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Are Our Words Important? By Lane Jordan Burday
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18). I am sure you could reflect over your life and remember times when words were thrown at you that hurt, as if a sword had cut into your heart. We can remember these times because they really do hurt. We’ve all heard the expression, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This traditional children’s rhyme was used as a defense when others were mean. But words can cause real damage. Cruel words can leave deep emotional scars. But…
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Is AI Ethical? By Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now a part of our lives. When do we use it? Should we embrace it totally? As a Christian content producer, is it right to use AI to do my work, or does that take the creativity and inspiration from God out of it? I have asked these questions lately, and what I have determined is that we should never use AI to replace the Holy Spirit or God’s divine wisdom, whether it is in writing blogs like this one, Christian books, sermons, or Christian music. These works should be Holy Spirit-inspired, and we should not…
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Do You Love Life? By Lane Jordan Burday
You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand (Psalm 16:11) There is a famous saying about life’s desperation: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” written by Henry David Thoreau in his 1854 book Walden. Another common idiom is “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” When I read these, I want to cry. These thoughts make life seem so sad! It sounds like people hide their pain behind daily routines and work, and most accept a boring or hard life instead…
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God Meets Us in the Valley by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
Ending up in an emotional valley is never desired, but it occasionally happens, and when we find ourselves in the pit, we might think we will never get out. However, be assured the LORD meets us in the valley and does not leave us alone there. Psalm 84: 5-7 says, Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. What is the…
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No Electricity! By Lane Jordan Burday
My husband and I had just driven the four-and-a-half hours for our monthly visit with our precious grandson, who is two. Our son-in-law cooked a great dinner, and after the baby was in bed, we relaxed in the family room talking and catching up. Then my daughter informed us that they received a message from their HOA that the electricity would be cut off the next day for 6-7 hours. What? For those of you who do not live in Texas, the July and August heat is rough. How would we endure with no air conditioning? How would we prepare…
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Three Ways to Stay Calm and Focused by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
Yikes! I am teaching a college class for the first time in my life, and my completed syllabus was due on Monday. Adding to the difficulty was learning the school’s online system before uploading the syllabus. With the clock ticking and other scenarios hovering, I had to figure out how to stay calm and focused on this task. Isaiah 26:3 promises, You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You (NKJV). So the first way to stay calm and focused is to give the project to God. And that’s what I did. I knew that the LORD had…
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Holy Frustration by Onyx Conklin
“But if I say, “I will not mention his wordor speak anymore in his name,”his word is in my heart like a fire,a fire shut up in my bones.I am weary of holding it in;indeed, I cannot.” (Jeremiah 20:9) AAAAAAAHHHH!!!! I bet you didn’t think this blog was going to start out with a markedly loud sound of frustration but hey, you likely have your moments too. One thing I always want to bring to the table is authenticity. If you meet me in person, you’ll notice right away that I am extroverted, excited all the time, I love people,…
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What a Creator We Have! By Lane Jordan Burday
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s mind…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) I just got home from a two-week vacation to Alaska. It is so beautiful; there are no words to fully describe it. I have lived in Colorado, so I already know how fabulous mountains are. But in Alaska, there are so many mountains and so much space! It goes on and on, beauty upon beauty. There also aren’t very many towns, and the ones we visited are very small. A good part of the summer workforce is just seasonal, but I talked…
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What To Do When You Need an Answer? By Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
What should we do when we don’t know what to do? There have been many times in my life—current day included—where I am perplexed about the correct way to handle a situation. I can feel confused, not knowing what decision to make or which way to turn. But we can learn from biblical history. We should remember the Israelites, who, when being pursued by the Egyptian army, faced a Red Sea roadblock. Yet, they escaped the approaching army when God supernaturally parted the Red Sea. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by…
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Filled With His Love by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
What would we do without love? The Earth would be a sour place full of grumpy people who could never say anything nice about anyone. Aren’t you glad that God invented love and the wonderful feelings that come with it? There are many people in my life whom I love, but my heart bursts when I spend time with my grandson. He is so much fun, and I love watching him learn and grow. His hugs are more precious than the finest piece of jewelry. What or who makes your heart overflow? But our spouse, our children, and our grandchildren…
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Do You Need Directions? By Lane Jordan Burday
He leads in wisdom. He leads on straight paths (Proverbs 4:11). Do you remember in the ‘olden days’ when we had large, paper maps to show us how to drive to a new destination? And if you could fold it back the way you received it from the gas station, that was a miracle? Now we have the great invention of GPS! I don’t know how I survived without it, but I did have mounds of directions printed on paper that I would save to use again. What I love about the Lord is that He is our guide for…
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His Truth Marches On by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
I am one of those people who is honest to a fault. I think it’s because God desires that we be truthful, so I want to please Him by being an honest person. Proverbs 18:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” In Proverbs 6, lying is one of the six things the LORD hates. What does this have to do with July 4th and the 250th anniversary of our nation? It’s because this country was founded on truth. The Declaration of Independence, drafted in 1776, says, “We hold these truths…
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Pray For Our Nation! By Lane Jordan Burday
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and see My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). This is one of my very favorite verses in the Bible. It is an Old Testament covenant promise delivered by God to King Solomon, son of King David. It offers ancient Israel a way to stay in God’s favor: if the nation abandons its pride and repents, God will forgive them and restore their land. In the previous…
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Instrumental to the Band by Onyx Conklin
Sometimes I still get chills! I close my eyes, slide my headphones over my ears, and press play. Then at 3 minutes and 41 seconds into the song, the most marvelous sound washes over me like a tidal wave. If you grew up a child of the 80’s that epic moment belongs to the great Phil Collins as he masterfully beats the drums, and single-handedly makes the song “In The Air Tonight” one of the era’s greatest hits. For me it’s just that drum solo—the sound of it at just the right moment. I get that same feeling when I…
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Soul Sisters by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). Do you have friends whom you can trust? Has the LORD provided godly friends who pray with you, who are honest, and whose counsel you seek? It’s important to have friends with whom we can be transparent. It is also my conclusion that there is wisdom in keeping an inner circle small. Otherwise, we cannot be a good friend if we are spread too thin. However, even with inner circle pals, we have to remember that they are…
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Cease Striving by Lane Jordan Burday
Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10, NASB). I have had one of those weeks where everything frustrates me, and it doesn’t seem like I’m doing anything productive. You know what I mean, I’m sure: switching out the heavy blankets for summer-weight ones on my bed; lots of washing; workmen coming to the house, but then what they try to fix does not work, etc… Today, I read the verse above and wanted to share it with you. Most people know the NIV…
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Should We Defend Ourselves? By Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
When we encounter false accusations, should we speak up for ourselves? It is my tendency to do that, but if the accuser is convinced that they are right, there is very little one can say or do to change the scenario. From experience, I believe there are several ways to handle false claims. Option #3 is always the best plan because favor originates with God (1 Chronicles 29:11-14), and He can work supernaturally behind the scenes to correct any inaccurate impressions. Psalm 121:1-8 assures us that the LORD is our help in these scenarios: I lift up my eyes to…
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Fountain of Life by Lane Jordan Burday
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light (Psalm 36:9). A few years ago, my husband and I took a trip to St. Augustine, Florida. Did you know it’s the nation’s oldest successful European settlement in the United States? Colonial America began in St. Augustine, 55 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and 42 years before Jamestown was founded! The area was first explored by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513 (and later settled by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565). Legend claims he sailed to the New World partly to locate…
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Change in a Split-Second by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
How fast can change happen? Immediately. I spent the past few days on a rendezvous with God. It’s something I do at least once a year, and I lay all activities at His feet. The LORD took me to a passage in which I had missed a detail before. It’s found in John 6:16-21. The disciples had gotten into their boat without Jesus and set out across the Sea of Galilee. The water was rough, and they were about three to four miles away from the shoreline when they saw Jesus walking on the water. Of course, they were frightened,…
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Who Do You Follow? By Lane Jordan Burday
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him (Deuteronomy 13:4) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 Is there an Influencer you follow? I have heard that it is the current fad. You find someone on TikTok who is buying, showing, or doing something that you think is ‘really cool’ and you ‘follow them.’ I must be…