tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82222556263984411042019-02-25T12:50:59.151-06:00For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.comBlogger2187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-21459342597126148132019-02-25T04:00:00.000-06:002019-02-25T04:00:04.551-06:00

For a long time, I've wanted to move this blog away from Blogger and onto a WordPress platform. The reasons for this are many and varied, not the least of which is that Blogger simply does not have the favorable aesthetics or functionality of WordPress. Well, the time has finally arrived and the new website is nearly ready to go, so do not be surprised (do you see what I did there?) if you

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-45397923867133160492019-02-24T06:56:00.001-06:002019-02-24T06:56:12.131-06:00

'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-14594759717124512252019-02-22T06:00:00.000-06:002019-02-25T12:50:59.072-06:00

Spring is not exactly around the corner, but we are starting to see some early signs of it in spite of the chill that remains in the air. Due to the wonky weather this winter brought, the daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths started to sprout early. Unfortunately, most of them were quickly frozen out by a deep freeze we received a few weeks ago. Today brought reminders of spring, though, as I

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-79733296469480789262019-02-17T05:04:00.002-06:002019-02-17T05:04:43.133-06:00

Day By Day

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-62797763749966815882019-02-16T07:32:00.002-06:002019-02-16T07:32:37.377-06:00

God has set forth for His children a myriad of promises. Perhaps one of the sweetest promises of God to us is found in John 10, where we learn that those who have been saved are safely cupped in the hand of Christ, our Savior, and He is never letting go. Click here to listen to this episode of Equipping Eve.

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-75420693484256518642019-02-15T07:48:00.001-06:002019-02-15T20:36:44.370-06:00

My daily Bible reading has led me to Leviticus. As I opened my Bible to Leviticus 1 this morning I thought, "You know, no one gets excited about reading Leviticus." And let's be honest, we might be a little disturbed if someone eagerly anticipated reading about wringing the necks of turtledoves and pigeons, killing goats and lambs, and carving off the "long lobe of the liver." Leviticus is

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-4151792079157070122019-02-14T07:47:00.003-06:002019-02-16T13:19:39.117-06:00

Lately, I've been remembering a few posts that seem like they might have renewed relevance, so I'm temporarily engaging in a few "Throwback Thursday" posts. Enjoy. Every Christian needs to read the following letter written by John Newton. The backstory is that a minister intended to write an article about a fellow minister "for his lack of orthodoxy." Before doing so, he wrote to Newton to

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-68628107258630187322019-02-10T08:19:00.002-06:002019-02-10T08:19:35.249-06:00

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-77011135270108713602019-02-08T11:30:00.000-06:002019-02-08T19:25:36.474-06:00

It's been one of those weeks where every day felt like Friday because I desperately wanted Friday to come. Now Friday has arrived and I find myself thinking, "What? It's Friday already?" Oh well, such is life and the fickleness of man (and woman)! As a chronic worrywart, I find myself frequently reflecting on and reminding myself of Jesus' admonition in Matthew: Therefore do not be anxious

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-32203501327120505242019-02-04T10:42:00.001-06:002019-02-04T10:42:09.316-06:00

I owe some people an apology. Unfortunately, I am fairly certain that none, or at least very few, of those people will ever see this post and there is no way for me to reach out to them personally. Nevertheless, in the hope that one day they might read this, and in the further hope that this post might convict and encourage someone else, I am compelled to write and share it. There was a time

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-33418909656273290572019-02-03T17:42:00.000-06:002019-02-03T17:42:13.708-06:00

Erin tends to cringe when she hears the phrase “biblical womanhood.” That’s because so many of the sermons, studies, and books with this theme seem to lead to checklists and a works-based mentality. When talking about biblical womanhood—or manhood, for that matter—we must start with a proper a foundation. Otherwise, our concept of biblical womanhood will be dangerously skewed. Click here

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-44608727861805402852019-02-03T10:15:00.000-06:002019-02-03T10:15:06.926-06:00

How Firm a Foundation

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-68853460994857032252019-02-01T17:55:00.000-06:002019-02-01T17:55:23.908-06:00

Before I crawl into bed at night—and definitely before I turn out the light—I look at my pillow. Both sides. Yes, maybe it's a bit OCD of me, but it's a habit that started more than 15 years ago, and it is one that I will never abandon. On that fateful night all those years ago, something awakened me in the middle of the darkness. I don't remember the details but, as I nestled back under my

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-46715434055274612262019-01-27T08:25:00.002-06:002019-01-27T08:25:17.868-06:00

Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-32928380229287802592019-01-25T16:45:00.000-06:002019-01-25T16:45:40.439-06:00

These days, it's easy to fool ourselves into thinking that people care about our opinion about every little thing. Social media like Facebook, Twitter, and yes, even blogs, has given everyone a platform. Most of the time that's okay; opinions are relatively innocuous, after all. But as Christians, we do well to remember principles such as that found in Proverbs 10:19: When words are many,

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-76950967348527983202019-01-18T15:40:00.001-06:002019-01-18T15:44:08.832-06:00

I wasn't very curious as a child. I tended to be very observant, but quietly so. I think I just collected all those observations, storing them for pondering at a later time. That's why, today, I find myself asking random, usually unimportant questions. Perhaps it is the advent of Google, and the ability to at least obtain a speculative answer to one's question that makes me a bit more

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-47636344890032077002019-01-13T08:30:00.000-06:002019-01-13T08:30:12.833-06:00

More Love to Thee

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-69402850581899973732019-01-11T13:41:00.001-06:002019-01-11T13:41:56.802-06:00

So far, 2019 has been...exhausting. The only reason I'm still giving it a chance is because, well, I have no choice. At least we're finally expecting some snow around here this weekend. I always hope to experience at least one snowfall each winter. There's something so serene about a blanket of snow, even though it means you have to bundle up and shovel! And with each snowfall, even with a

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-15650254402263012582019-01-06T08:30:00.000-06:002019-01-06T08:30:08.105-06:00

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-74747822589937682202019-01-04T12:57:00.000-06:002019-01-04T12:57:12.938-06:00

Some of us may feel that this illustrates our lives as 2019 begins. Take heart, our God is sovereign! Welcome to your first This 'n' That of 2019! Unfortunately, I have nothing overly exciting to commemorate the occasion, but I do hope that you all had a joyful new year celebration, thanking the Lord for giving us another year to grow in Him and to, we pray, serve Him well. He is today as He

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-9913753609173813132019-01-01T07:46:00.000-06:002019-01-01T07:47:26.974-06:00

We ought not, as men in Christ Jesus, to be carried away by a childish love of novelty, for we worship a God who is ever the same, and of whose years there is no end. In some matters "the old is better." There are certain things which are already so truly new, that to change them for anything else would be to lose old gold for new dross. The old, old gospel is the newest thing in the world; in

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-17867406869489204612018-12-30T07:30:00.000-06:002018-12-30T07:30:10.677-06:00

Joy to the World

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-84098552933422514002018-12-28T10:46:00.000-06:002018-12-28T10:46:32.745-06:00

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Around here, the holiday was fairly quiet, which is exactly how we like it. I hope yours was a time of joy and celebration in remembrance of our Lord's incarnation. Now we march forward to 2019. January always brings with it a newfound sense of optimism. Still, resolutions will inevitably fall by the wayside and a new year will undoubtedly fail to

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-9747804223242562182018-12-25T08:38:00.002-06:002018-12-25T08:38:36.828-06:00

Wishing you a very merry Christmas!

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8222255626398441104.post-55456372442155578062018-12-24T07:21:00.000-06:002018-12-24T07:21:06.312-06:00

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then

EBenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03135319328096595388noreply@blogger.com0