as I have aged has been to resort to negative forecasting.

Yet, each time God provides what I need despite pathetic night-interrupting prayers for “all to go well tomorrow,” I tell myself, “Maria, see, you CAN and you SHOULD trust the Lord. He always comes through.”

But I don’t change. In fact, after God has answered a prayer, especially involving the unpredictability of air travel, I’ve muttered, “Yeah, but if I knew that the next flights would go well, I wouldn’t HAVE to worry.”

But God! In a ‘wispy,’ almost ephemeral way, I’m now sensing that I might not need to know how tomorrow will turn out—that the FACT of Jesus’ promised presence and provision is enough.

Mike Foster, author of the book The Seven Primal Questions, sorts all events into three different categories—what we can’t control, what over which we have partial control, and what we CAN determine.

Current struggles concerning our cat Jason’s change in eating habits, sleep ‘success,’ personal digestion issues, emotional states of family members, a friend’s husband potentially dying, and now the military conflict in Iran have impressed on me the futility of worry. And I haven’t even mentioned future travel.

I’m daydreaming about what it would be to just hand everything over to God.

But what if . . .

What if I simply relinquished each ‘worrisome’ circumstance I mentioned? If I just relaxed into a state that proclaimed and REALLY believed in my heart, “What does it matter what happens tomorrow if Jesus is with us? Whatever He brings about is His ‘good’ plan for us. He will give what we need. He has promised to never leave us.”

What fun it would be just to pray earnestly, calling on His character, past deeds, and promises of future grace. And then to let it all go and embrace the day for the joy of it.

Please, Father, strengthen me to try Your way.

Do you feel trapped or safe?

February 27, 2026

Maria Hope, Refuge, Trusting God, Zechariah 9 , , Leave a comment

As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. Zechariah 9:11–12 NIV

This week in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), we worked through chapter nine in Zechariah and two more. Rereading our loving Father’s message through His prophet always augments my appreciation for God’s promises.

I forget that I dwell in a different fortress than the one I tend to build for myself. In the past several weeks, I’ve placed myself in one of those waterless pits that dry up all hope. That confining ‘cell’ is called “Maria needs to control X, Y, Z in her life.”

For instance, regarding processes in my body that I’ll delicately call elimination issues, the Holy Spirit has gently thwarted all my obsessive attempts to get results. Then there have been a few people whose feelings or interactions with me I have actually thought I could affect. You might have similar areas in your life you try to micromanage, too.

But through some good, logical counsel and Scripture, I am seeing for the umpteenth time how I need to hand over, to offload, all these issues to the One who can do something. For here are the facts: God created my body. He knows best how to keep it in good working order. He also placed me in a family and among friends for His purposes and my greatest good. He has promised that if I depend on Him, He will guide me the right way. I ‘should’ know better by now that I can only control my thoughts and my reactions.

As I remind myself daily, the Father has given me His Spirit, who acts with power on my behalf. This same Spirit reassures me of God’s unchanging love for me. So too does He bless me as I read Scripture so I can conform my thoughts to His truth.

No, I am not a prisoner of despair and hopelessness called “No Exit.” I am NOT trapped.

Rather, I belong and live securely, safely in union with Christ, a happy, hedged-in-by-Love daughter of my Father in His Kingdom of Hope.

As someone has said, of all people, Christians should always be overflowing with sure hope.

What’s worth boasting in?

February 18, 2026

Maria Confession, Idols, Psalm 43 , , , , , 1 Comment

. . . God, my exceeding joy . . . Psalm 43:4 ESV

Off and on, I’ve been reading through the Psalms, using Graham’s gift of Bible journals for each book of the Bible. The ESV text is on the left page, and the blank, lined right page invites written thoughts. There’s no commentary to tell me what to think or notice. The Holy Spirit leads me where He wants.

Lingering as I read each line of Psalm 43, I asked myself, “Is God my exceeding, my greatest joy? Can I say that? If not He, then just who or what is?”

This holy nudge came just a few days after He convicted me of boasting about myself to a few people at church. I was sharing about two projects that I felt made me “special.” One had to do with my next book project and the other with “tidying” up the Marie Kondo way.

Not 24 hours after that ego-driven posturing, God convicted me of idol worship—the idol being me, Maria.

Jotting all this down as a humble confession, I realized that there is just ONE thing that makes me authentically special: that I belong to Christ. Yes!!! What a gift. And nothing to strive for.

Father, may I boast only in that I am a member of Your forever family because of Jesus. Whatever I have boasted about in the past is just fleeting, like morning mist. But my relationship with You, the all-loving God, is permanent.

Now, THAT’s worth putting on my tombstone: She belongs to Christ.

God didn’t prevent the problem, but saved me OUT of it.

February 6, 2026

Maria 2 Timothy 2, Answers to Prayer, Fear, God's Peace, God's Promises, Psalm 34, Spiritual Warfare, suffering , , , Leave a comment

This poor woman called, and the Lord heard her; he saved her out of all her troubles. Psalm 34:6, paraphrased

I have practiced worrying about travel plans for decades. My mom patterned this habit, and I’ve built on it. But I’m working on changing my focus from what “might” go wrong to picturing flights arriving on schedule. After all, isn’t that what the airlines are aiming for?

Last weekend, I was headed home from eight joy-filled days with Chloe and Vera in Tampa while their parents were off celebrating 20 years of marriage. The now-famous 2025 polar vortex was at play across almost half the country. Anticipating traveling through frigid time zones, I rescheduled my return trip one day earlier due to worsening weather.

I kept myself peaceful by meditating on and repeating out loud God’s assurance that He has not given me a spirit of fear, but one of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

But the day before my travel day, Delta canceled both flights: Tampa to Atlanta and Atlanta to Huntsville. This poor woman cried out to her heavenly Father, and He graciously walked me through rebooking new flights. Then came another change. Again, the Lord guided me. Finally, early on Saturday morning, I left the house and übered to the airport.

I made it to Atlanta and spent the next four to five hours in a lounge enjoying lunch, writing emails, texting with three dear women and my husband—all who were praying and encouraging me—and, most of all, calmly trusting God.

Once I was in my assigned seat on the second flight, news came that, due to the frigid temps in Atlanta, a pipe in the rear bathroom had cracked and the plane would need to be repaired. When the pilot prepped us with the new departure time—four hours hence—my heart supplied Psalm 34:6. Providentially, I’ve been memorizing this psalm and had actually practiced reciting my verses in the lounge.

Immediately, I took on the role of a poor woman, crying out to a loving God who promises to hear His kids when they call. “FATHER, help! I need you. I’m crying out to You. Mike has been waiting for me all day. He doesn’t want to go through four more long hours until I board again. Please save me OUT of this trouble!”

Two minutes later, the pilot brought us good news. A new plane had been found, and we could deboard and head to a different gate. Within an hour, we were wheels up. I was cheering God all the way to Huntsville.

The man seated next to me had shared a lot of his life while we were on the “broken” plane. We had even touched on his spiritual background. I had even prayed out loud when the pilot informed us of the cracked pipe, but I sensed he was indifferent. So when he exclaimed, “What good luck that they found another plane for us,” I replied with a hearty, “Praise God!” and then went on to suggest that he probably knows that there is no such thing as luck.

He politely turned on his phone to watch a video, canceling me with his headphones. But no true word about our God is wasted. Besides, I was high-fiving God inwardly.

No, God has NOT given me a spirit of fear (Satan traffics in those), but His Son’s Spirit, which is one of resurrection power, secure love, and sound biblical reasoning. God doesn’t always block the troubles, but He is a ready help to rescue us OUT of them or to enable us to endure them with grace.

Feed on Him, the book, is now available on Amazon in both paper and Kindle format.

Listening for God

January 26, 2026

Maria Habakkuk 2 , , , Leave a comment

I will take my stand at my watchpost
and station myself on the tower,
and look out to see what he will say to me . . .
Habakkuk 2:1 (ESV)

The audiologist who welcomed me into her office took her time explaining which tests she would conduct to determine hearing loss. Her graph, where she would plot my data, intrigued me. I was game for this new adventure.

Once inside her sound booth, she adjusted my earphones and handed me a small device. Each time I heard a sound, however faint, I was to press the beeper.

The beeps sounded first in one ear and then the other. I detected maybe seven different frequencies of various volumes. Awaiting each tone, I focused all my attention so I could accurately communicate my hearing. Some were so faint, in the absolute quiet of the booth, that I wasn’t sure whether I really heard anything.

I have never listened for anything with this degree of concentration. Totally certain that I would hear a tone, I waited patiently.

It was during the subsequent and different test that my heart made the connection between listening for God and being certain that He would speak.

I often return to verses about being a watchman, seeking God and listening for Him. But now I have a new picture of just how I want to be attentive to Him. For we belong to a God who does speak.

God woke me up to warn me

January 18, 2026

Maria God as helper, God speaks, God's counsel, God's wisdom, Holy Spirit, Psalm 16 , , , Leave a comment

I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. Psalm 16:7 NLT

I lay semi-awake toward dawn, musing about a trip we had just booked for May. All of a sudden, I pictured the “Wise” debit card I had ordered online. The last two times we have driven in Italy, we have struggled to pay for gas outside of cities. Our credit cards and U.S. debit cards haven’t worked, and we’ve had to rely on cash.

But someone had recommended Wise as a mode of international payment, so I had applied. The card had not yet arrived, though it should have. Truth is, I had forgotten about it.

Then I remembered, with a sinking heart, that two nights earlier I had tossed a long green envelope addressed to me. I hadn’t even opened it because it looked like junk mail. Into the kitchen garbage it went.

Yet Sunday morning, the Holy Spirit successfully broke through my half-asleep state to alert me to the possibility that I had thrown away what I needed. I earnestly started praying to recover the envelope, picturing what I had inadvertently done. As soon as the alarm went off, I sprang from bed and hurriedly fed the cats.

Sure enough, as the cats were eating their breakfast, I picked my way through the top of the white kitchen trash bag and found it! Inside was the Wise debit card, which I activated. Whew—the Lord has saved my derrière!

As I sat down to read my Bible, joyful praise poured out of my mouth. “Thank you, good Father, You really do counsel me in the night!” All day long, I overflowed with amazement and thanksgiving.

I also learned a lesson—don’t judge a piece of mail by its envelope!

Feed on Him – the book A collection of 365 daily devotions to make God’s Word yours. Available on Amazon in paper or kindle.

Boasting can be ugly

January 16, 2026

Maria 2 Corinthians 10, Glorifying God, Hope, Psalm 34 , , 1 Comment

“My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.” — Psalm 34:2 ESV

One hundred percent, I want David’s proclamation to be true about me. I’m even memorizing this entire Psalm, writing a verse a day on an index card and practicing in quiet moments.

But yesterday, I was living out this truth instead:

“Maria makes her boast about how productive she is; let those around her hear and be impressed!”

By nightfall, the Lord had totally humbled me. The first time was late in the afternoon. I boasted to a friend who had texted to find out how our granddaughter was doing after her surgery. I hadn’t had time to check on Chloe until late in the afternoon because I had been so busy! Yet, in all my self-imposed busyness, I took the time to text this friend a list of everything that had kept me occupied.

Immediately, the Holy Spirit convicted me. I quickly sent another message to Ali and apologized. You would think that would have been enough for me to keep my mouth shut about myself.

Nope. Later on, we headed out to church after an early supper—Mike to choir practice and I, to join the weekly prayer meeting. After 30 minutes of focused prayer, while still lingering at our table, one gal asked me what the rest of my week looked like. I rattled off all the very productive activities I had ahead of me. The urge to impress took over as I regaled her and the others with the rich and productive, retirement life I choose to lead. 

Later, lying in bed with no distractions, I cringed when the Lord brought to remembrance the two times I could have boasted in the Lord instead of myself. That would have helped others to trust more in our good God. Instead, I wasted opportunities to bring honor to Him. 

While pondering what drives me to want to brag on myself, I think the sin behind this boasting is that I’m impressed with myself! From my heart, my mouth blurts out vanities.

As I read in a book recently, the only solution might be duct tape! And to stop thinking that anyone cares about the nitty gritty of my days. People are hungry, rather, for solid hope, the kind that only comes from the Lord.

As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.” 2 Corinthians 10:17

Feed on Him, the book, a year’s collection of daily Bible reflections, is available on Amazon in print or kindle.

What does ‘Love one another’ look like?

January 12, 2026

Maria 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 4, Abiding, Love , Leave a comment

If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him. 1 Corinthians 13:7 The Living Bible

For Roy’s Sunday school class today we read the entire book of Paul’s first Epistle to the Corinthian church. To make reading easier, I chose the Living Bible, which is a paraphrase.

When I started in on Paul’s teaching about love, I had to stop in my tracks. The particular segment, “. . . you will always expect the best of him . . .” seemed like too high a standard for me! 

All through the month of December, I had challenged myself to memorize about 10 or so verses from 1 John 4.  (Verse 16 is my favorite!). Writing to encourage the church, the aging apostle had painstakingly emphasized how important brotherly love is since God is love. If I want evidence that I am truly connected to Jesus, the measure is how I love those in my church. But what does THAT mean concretely?  How do I show love?

To be honest, I can’t say I always expect the best from the one whom I love most in this world, let alone others. Sometimes I imagine that Mike might let something trigger him as it has in the past, whether aggressive drivers or the threat of tornadoes. I try to remind myself that the past does not predict the future, certainly not with God who is always working in us.

Yet, if that is how I think about my husband, and that’s evidence of the quality or essence of my love, then it would appear that I don’t abide in Jesus.

I would despair were it not for the FACT that God empowers me to TRY to love my husband and others this way–expecting the best from them. And when I fail, I can rest in Jesus’ forgiveness and righteousness credited to me. 

And what about the other elements having to do with my loyalty, belief, and ready defense of brothers and sisters? Unless presented with factual evidence to the contrary, I conclude that we are to take fellow Christians at face value and defend their honor, unless the Lord guides us differently.

Feed on Him, the book, is now available on Amazon in print or Kindle

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