Book Review - The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Phillips

I haven't written as much as I did in the past but writing is still cathartic. It's peaceful and often when I'm writing, I'm worshipping my Creator. Sometimes I desire to write, but the words aren't there. And while God understands our inaudible words and moans, that would simply translate to a blank page that many would not understand.

So today, hopefully, the words will come. A cataclysmic event happened in our country on November 5th, and I was deeply disappointed with the results. I still am, but I know that I must take care of my heart. So it was fortuitous that I was reading The Garden Within during this time of deep disappointment.

As Christians, we unwittingly view emotions as bad or something we have to control and tamp down. How many of you have heard, "You're too emotional" as if that were a ding against you? And having heard that for most of your life, how does that make you feel? For a lot of my life, I tried to manage my emotions to make

New Year; New Me

Last year, I read through the Bible audibly by listening to Get In the Word with Truth's Table. This is a podcast by the women of Truth's Table. It's not a podcast, though; the two hosts read through passages from the Old and New Testaments and then end with a spirit-inspired prayer. It seems the Bible is read in chronological order, so on listening, you'll learn, for example, that a lot of Chronicles is a recap or sometimes a repeat of other books - Genesis, Kings, and Daniel.

Listening to the Word makes certain words and phrases stand out that you may have glossed over previously. This practice of waking up and listening to the word provides an excellent start to my day. I used to try to listen while walking or muddling around the kitchen, but these days, I simply sit and do nothing but listen. I am 100% present.

Some Doubted

The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshipped, but some doubted. Matthew 28:16, 17

Some doubted. These were the eleven remaining disciples Jesus spent His last hours with. He spent his final moments before dying, encouraging and comforting them. They asked questions, and He answered. He prepared them for what was ahead. His words to them are found in John chapters thirteen through seventeen. 

Yet after all of that, when He appears to them, resurrected, though they see Him, some doubted. Perhaps a momentary doubt because of the awesomeness of seeing Jesus.

Ezra Bible Study - Celebrate: It's About HIM

Joy leaps out from the last five verses of Ezra 6. "And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy (Ezra 6:16)." Joy is appropriate at this time as they remembered how God worked in and through them.

With God's help, the people of Israel had rebuilt the second temple. They started off enslaved, were freed by a new leader - King Cyrus, and journeyed to Jerusalem with directions to rebuild the temple. They mourned their losses while weeping for the promise of new things. Their leaders unified them, ensuring clearness of purpose. As they plodded along with the