Beverly Joy Roberts

When I want something,   really bad , I usually go after it with determination.   In my life, there have been occasions, when I believed I knew best and went after those things with gusto.   Later, I regretted my pushy, forceful ways when I got what I thought I wanted.  I wasn't happy with my behavior or the ultimate outcome.    In Christian lingo, this is sometimes jokingly referred to as giving birth to an   "Ismael."   Ismael was Abraham's first born son.  The one Sarah schemed and plotted to push through in her own determination to see God's prophecy fulfilled.  Sarah did this instead of waiting for God's timing.   Even when the promise one, Isaac, arrived, Abraham was challenged by God to put the one he loved on the altar and trust God .   Genesis 22:2 says,   “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.

My husband doesn't bring me flowers.  It's my own fault. It was over 40 years ago, when he stood at the door with a big smile, as he extended his gift to me with a "Happy Anniversary." My reply, "Did you get those from the funeral home?" Yup!  That is what I said word for word. Not only that, when he tried to persuade me that he purchased the gift, I went on to accused him of getting the plant for free at the funeral home because he had participated in a funeral that day. The fact was he had saw the blooming plant at a stand along side the road on his way home.  He thought the plant was beautiful, and he wanted to share that beauty with me. I, however, did not think the plant was beautiful. Even as I retell this story, I'm ashamed of myself!  I did not appreciate this gift from my husband nor see the beauty in the blooming plant. In Matthew 6:28 it says, "See how the flowers of the field grow." How often do we really tak

After a slow start to summer, it's   full-on   swimming weather.  Yeah! For me to really enjoy swimming, the weather needs to be at least in the 90's.  Then I'm willing to get in the water and splash around.  But when the air is cold, even if the pool is heated, I'm not a fan. So, I guess I'm saying, I want everything perfect.  However, life is not always going to give us the perfect weather, with the perfect water temperature.  After all we live in Michigan!  In 2003, Disney introduced a great animated picture called Finding Nemo.  For the few people in the world who may not know anything about this movie, Nemo is a little fish that gets lost and his father goes on a desperate search to find him.    The father battles through his own personal fears and every obstacle that gets in his way on this mission--to find his lost son.   Humm?  This story sounds a bit like a Bible parable.   In the Nemo movie, there is a little blue fish that befriends Nemo&#

I try not to be a yeller. I try...but truth is...sometimes I yell. ...and there are a few situations that warrant yelling; like when a child is heading into a dangerous situation or the dog is running towards the road or somebody scares me. I've yelled like a crazy person in all these situations. But when one adult, yells at another adult that is over-the-top uncomfortable. I've been in a situation like this a few times throughout my life.  Usually, when the yelling starts, I turn tail and get out of there. Don't want to see it or hear it. Recently, I was an innocent bystander when this happened.  There was one adult who yelled at another. Awkward! I was trapped--no way out.  I sat in shock as one of the adults yelled angrily at the other.  It was venomous.  I was frozen to my seat contemplating if I should attempt to defend the one being yelled at or remain a silent observer. I watched the face of the person being yelled at and wondered, what would s

I like my alone time.  Sometimes I just want to curl up in a chair with a blanket and zone out while watching a predictable Hallmark movie.  I don't want to answer phone calls, nor solve anybody's problems.  No  adulting what-so-ever!   On occasion, being alone is exactly what I need to recharge my depleted battery. But not everyone is me, some people are just the opposite.  They need people around them, and they gain strength from being with others.  I have some family members like this.  When they are feeling low, they want people around them.   In church recently, these words flooded my thoughts.  Y ou're not alone.  I haven't left you to toss and tumble on the waves of life without support. I thought, whhhat?  But I like alone.  Alone is good.  Alone is quiet.  Alone is peaceful. That's when I realized the words weren't for me--well--not completely.   Maybe you are reading this today and are struggling through a difficult situation