Leslie's Little Devotional

            We’re all familiar with the term “fair weather friend”.   A fair weather friend is one who is only around when circumstances are pleasant and possibly profitable. Today I am concentrating on another kind of friend that I like to call a “foul weather friend”.             It is likely you have at least one of these foul weather friends. You know the type. They never call unless they need something from you and they are rarely available should you need something. They believe it is better to receive than give. A foul weather friend doesn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call you when they need a ride, a babysitter, a few dollars or a shoulder to cry on. While they saturate your shoulder, their shoulder is completely dry and unavailable. Friendship with a foul weather friend is, in simple terms, one sided.             As I was reading the Psalms yesterday I was so struck by David’s relationship with God. David has been called “the man after God’s own heart”. In reading

Imagine the life of a shepherd some two thousand years ago. It probably wasn’t a very exciting life. We also know that shepherds did not have a very high social rank in those days. In fact, they were ranked just slightly above slaves. These shepherds were likely dirty from their job of tending hundreds or even thousands of sheep. They were probably illiterate. The job of a shepherd didn’t make allowances to attend services on the Sabbath so they probably didn’t practice the faith. In general, shepherds were considered dishonest, undesirable, and unclean. Yet, they are the only ones who received a divine birth announcement. Luke tells us: That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Sa

If Mary and Joseph were able to post a Facebook relationship status over 2,000 years ago I think it would likely have been “It’s Complicated”.   More specifically, I think it would have changed from “Betrothed” to “It’s Complicated”. Obviously, I am taking some liberties here to make a point. Just imagine Mary, a young girl at the time. The ceremony of betrothal had already taken place. The Mohar or dowry had been paid. Although, according to custom Mary remained in her parents’ house until the wedding ceremony, she belonged to Joseph. Soon they would begin their lives together as husband and wife.   She would leave her family and join Joseph, likely in the house of his father. I wonder if she, like any young woman, might have had mixed emotions. We know Joseph was a good man and because the agreement had been reached and they had the blessings of their families. Still, it had to be a bittersweet time for Mary.   To leave her home and family, the only life she had known, must have

“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts” (Psalm 119:45) One of my favorite Christmas movies is the 1951 version of “A Christmas Carol” with Alastair Sim. I love that movie. Of all the actors ever to play Scrooge, I believe Mr. Sim best personifies the character. Everyone has heard of Ebenezer Scrooge and identifies with him on some level. His “bah hum bug” is a familiar sound to our ears. As I was reading my Bible this morning I was reminded of another character in the story, Jacob Marley. Jacob is, of course, Scrooge’s deceased business partner and the first ghost to visit Scrooge. Who can forget the sound of his clanking chains and the sight of him bearing his burden as he painstakingly crosses the room? Being a visual person, I'm always quite struck by the sight of Mr. Marley enduring the burden of his self made iron bonds. As I read Psalm 119:45 today the words “I will walk about in freedom” rang in my mind. As I considered them, I sta

            On Tuesday, November 6 th as my husband and I relaxed after attending a Bible Study, we received   phone call informing us that our 19 year old daughter had been in a head on car accident. Within seconds we were in the car heading toward the scene. As we neared the accident we saw a sea of flashing lights, squad cars, first responders, a fire truck, and a paramedic unit. The road was blocked off and an officer was redirecting traffic.   Our van had barely stopped and we were running down the road to find our daughter.   Almost immediately we saw her huddled in a blanket at the side of the road.   My heart leapt for joy seeing her conscious and standing.             As I hugged her, I saw a man standing behind the guardrail at the side of the road.   My daughter  began telling me what happened and how people had stopped to help her. I looked at the man standing behind her and asked her if he was someone who came to her aid. As I asked her this, I locked eyes with the man

                Truth be told, I often struggle with staying focused. Focusing fully on a task does not come naturally to me. Over the years I have learned to disciple myself to maintain focus. For instance, I clean my house from one end to the other. I begin in the mudroom and then move on to the family room and so on. Should my task require me to leave the “zone” I am in, I am careful to immediately return and not be distracted by another task I may see. My goal is to give my whole focus to the task at hand.           My lack of focus isn’t limited to domestic duties. Conversations with me can change on a dime. My poor husband learned early on that I don’t signal before a subject change. I am also prone to wander when shopping with someone. Something down the aisle catches my eye and I am off. Unfortunately my shopping partners are often unaware that Leslie has left the aisle and look a little unstable talking to themselves.           Spiritually I sometimes struggle with mainta

            Anxiety is defined by our friend, Noah Webster as “an extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency”. I find it interesting that the word “contingency” means something that may, but is not certain to occur. I also find the word “brooding” to be a great visual. I picture a hen incubating her eggs. In my mind’s eye I see her just sitting on her eggs, hovering and not moving.           When you break it down in those terms, anxiety doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Anxiety is choosing to allow your thoughts to loom over an event that may not even happen. Should the event happen the energy you’ve spent won’t change a thing.           This morning my studies took me to a familiar passage. Philippians 4:6-7. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.   And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.      

                The other morning I spent some time in Isaiah, specifically in chapter 40. I didn’t get very far because I was so struck by the imagery these words painted in my heart and mind. Verse 11 says: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young”. The picture of Him carrying a lamb close to His heart was so precious to me. As a mother I have often cradled my children close to my heart. I’ve held them tightly in my arms and rubbed my cheek over their hair, breathing in their sweetness. In such moments I am completely overwhelmed at how intensely I love them. The idea of holding someone you love close to your heart is one I can completely understand.   Reading this text in Isaiah was one of those “light bulb” moments. I know God loves me, I truly believe that. The image of Him holding me close to His very heart completely overwhelmed me and gave me a new

          A very wise pastor once said, “Your checkbook register reveals a great deal about what you treasure.   I was thinking about this statement the other day as I looked over my account online. As I thought about his words, I browsed through the past few weeks of purchases. “What would people think if they saw my register?” I wondered. My first cynical little thought was that if they saw the balance they would think payday must be just around the corner! Then I decided to move past the bottom line and just be grateful it was black and not red.   My eyes scanned the purchases we’ve made with a swipe of our card. “I guess my treasure is at Walmart”, I chuckled to myself.           I began to group our spending into categories. Our biggest expense is a mortgage. Our second biggest expense is health insurance with groceries being a very close third. On and on, I made a mental list of where the money goes. I came to the realization that, like most families, we anticipate our earning

The glass just slipped out of my hands and hit the floor, shattering into pieces. Of course I was barefoot.   Standing in the middle of small razor-like shards of glass I called for someone to bring me a broom and dustpan.   Keeping the kids at a distance I reached out for the broom and began trying to sweep my way to safety. I went over the kitchen several times confident that I had found it all. An hour later I walked into the kitchen to start dinner and the bottom of my foot found a piece of glass that I missed. Limping into the bathroom I found a tweezers, pulled out the glass, and put on a Spiderman bandage. On my way back to the kitchen I grabbed a pair of shoes since my confidence in my sweeping skills was wavering.   I decided run the broom over the floor another time or two, just in case. Thankfully I did because I found two more pieces of glass. I really thought I had gotten rid of all the glass. Doing what I thought was a thorough job, I was confident enough to walk bar

          The Lion King is the first movie our oldest daughter, Shelby ever saw at a movie theater. Years later, it continues to be one of her favorites. Last night she was watching it with Ashley, Carly, Matthew, Jacob and her fiancé, Kevin. I happened to come into the room when Pumbaa, the warthog tells Simba,”Its times like this my buddy Timon here says: you got to put your behind in your past.” Of course, Timon is quick to correct his friend and replies, “No, no, no. Amateur. Lie down before you hurt yourself. It's "You got to put your past behind you."           Poor Pumbaa, he just couldn’t get it right. I don’t think he is the only one who struggles with this.   How often do we “put our behind in our past”? Instead of moving forward we plant our behinds in our past. We don’t move forward because we choose to stay back and dwell. What do we dwell on? Maybe we dwell on the pain someone caused us. Perhaps we linger over a gross injustice done to us. It could be th

I’ve just returned from the grocery store. Two hours, two carts and an envelope full of coupons later I arrive home.   As soon as my darling husband Randall hears the garage door open, he rallies the troops. By the troops, I mean whoever is in our house at the moment. It doesn’t matter if they live here or not. Our future son-in-law, Kevin found this out one of his first times in our home. He and Shelby were just relaxing and watching a movie when Randy called for all hands on deck. I think Kevin was a little shocked when the bags just kept coming. I am always grateful for the help with carrying the groceries. Once I did go shopping and came home to an empty house. As I trudged back and forth carrying bags I really missed my helpers. I found that things go much better when you have someone to help carry your burdens, even if they are groceries. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2) I wish all our burdens were as easy

I love autumn. The cooler temperatures, vibrant colors, smell of a bonfire, and taste of crisp apples just bring a peace to my soul. I look forward to this season with great anticipation. When roadside stands begin to fill with pumpkins and apples, I am positively giddy! One of my favorite pastimes is baking.   While I bake year round, I certainly bake more in fall and winter. Once the apples are ripe, I am off to bring home a bushel. In the days that follow our home is filled with apple pie, apple bars, apple cake, apple crisp, and apple muffins.   I spend hours peeling apples and pouring over my recipes.   My family usually enjoys it for a few days and then they’ve had enough apples. Once they are saturated, I start showing up at friend’s homes with baked goods in hand. Apple season offer me the opportunity to spend a lot of time in thought.   As I sit at the table peeling apples, my kids run in and out.   We have conversations and then they are off to work, play and so on.   Pe

            Earlier today I was reading John 10. This is the text where Jesus uses the illustration of the Good Shepherd and His sheep. In these verses we learn that there is also a thief seeking to rob us.             The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.              We live in a society filled with ways to protect ourselves, loved ones, and personal belongings. Our homes have deadbolt locks and alarms systems. The vehicles we drive have automatic door locks to protect us from carjackers.   Even our laptops are protected from viruses by software. We seek protection of our personal safety, finances, and data. Loss prevention businesses are making millions of dollars each year. It’s all about being proactive. As Christians we need to be proactive against theft too.   What do we need to protect? We need to protect our joy.   Each and every day we come up against people and situations that can steal our joy; th

My children have inherited many things from us, including a warped sense of humor. This was incredibly evident at an early age in our son, Matthew.   When he was just a preschooler, he and my husband were watching cartoons one Saturday morning. They happened to be watching Wile E. Coyote in his never ending pursuit of the elusive Road Runner.   When an anvil hit Wile E. on the head (as it always does) my son said, “That’s going to leave a mark”.   I was thinking about that story the other day and the phrase, “that’s going to leave a mark” got stuck in my head.   It had me wondering about the ways I leave a mark.   True, I don’t typically go around dropping anvils on people’s heads. In fact, I’ve never thrown an anvil.   However, I do use many, many words daily and those words have the power to leave a mark. Each and every day I am blessed with the opportunity to speak and interact with my family, friends, neighbors, and total strangers. Sometimes I totally underestimate the respon

Over the years I’ve facilitated and participated in many Bible studies. I love learning from and with others. Each person in the group brings their unique perspective to the table. Last fall I was doing a Beth Moore study called “Praying God’s Word” with a group of women.   One week we were discussing our thought lives. We all agreed that it was easy to hide our struggle with thoughts because other people cannot read our minds. Sure, things can come out through our words and actions but for the most part, our thoughts can be kept in secret from other people. One of the scriptures we discussed in regard to our thought lives was Philippians 4 verse 8. In this single verse is a wealth of instruction for us. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”. If we keep our focus on what is true, we won’t listen to the li

The too familiar tornado siren sounded once again. This time it was in the middle of the night. Randy and I ran to our children’s rooms to rouse them out of bed. With the basset hound in tow we all headed down the basement stairs. This was the third time in just under two weeks. The previous tornado touched down a little over a mile away. Checking the radar, we could see this twister was headed right down the highway in our direction. Once again, too close for comfort. Taking no chances, we climbed under the pool table and waited. Randy and I did our best to keep everyone calm and reassured them that we were safe.   Finally the storm passed and headed out to a farm field, wearing itself out.   We all went back to bed and tried to get a little more sleep. I have never experienced a summer quite like that one. Honestly, I lost track of how many times that siren sent us seeking refuge in the basement.   One of the twisters that came through did quite a bit of damage to our city. Thankf

Every morning I begin the day the same way.   Before I step out of bed I always ask the Lord to bless the day and help me to be the woman He wants me to be. As my feet touch the carpet, it’s a clean slate.   Heading downstairs I greet whoever happens to be heading out for the day and settle down with a cup of coffee and my Bible. At this point the slate is almost always still clean; unless I trip over a backpack on my way to the kitchen.   However, barring no unforeseen landmines on the floor for me to trip over, my attitude is typically good. During my quiet time I do my best to focus on what my attitude should be, what I should and shouldn’t say, and what I should and shouldn’t do.   No one knows my triggers better than me, so I do my best to be proactive.   I pray and spend time in the Word in preparation for the day ahead. Given all of the above you would think that eventually I would get it right. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to make it through the day without messing up my clean

What’s for dinner? Those three words inspire me. Sometimes they inspire me to order pizza and other times they inspire me to think outside the box. Today was one of the “think outside the box days”. Grocery shopping is three days away and our storehouse is getting rather empty. On top of that, I don’t have a vehicle during the day so I couldn’t go to the store if I wanted to.   In our family we’ve come to call times like these our own version of the “fish and loaves”.   I’m sure you’re all familiar with the story when Jesus fed the multitude with a few fish and loaves of bread. This morning I even jokingly texted my husband and told him dinner was going to be a miraculous event. So, off I went to the fridge and found my “fish” in the form of three small chicken breasts and a pound of bacon.   Unfortunately when I checked the pantry, there weren’t any “loaves”.   Thankfully I love to bake bread so I whipped up a dozen rolls and set them aside to rise. Later, I fried the bacon and put