It is truly "holy ground" to reflect on the Cross — what our Lord went through … but more than that, what He accomplished there. Would you meditate along with me ... and revisit Christ's seven sayings from the Cross? [links below]
What a perfect preparation for the joy, freedom, and release of the Resurrection.
Read MoreHere I am with COVID just a week before Christmas. And I am living this message of acceptance and hope because of the Holy Spirit who lives in me.
Are you sick, struggling, away from loved ones, …? Why not reflect and receive from the Holy Spirit for your TODAY.
. . . The two things kept in balance are “accepting our present reality” and “holding on to hope” at the same time….
Read MoreIt has been a lot of years since my nest emptied. But every year I can’t help but think of how it all began — so hard, but so intended. We knew the day would come, but how did it happen so soon? And did it have to hurt so much?
So every year I revisit my thoughts, my experiences, and how the Lord comforts and speaks in the entire process. Why not join me (again?) this year if you dare.
Read MoreEarly in the current pandemic, the Lord spoke to my heart about how to make it through in peace and rest in Him. I took a peek back at a post He gave me early on. I realize this is something we need everyday in every circumstance of life.
Come and revisit this post with me. You won’t regret the few moments to reflect and receive from the Holy Spirit for your TODAY.
. . . The implication was that this same balance can help us survive this present pandemic crisiS. The two things kept in balance are “accepting our present reality” and “holding on to hope” at the same time….
Read MoreMotherhood is filled with emptyings -- from the emptying of the womb in childbirth to the emptying of self in child-raising to the emptying of the nest, the ultimate goal. The stripping is hard, every step along the way. . . .
For a dear sister of mine, my mama-sister Blondezena, this is a hard one. She has just launched her “baby boy” Michael into military service. Thank you, Michael … but also thank you, Blonde, for YOUR service. May this post be a comfort to you and to all those mamas who are hurting in what could be a very hard time in their mothering.
Read MoreAfter a full year of all the pain and uncertainty and sickness and death and economic upheaval surrounding us in this time of COVID-19, we come back to the inevitable question WHY?
I’m not going to try to answer it. Rather, I’ll take you to the passage of Scripture that helps me a lot. Romans 8. And I’ll tell you why.
Read MoreDo you reach out to those in need? Feed the hungry? Clothe the “naked”? Help the homeless?
Do you pray for the sick? Bring meals to families during health crises? Comfort the bereaved and check up on the lonely?
Do you believe that these acts of service are examples of Jesus’ call to “love one another as I have loved you”… to “love your neighbor as yourself” … to “do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider[ing] one another as more important than yourselves; … not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others”? (Philippians 2:3-4)
Read More…Well, rather than nixing our family Christmas Eve tradition of “Poppi’s Christmas devotions,” my darling husband John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, used what has been happening in our COVID world to share with the grands and their parents (in our hybrid celebration) the glory of the Incarnation.
So here is my favorite “Guest Branch” John, revisiting his message to our family this past Christmas Eve . . .
Read MoreIf ever we needed to know God is WITH us in every possible way, it's NOW, after another year of the unanswerable "why's" of life. We struggle to make sense of all the suffering, loss, confusion and conflict of this world-wide pandemic that isn’t over yet.
Read MoreJohn and I have been married 49 years today, and I have just now come to the realization . . . no, the revelation by the Holy Spirit . . .
And why is that?
Because marriage is a picture of the oneness we experience with Christ the true Lover of our souls. And the evil one loves to mar God’s pictures.
Read MoreHelpless! Not in control of anything … the virus devastating our country and the world, political discord abounding, our economy in jeopardy, even our daily life changing every day. The good news is that our adult lives in this crisis world was never meant to be lived on our own. We have a Father with whom we can be needy and vulnerable so that we can face what is before us. So join me as we revisit what is means to be …
Read MoreI recently read somewhere on social media that we shouldn’t wear face masks during this pandemic because we are made in the image of God and His image is reflected in our faces.
Really?
True, it is hard to recognize someone if the bottom half of their face is covered. But I’ve been thinking about this lately . . .
“The eyes are the window of the soul,. . .
Read MoreI posted this back in March. I need this again. Do you? Read these Scriptures aloud. Let them wash over your soul. Listen to the song … the words … the imagery … the truth.
And be still and know HE is GOD, and HE is what we need in the midst of the upheaval and discord and confusion and ungodly attitudes all around us. And may the mind of Christ have sway in us His sons and daughters! Amen….
…When in the deepest of troubles...when there is no consolation or comfort...go to the sacred place where you and the Lord live together and nothing can touch...the place of union with our God through Jesus Christ by faith (Colossians 2:9-10 ESV)...and rest in Him who rests in you (John 17:20-23 ESV)!
Hide me in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 17:8b
Read MoreThis day in July 2020 is our reality. It is part of the journey God has ordained for each of us.
If we are believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, may we live it out from our union with Christ. He lives in us, and we have the mind of Christ. Let us live with His indwelling attitude.
First posted in May 2020. But I fear we need this reminder again:
Read MoreBrothers and sisters, we all need to get a grip! Our God owes us nothing! Absolutely zip! As Americans, as His children, as ____________ (whatever you may think entitles you).
All is pure gift! Absolute grace! Amazingly unconditional love!
Mug of coffee in hand, I walk out into the early morning air, ready to commune with my Lord as I walk the circuitous path outside my home.
No one is stirring so I quietly sing my prayer-filled greeting to the Lover of my soul:
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart. . .
But today, there is a decision to be made, and we don’t know which way to go. So in the presence of my Lord, I’m thinking and praying as I walk along.
Read MoreBy this time in our “sequester” of sorts, we may be getting a bit bored. Things are beginning to open up, but maybe you are still cautious or going slowly out into “the unknown.”
Why not consider using some of your time on a project which can prove valuable for yourself and even for your children and grandchildren in years to come. What I am suggesting is to begin writing about your faith journey.
When I started writing mine, I remember thinking, “Oh how I wish my godly grandmother (“Babci”) and my godly mother had kept a journal or had written of their journey with God through the trials of life.”
But alas, they had not. And it was most likely not possible for them in their situations. But it was possible for me, so I began.
Read More“Masks or no masks” has become a big controversial deal these days. But there are masks that have been a bigger deal than we have realized all along in most of our lives. They are the metaphorical “masks” that we humans tend to don, to hide who we really are from others….
But I have been thinking now of “masks” of a different sort… these "good “masks” can also tend to keep others from discovering the real me deep down inside. They are the masks of the “roles” I rightfully have in life. We are most often seen by others in our roles and maybe in no other way….
Read MoreI recently read somewhere on social media that we shouldn’t wear face masks during this pandemic because we are made in the image of God and His image is reflected in our faces.
Really?
True, it is hard to recognize someone if the bottom half of their face is covered. But I’ve been thinking about this lately . . .
“The eyes are the window of the soul,. . .
Read MoreBrothers and sisters, we all need to get a grip! Our God owes us nothing! Absolutely zip! As Americans, as His children, as ____________ (you fill in the blank with whatever you may think you are entitled to).
All is pure gift! Absolute grace! Amazingly unconditional love!
And He certainly doesn’t consider us Americans (because we are Americans) to be exempt from sacrifice and suffering. He doesn’t say we can call all our own shots because we are the land of the free, in contrast to the rest of the world.
Read MoreIt seems that we are all waiting these days, doesn’t it? What are you waiting for, my friend, . . . maybe even waiting eagerly?
Stores and restaurants to open? Jobs to call you back in? Hospitals and nursing homes to allow visitors? Schools to reopen? Playgrounds? Pools? Churches? Beaches? State Parks?
I’m waiting eagerly. NO! I’m chomping at the bit, to be able to drive two states over to be with my military “babies.” I’m waiting to be able to grab hold of my “babies,” young and old, near (here in Dayton) and far (there in Illinois), and hug and squeeze them. And I’ll bet you have loved ones that you are dying to grab hold of and HUG too.
Read MoreJanet Renner Loyd has been a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ most of her life. Her formal education includes a degree in education from the University of Arizona and also a degree in Bible & Theology from Moody Bible Institute. For more than thirty years, she has been involved in teaching and leading women’s Bible studies, retreats, and meetings…most notably Precept upon Precept and various studies that she has personally developed. Professionally, Jan recently retired from teaching language and writing to GED and adult ESOL students.
About her life, Jan says, “The most important thing about me is my relationship with my Father God through my Lord Jesus Christ. I am forever grateful to Him for His love, mercy, and grace to me and my family and friends...and the world.”
Jan has been happily married to John Loyd for more than forty years. They have two adult, married children and five lively young grandsons.
