Week Fifteen, 2025

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world (1 Peter 5:8-9).

It came like a thief in the night, totally unexpected or unimaginable. It happened on September 11, an odd coincidence since that’s the number (911) that we call for emergencies. We all remember where we were when it happened and stayed glued to the television throughout the day. Planes struck both World Trade Center buildings, hit the Pentagon and a fourth attack was thwarted by passengers on board.

Three weeks later, as the buildings were still smoldering and ash still falling, my wife and I headed to South Manhattan armed with Bible pamphlets which we handed out on the streets, ashes falling on our heads. People reached for what we had, as they were hungry for the Word in a time of crisis. It is amazing how desired the Bible becomes in times of crisis.

Satan attacks in various ways, usually striking like a snake. The adversary is aware of who you are. He knows of your divine heritage and seeks to limit your earthly and heavenly potential by using the three Ds: Deception, Distraction and Discouragement. He infiltrates the world with his lies, and even believers can be deceived. He’s always ready to interject his ideas into our minds and lead us astray by convincing us that there will be no consequences for sin. If we believe his lies and disobey our heavenly Father, we will suffer His loving discipline.

Spiritual warfare is real, and we all will one time(s) or another be one of Satan’s targets. Like the Boy Scout oath we need to be prepared. Spiritual warfare is best confronted with spiritual preparedness, so to be prepared we need to immerse ourselves daily in the Bible, prayer and spiritual fellowship.

Whenever you choose less than God’s best or to forego God’s prescribed plans, you always put yourself in a vulnerable position. Whenever you choose to go your own way and not follow God’s plan with God’s people, you put yourself in a weakened position. When we settle for less than God’s best or His will, we set ourselves up for attack from the enemy. We should put on Jesus and make no provisions for the flesh. Romans 13:14

So, the next time you are confronted by a bully boastful devilish serpentine enemy, call out to God. Pray for the Spirit’s empowerment. Lead in the Spirit. Maybe even ask for some holy anger to drive you on. And when victory is won, give glory to God.

Sometimes True Stories

There are two aspects of who we are as human beings created in God’s image. The first is our physical body. When sin entered the world through Adam, our bodies were doomed to deterioration and ultimate death. In fact, because we inherited the sin nature from Adam, science tells us that we begin that process at the moment of conception with the slight degradation on the cellular level. The death rate is 100%.

The other aspect is spiritual. Inherited sin affects that as well. However, the spiritual death, also known as separation from God, is full and complete at conception. But, unlike the physical death we will experience, spiritual death, the separation from God, can be overcome. Because Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin on the cross, we can place our trust in Him and Him alone and experience a spiritual rebirth which re-establishes our relationship with our Creator.

It gets better. When our physical bodies die and Christ comes for us, we will get brand new bodies to go with our spiritual rebirth and live with Him forever. Rich Jensen

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God wants me to dwell on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.

In other words, God wants me to dwell upon Him and His character and His characteristics…. wants me to dwell upon Jesus and all that He is: True… Noble… Right… Pure… Lovely… Admirable… Excellent… Praiseworthy…

Dwell upon such things. Marty Stubblefield

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Birthrates are falling below replacement levels across the Western World. For Europe – and other nations with generous state managed retirement programs, a declining youth population spells trouble. Michael Smith

Quotes You Can Use

If you or someone you know is having a medical problem, remember to be patient. Hope for the best, be happy about small improvements, and trust the Lord that things will get better. God is good, even when things are difficult. Ronald Sy

Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.

Ask yourself if what you are doing today gets you any closer to where you want to be tomorrow.

Some people have no idea of what they are doing, and a lot of them are really good at it. George Carlin

The greatest need in your life is not more stuff, more time, or more money. Our deepest need is to know God better. John Piper

It would have been well for the church if the warnings of the Gospel had been studied as much as its promises. J.C. Ryle

At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or even what you have accomplished. It’s about who you have lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you have given back. Denzel Washington

Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people. Dennis Prager

Integrity—it’s a foundational element God calls us to embrace, to have the impact and leave the legacy, in the life of purpose He created us to live. Integrity—you can’t have a little, or a lot. You either have it, or not! Scott Whitaker

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity. Carl Jung

Hardness of heart leads us to oppose God and devalue human life. Guard your heart before the Lord and show mercy to others.

When you have a true encounter with God, you come away with the realization that God is for you. Dan Shock

Justifying unbelief or hiding it behind self-improvement projects will not work. Come to the Father by believing in the Son. Edgar Aponte

Mankind is inherently evil, and it takes discipline and God’s grace to purge the evil from our hearts and souls. Tony Ferguson

The risen Lord promised His presence and His power so we can accomplish His purpose. Edgar Aponte

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Your feedback is welcome. If you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025

Well-earned praise for Pastor McCabe by Frank Becker

April 5, 2025

Every week, Pastor Daniel McCabe, of Shalom Y’all Ministries, copies us with his wonderful weekly email. It’s packed with wonderful truths and insights from God’s Word, and we generally focus on just one aspect.

But this week, we’re pointing out the wealth of information available, material which, candidly, I rarely see anywhere else. Consider the first three articles below:

1. From Daniel’s Scripture Study Series–Stories from Numbers and Deuteronomy, entitled “Seven Busy Weeks, Numbers 9, part 3”. In just his first paragraph, we learn more about the dismal conditioins under which the wandering Israelites lived that first year in the wildneress than from most Bible studies.
2. Next,, Daniel’s weekly Trivia question, which is always fun, but can be a real challenge.
3. Then one of his “On Location” articles: The Small Wall.” This is fascinating information that could only come from someone familiar with Jerusalem, and in this case, it’s information that would be beneficial to anyone planning a visit.
4. And fourth, another “Life in the Land. It’s about three basketball coaches here in the USA, whose teams are among the “Final Four,” and they all have strong Jewish Connections.
5. And that’s not all. There’s another article, plus a story from the Arhives.

No wonder folks love to have Daniel McCabe for their guide when they travel to the Holy Land, and why he’s shepherding another new and growing church.

Seven Busy Weeks, Numbers 9, part 3

—The Israelites had been living in a tent now for one whole year since leaving Egypt, and desert life in the Sinai hadn’t been easy. It rained only eight to ten times during the previous year and for no more than a total of three inches, not nearly enough to fill their water jugs. While in Egypt they had lived more or less at sea level in the gentle humidity of the Nile Delta, and so they weren’t accustomed to their new mile-high base camp at the foot of Mount Sinai with its rugged peaks that rose another 2300 feet above their heads and with dazzling views of the surrounding hills for those like Moses and Joshua whom God had instructed to make the climb. Summer temps regularly swelled into the mid-nineties, and winter months dipped below freezing. Hot, cold, dry, dusty and monotonous. But finally something to cheer.

—On the one-year anniversary of their exodus from Egypt the long-awaited tabernacle had been completed and raised by the Levites under Moses’ direction, probably in late March or early April of 1445 B.C. (Exodus 40:17). It had been a massive project. But no one could have imagined what would happen next. “The glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (v. 34), and the cloud that the Lord had sent before them to lead their way through the desert now “covered the tabernacle” (Num. 9:15), signifying in unmistakable fashion that God dearly loved his people and desired to live among them.

—Two weeks later on a moonless night the Israelites celebrated their second Passover. “Let the children of Israel keep the Passover” (9:2), the Lord had instructed Moses, and so they did, though it would be their last such celebration before entering the Promised Land thirty-nine years later. Even so that second Passover served to remind the people of God’s power to deliver them both from physical slavery in Egypt as well as his plan to cover their sin with the blood of an unblemished Lamb.

—Sixteen days later the LORD spoke with Moses inside the freshly consecrated tabernacle, instructing him to count those “twenty years old and above—all who [were] able to go to war” (1:3), no doubt creating a hopeful stir among the 603,500 men of fighting age and the remaining men, women and children that they would soon break camp and head for their future home. The people completed the census and finished their packing in under three weeks, for “on the twentieth day of the second month in the second year … the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle” (10:11).

—A busy seven weeks, fifty days to be precise, had passed since they’d completed the tabernacle and watched in reverence and wonder as the glory of the Lord descended into their midst, but now they were moving out. Little did they know, however, what lay ahead, and the same is true for us.

—There is much to do. You might even say that you’re busier than ever, raising your family and chasing your dreams, but let us not forget the glory of the Lord. It certainly didn’t take long for the Israelites to forget. Fears and frustrations quickly diverted their eyes from God’s abiding presence at the tabernacle. But let’s be different. Let us take to heart Peter’s encouragement to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ [for] to Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).

–Daniel McCabe

Trivia—Egyptian hieroglyphics was first deciphered by studying WHAT?

—A. Book of the Dead

—B. Elephantine Papyri

—C. Library of Alexandria

—D. Rosetta Stone

On Location: The Small Wall

—Perhaps you’ve heard of the Western Wall, sometimes called the Wailing Wall, part of the ancient retaining wall built to support the Jewish temple complex in Jerusalem so long ago, but still partially visible today. Many Jews choose to worship and pray along this wall because it’s very close to the ancient location of both Solomon’s Temple and Herod’s Temple and to the Holy of Holies in particular where God’s presence once dwelt in a visible way. The temples have long since been destroyed, and today a Muslim shrine, the Dome of the Rock, stands where both temples once stood. Although no temple has stood on this site since 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Herod’s magnificent buildings, even so many Jews wouldn’t dare climb the modern ramp to enter the Temple Mount compound for fear that they might accidentally tread on sacred ground. Instead they prefer to worship at the base of the Western Wall that’s been turned into an open-air synagogue and that’s now visited each year by ten million people from around the world.

—But what if I told you that there’s another section of the western retaining wall that’s even closer to the historic site of the temples and that hardly anyone ever visits? It’s called the Small Wall, and it’s located about 200 yards north of the famous Western Wall just outside the Iron Gate of the Temple Mount. The courtyard from which you can view the Small Wall is only about ten yards long and four yards wide, but its size quickly gives you a better taste of the cramped conditions once prevalent at the Western Wall before bulldozers leveled the area in the late 1960s to make room for large numbers of worshippers who flocked to it following Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War.

—Once used as a latrine and often filled with garbage during the time of the Ottoman Empire the courtyard facing the Small Wall has now been cleared and cleaned, and it provides a more peaceful alternative for prayer than at the Western Wall if you’ll take just a few extra minutes to wind through the heart of the Muslim Quarter in order to find it.

—Daniel McCabe

A Christ-Centered Passover Seder

—Would you be interested in us coming to your church, school, retreat or camp to lead your group in a seder? Lasting about sixty to ninety minutes, but adaptable to any setting, this presentation and optional meal highlights the significance of Jesus in the Passover. There is no cost. Let us know if you’re interested!

Life in the Land: Three coaches of the “Final Four” have A Strong Jewish Connection

—Did you know that of the four teams participating this weekend in the NCAA Men’s Basketball “Final Four” tournament, three have Jewish head coaches, Bruce Pearl of Auburn, Jon Scheyer of Duke, and Todd Golden of Florida, and the fourth team, the University of Houston, starts a guard named Emanuel Sharp who is a citizen of both the United States and Israel.

—Bruce Pearl is married to a Christian who, according to the Alabama Baptist, prays that he will place his faith in Jesus.

—Jon Scheyer was once named “Mr. Basketball” in Illinois and nicknamed the “Jewish Jordan” while leading his high school team to a state championship, the only championship team known to have a starting lineup of all Jews.

—Todd Golden played professionally for a short time in Israel, and he has both worked for and been coached by Bruce Pearl.

—Emmanuel Sharp was born in Israel, raised there until the age of nine and played for the 16U Israeli National Team. Emanuel’s dad, Derrick Sharp, played professionally in Israel for fifteen years.

—Daniel McCabe

Scripture Study: The Sermon on the Mount, part 3

—Again, let’s look at this familiar passage, so called because Jesus taught a crowd of His disciples somewhere on a “mountain,” which was really a level place on a hill near Capernaum. You’ll find the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6. The location is most likely an area close to the Church of the Beatitudes. The last time I was there, the farmer who owns the land had planted a lot of banana plants in his fields, so we could not walk in the area where Jesus probably delivered this great sermon.

—In any event Jesus told the crowd in Matthew 6:9 to “Pray like this.” He did not require the exact words to be repeated, although that is fine, but instead I think that He gave a model of how our prayers should look.

—If you look at the content of the Lord’s prayer, He begins with praising God, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” I follow that example when I pray in public, starting out by glorifying some attribute of God. Then Jesus asked for the kingdom to come and for God’s will to be done on earth just like it is in heaven. All believers should desire that. God’s will is followed perfectly in heaven, and ideally it should be followed on earth as well. The believer’s earthly hope is longing for life in the kingdom at the time of Messiah’s return.

—Jesus then makes a few requests. First, “Give us this day our daily bread.” I think the importance is that we ask God for what we need to get us through each day. We don’t necessarily ask for what we need for the next forty years, but simply for one day. In so doing, we’ll obviously need to go to God the next day as well, and the next, and that’s a good thing because it keeps our focus on our need for God each and every day. In fact, whatever happens in our life to drive us to need God is a good thing, even if it comes through hardship, which fixes our attention on Him as it should be.

—Jesus finishes this model prayer with a request for God to forgive sins as we, ideally, forgive others, and for God to lead us from temptation and deliver us from evil. Some versions read, “the evil one,” using a substantival use of the adjective, and some manuscripts add the phrase, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen” although this latter phrase was probably not in the original text.

—So there we have the Lord’s prayer. Again, Jesus did not prescribe a meaningless repetition of the prayer, but laid it out as a model of the sort of things about which we should be in prayer. Praying those exact words is good, however, if you mean what you are saying in your prayer.

—Adam Keim

From the Archives: History & Geography, Banias

July 28, 2022

—With its freshwater springs, its picturesque waterfall, and its stunning views of the verdant hills all around it that perhaps still hide a few spent shells in their rich, dark soil, sobering reminders of the battle for this scenic landscape during the Six Day War of 1967, it is probably no surprise to you that many armies have fought here, including the Seleucids, Romans, Crusaders and Arabs. One of the three sources for the headwaters of the Jordan River, Banias, now a nature reserve at the foot of snow-capped Mount Hermon, is arguably one of the most beautiful places to visit in Israel. Banias is a corruption of Paneas, meaning a place sacred to Pan, the god of nature, forests and flocks, for long ago the Greeks built a temple here after discovering a cave at the base of a rocky, red cliff from which bubbled up a refreshing spring. Because of seismic activity, the water still flows today, but now from a crack beneath the cave. In 20 B.C., then under Roman control, Caesar Augustus gifted Banias to King Herod who built a white marble temple near the spring in honor of his benefactor. Herod’s son, Philip, built the capital of his territory here in 2 B.C. and called it Caesarea, which is why you probably know it best by its other name, Caesarea Philippi.

—“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’…. Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:13, 16). Asked and answered near the shrines and temples of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus’ question stands out, for there are indeed both past and present rivals to the name of Jesus, prompting me now to ask, “Who do you say that Jesus is?” One among many good prophets like Elijah or Jeremiah? One of many gods like Pan? Or God alone? Jesus is Lord!

—Daniel McCabe

Answer to the Trivia: D. Rosetta Stone

Who We Are

—Shalom Y’all Ministries is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all gifts to our ministry are tax-deductible. SYM was formed in 2021 to teach the Bible and lead tours to Israel. Our teaching and presentations feature the acronym S-H-A-L-O-M, which means “peace” in Hebrew.

——S – Scripture Study

——H – History and Geography

——A – Archaeology

——L – Life in the Land

——O – On-the-Ground Tours

——M – Media and Resources

Our Mission

—To teach and encourage those who love the Bible, the land of the Bible and the people of the land and to lead educational tours to Israel that forever change the way you read your Bible and worship the Lord

Our Prayer

—“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

Find Us on Facebook–Everything you read here is also on our Facebook page. See the link below.

Shalom Y’all Ministries

104 County Road 1633

Cullman, Alabama 35058, US

Week Fourteen, 2025

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7).

It was a grandfather’s day out with some of my favorite grandsons….. a day at the races. We attended a series of Indy Car races and were fortunate enough to sit right behind the pit area. The pit times are as important as the track time, and often it’s the fast pit time that wins the race.

I found it amazing how fast the crews could change tires, fuel up and get the car back on the track. A car can only go so far without pit stops. I noticed one that went too long and had to be towed off the track.

Our spiritual life is like that. Just as we need physical rest, we also need spiritual rejuvenation. Spiritual refreshment is when we are refreshed or revived in our inner spirit through our relationship with God and our hearts are filled with peace, joy, inner strength and renewal, as we experience God’s life and God’s Word in our daily living.

This world is a dry and weary land. Nothing will deaden a person’s spiritual appetite like the spirit of this world. Even believers with the best of intentions find that their passion for God wanes in the spiritually polluted atmosphere around us. And the more immersed we become in it, the more dry and weary our souls become. Every minute we spend watching television, listening to secular radio, surfing the Net, playing video games, reading newspapers & magazines, strolling through the mall—and a thousand other activities that beckon us—the more barren we become spiritually.

The believer who thirsts for God – like a deer pants for streams of water – limits his time in this world. He rises early and cries out, “O God, Thou art my God!” There is a thirst for God and the things of God that cannot be quenched. He longs for “the Fountain of Living Waters,” and refuses to drink from the “broken cisterns” of this world.

Let us forsake the stale, dirty water offered by the world’s broken cisterns. They may temporarily wet the throat, but they can never quench the thirsting of our souls. Instead, let us keep going to the Fountain of Life—again and again and again—until we thirst no more.

Sometimes True Stories

What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Psalms 117

What is the longest chapter in the Bible? Psalms 119

What chapter is in the center of the Bible? Psalms 118

There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118.

There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118

Add these numbers up (594 x2) and you get 1188.

What is the center verse in the Bible? Answer Psalms 118:8

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Internationally the US ranks 125th for literacy. 54% of Americans between the ages of 16-74 read below a sixth grade level.

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Florida abortions declined 28% in 2024, the lowest since Roe v. Wade due to the state’s six week ban which became effective in May. A statistic to celebrate.

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In other news, a supercomputer simulation has predicted when humanity will go extinct. It foresees a day when rising temperatures, volcanic chaos, and an unrecognizable climate will make most of our planet uninhabitable for mammals. However, this cataclysmic apocalypse will not occur for another two hundred and fifty million years. Jim Denison

Quotes You Can Use

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9:10

The question is this… what are we doing with the gifts that we have been given? Marty Stubblefield

Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience. It’s a tough lesson. Elon Musk

Idleness and ignorance breed vice.

We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.” Proverbs 16:33

God’s plan for your situation may seem peculiar. And you may even be reluctant to try it. Obey the impressions of God upon your heart. Dan Shock

God doesn’t want to make you a better person. He wants to make you a new person. Edgar Aponte

God sometimes allows things to happen – good or bad – so that He can and will ultimately be glorified through them. And if that’s the case, He does the same things with talents and gifts. Marty Stubblefield

A man does not realize how bad he is until he tries really hard to be good. C.S. Lewis

You can learn a lot about what people value when faced with a crisis, they decide what to defend. Michael Smith

We often spend more time trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube than brushing our teeth and getting them extra clean. Dwight Short

Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning. Winston Churchill

God’s judgment on sin will be final and eternal. Tommy Campbell

What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. Gal 5:16

Time shall be no more when judgment comes, and when time is no more, change is impossible. Spurgeon

Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded!!

Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people. Dennis Prager

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Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025

March 29, 2025

—It’s quite normal to flee from danger like the time my family evacuated our Louisiana home at the news that Hurricane Rita had it in her crosshairs or that time we heard the unmistakable sound of a rattlesnake while hiking in one of our favorite state parks in Texas. Likewise when the people of Israel learned that the army of the king of Assyria was headed their way in the late 8th century B.C., thousands fled south to find safety inside the stone walls of Judah’s capital city, Jerusalem. Before long, however, innkeepers and relatives had no more room for the displaced, forcing the king of Judah to expand the city walls of Jerusalem to accommodate the panicked newcomers.

—But imagine their excitement when archaeologists in the early 1970s uncovered part of this wall which takes its name, “the Broad Wall,” from a presumed reference to it in Nehemiah 3:8. What archaeologists unearthed matches an historical reference to the King of Judah’s expansion prophet, described poetically by the prophet Isaiah, “You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses you broke down to fortify the wall” (Isaiah 22:20), for the archaeological evidence points to a systematic demolition of houses in order to make room for this wall that measures twenty-three feet in width and over twenty-six feet in height, constructed to protect a new residential area that evidently came to be known as the “Second Quarter.”

—To many who today visit the modern Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem the “Broad Wall” is perhaps just another ancient wall that they feel compelled to photograph since they’re there, but which is later overlooked in conversations with their friends back home in favor of pictures of their group at the Western Wall or in their favorite coffee shop on Jaffa Road, yet for those who fled to Jerusalem so long ago, the Broad Wall represented life and safety, echoing the words of Jerusalem’s greatest king and to which we as Christians can happily relate, “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9).

—Daniel McCabe

Week Thirteen, 2025

The priests made repairs, each in front of his own house (Nehemiah 3:28).

Jerusalem had been destroyed, but then the city had been rebuilt. However, the city wall remained in rubble. Rebuilding such a large structure, necessary for protection, was an overwhelming task. However, Nehemiah had a plan. Instead of looking at the total project, each one should rebuild the portion adjacent to his house.

According to the Bible, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in just 52 days. The task was monumental, given the size of the stones and the opposition Nehemiah faced, but by dividing the work, it could be done, and it was.

I am reminded of the boy on the beach throwing back the starfish that were washed ashore by a storm. A man approached the boy and said he could never save all the starfish. The boy picked up a starfish, threw it in the ocean and said, “True, but I just saved this one and it matters to this one.”

In the Bible story of Nehemiah, the phrase “build your own wall” refers to the strategy he employed to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Each family was responsible for repairing the section of the wall directly in front of their own homes, effectively creating a sense of personal ownership and accountability in the rebuilding process.

Starting in front of their own houses, the people of Jerusalem not only rebuilt, but restored their devastated kingdom. They also built a unique community of trust, shared commitment to, and dependence on God.

As we look at the problems facing our society today, they look overwhelming and impossible challenges to solve. Our societal walls are broken, morally, politically, spiritually and economically. But if everyone does his part they can be fixed. We change the political scene one vote at a time. We change the spiritual life of our community one witness at a time.

Shortly before he died, I met Frank Laubach. While Frank was working among Muslims at a remote location in the Philippines, he developed the “Each One Teach One” literacy program. It has been used to teach about 60 million people to read in their own language.

It was a simple program where people were taught to read and then they taught at least one more person to read. Also, one of his most widely influential devotional works was a pamphlet entitled “The Game with Minutes.” In it, Laubach urged Christians to attempt to keep God in mind for at least one second of every minute of the day. In this way, Christians can attempt the attitude of constant prayer spoken of in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. The pamphlet extolled the virtues of a life lived with an unceasing focus on God.

Meeting and listening to him at my young age had a deep impact on me and helped me to commit my life to helping to change the world with my actions one person at a time.

Will you make such a commitment?

Sometimes True Stories

They say ships don’t sink because of the water around them, they sink because of the water inside them. Sin is much the same, when we allow sin to dwell within our hearts, we open a hole for the devil to pour in. The devil is always testing us, and just like a sailor we must be prepared for rough seas. A smooth sea doesn’t make a skilled sailor, but it is a trained and faithful sailor who reaches his destination. Tony Ferguson

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How do we put our faith to work?

In response, these 5 things came to mind:

1) By living what we say we believe. That is by glorifying God through our day to day living… through our work… through our fun… even in the mundane.

2) By doing what Jesus did – loving others, helping others, sharing life with others. Not because we have to, but because of what He first did for us.

3) By going therefore – That is, by going to make disciples. Whether next door, down the hall, across the country or around the world. Put your faith into action.

4) By loving your neighbor as yourself (goes back to number 2). And who is your neighbor? Everyone – even if they don’t look like you. Overcome hate and disdain with love. Shine where you are.

5) By taking up our cross daily and following Him… loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength – That is, loving him with all that we are. Love like Jesus. See as He sees. Respond like He would respond. Allow His heart to become our heart.

Let’s be clear – Faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ, the Son of God is what saves us. But as we live and grow in our faith in Him, we are called then to put our faith to work. So others can see Him in us… so others might know of His great love, grace and mercy.

Now is the time for us to shine, to be a light in a dark world… or at least our little part of it.

Go now… “Get off the bench and do something… get out of the pew and put your faith to work.”

Marty Stubblefield

Quotes You Can Use

God wants us to learn to trust in Him completely – even when we cannot see any possible solutions. Dan Shock

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. Corrie ten Boom

America’s problem is that we are no longer serious, and we tolerate too much unseriousness and fantasy. Michael Smith

As Christians, one of the best ways to help our country and culture is to show people the power of placing our hope in God rather than presidents, governments, or any other facet of our nation’s leadership. Where is your source of hope? Jim Denison

God will not give you victory over the flesh in one year. Success has no shortcuts – it’s a lifelong battle. Dan Shock

Our minds cannot be both grateful and anxious at the same time so it is important we seek the wisdom from God so we can lie down in peace sleeping confident in our Father’s care. Maybe that’s why a child can sleep so well. They don’t worry about tomorrow because their care is in their parent’s hands. Shouldn’t we all sleep like babies and put our care in God’s hands. Pray, believe, sleep. Tony Ferguson

When I was not a Christian, I knew the Bible existed and even some of the popular stories found therein. Then I put my trust in Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit came alive in me. So now, as time goes by, I can open the Holy Scriptures and find wonders that help me live a life I never knew before, becoming more Christ like every day. Trust Christ. Open and discover the wonders found in the Bible. Dig in. Rich Jensen

Athletes work fifty hours a week to play a three-hour game; while Christians spend one hour a week at church to prepare for a fifty-hour work week…no wonder we seem to be losing the battle and the war. Dwight Short

Faith is not about feelings but accepting that God is sovereign. Faith is about humbling ourselves and accepting God’s grace rather than how we feel on any given day. Feelings come and go, but God’s gift of grace remains the same. Be wise, accept it, and peace and calm will be the reward. Tony Ferguson

Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.’ And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying. Ronald Reagan

If you want your work to matter for eternity, you have to know what’s on God’s heart for eternity. That’s one reason why time in the Word is so important. Jordan Raynor

We live in a day when people are proud of what they should be ashamed of.

What a comfort to know we can talk to the Lord and know He is listening. Tony Ferguson

This world is not our home, we are just passing through, try to leave it better if you can…sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the best legacy possible because it has eternal value. Dwight Short

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim with new wine.” (Proverbs 3: 9-10 NIV) When we honor the Lord, we are expressing gratitude for all our God given gifts. Unfortunately, mankind often takes the credit when things go well and look to blame others when things don’t go our way. When we live life with gratitude rather than blame, we often find that gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion to clarity. Gratitude can turn blaming into forgiveness, and enemies into friends. Live a life of gratitude and you will be rewarded. Tony Ferguson

Jesus commissions and empowers His disciples to invite others into His Kingdom. Edgar Aponte

To know where you are going, you must also know where you have been. Michael Smith

Trying to keep secrets from the Lord is like trying to nail Jello to a tree, it’s impossible. Even when we hold our tongues God knows our thoughts. Even when we try to fight back the evil thoughts and motives of the heart, He knows. Accepting the sovereignty of God is the first step in confessing our sins and receiving His forgiveness. Faith is not a part of a Christian life, it is the whole life. Trust the Lord and He will guide your thoughts. Tony Ferguson

Jesus is better than anything this world can offer. Edgar Aponte

Hurt people, hurt people. Broken people, break other people. Tony Walliser

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025

March 22, 2025

—Cleopas and his unnamed traveling companion on the road to Emmaus listened with burning hearts as Jesus “expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). In Genesis Jesus is seen as the Creator (Genesis 1:1; John 1:2-3). In Exodus he is our Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:5-7; John 1:29, 36; 1 Corinthians 5:7), and in Leviticus Jesus is pictured as our great High Priest (Leviticus 21:10; Hebrews 4:15). Jesus shows up in “all the Scriptures,” including, of course, the book of Numbers where he is pictured in at least five unique ways.

—First, after leaving Egypt to wander in the Sinai Wilderness for forty years, manna fell from the sky six days a week upon the camp of the Israelites to provide what they needed to eat, for they were unable to provide for themselves (Numbers 11:4-9). In the New Testament when the people requested a sign from Jesus to convince them that God had truly sent him (John 6:30-31), they pointed to the manna that Moses gave them in the desert and that authenticated him as a true prophet from God (John 6:25-51). Could Jesus do something like that? Jesus responded, “I am the bread which came down from heaven” (v. 41). The Israelites ate the manna in the wilderness, but “if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (v. 51).

—Second, in a very special ceremony conducted outside the main camp of the Israelites, Old Testament priests used the sacrificial ashes from an unblemished red heifer, mixed with water, to sprinkle on any individual who came into contact with a bone, a grave or a corpse in order that he or she might receive cleansing from contact with the dead (Numbers 19). The writer of Hebrews likens the sacrifice of Jesus to that of the red heifer (Hebrews 9:13-14). Jesus too died “outside the camp” (13:11-12) on a hill called Golgotha. “Without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19) Jesus too purges us from “dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14).

—Third, without water the Israelites faced certain death in the wilderness, and so they naturally turned against Moses for leading them to “this evil place” (Numbers 20:5) when it would have been so much more prudent to trust the LORD who only a few chapters earlier had “promised good things to Israel” (10:29). “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, … ‘Gather the assembly together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals’” (20:7-8). Recounting these events from Numbers, the apostle Paul writes that “all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock … and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4).

—Fourth, the Lord faithfully provided the Israelites with manna from heaven and even water from a rock, but listen to their response. “There is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread” (Numbers 21:5). For their faithlessness the Lord “sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people; and many of the people died” (v. 6). But then the Lord mercilessly directed Moses to make a bronze replica of a serpent and hoist it up a pole so that anyone bitten by one of the serpents could look upon the bronze serpent and live (vs. 8-9). Likewise, Jesus tells Nicodemus that “the Son of Man” will one day be lifted up in order that all who look upon him will be healed (John 3:14-15). All who look to the cross will find spiritual healing.

—Fifth, at King Balak’s request Balaam prophesies that “a Star shall come out of Jacob” to defeat Israel’s enemies (Numbers 24:17), and in the closing words of the New Testament Jesus says, “I am … the Bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16) who excludes from heaven (the New Jerusalem) all those who oppose him.

–Daniel McCabe

Week Twelve, 2025

Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.(Psalm 82:4).

It was my first mission trip and one behind the Iron Curtain before it came down. We arrived in Zagreb, Yugoslavia late at night where we were scheduled to spend the night with a local pastor. We entered the home and were treated as welcomed guests. Then there was a knock at the door.

The police had arrived and told the pastor that he was not allowed to have guests in his home. The three of us were escorted to the sidewalk with our luggage. It was dark, and we were homeless and cold.

While we were thinking we were going to spend the night on the street, the pastor was working and finally found a hotel that charged an exorbitant rate where we were able to spend the night. It was not only a surreal experience, but an education of what it is like to live in a communist country.

We could do nothing but pray and pray we did. It was just the beginning of a three-country mission in communist countries. We had many scary experiences, and we prayed. I remember one night in Poland when I stood before an audience in a church in Poland giving my testimony when officers carrying machine guns walked in. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I prayed.

Prayer is a power of our faith, connecting us with our maker and the line is never busy and we are never out of range. Prayer is communication with God. We do this by praising Him, confessing our sin before Him, thanking Him and asking Him for our needs and desires. Prayer is communion with our Creator. When we pray, we engage in loving fellowship with the Maker of heaven and earth.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24)

Where we were, access to freedom had been cut off, but access to God is never cut off whether in a communist country or around our home dining table. The Prayer Hand is an easy way to remember five essential aspects of prayer: confession, petition, intercession, thanksgiving and praise. Use The Prayer Hand resource to walk through each of these five purposes.

No matter what we face, God is always there, so we should spend each day in prayer as we look upward more than we look outward.

Sometimes True Stories

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT)

What keeps us from trusting the Lord with all our hearts? Could it be doubt? One definition I recently came across defines: “Doubt as the lack of confidence or assurance that God will keep his promises.” Doubt is contagious and it is much easier to find doubters than people of faith. It is critical we have faith and trust God even when His plan goes against human reason or experience. It is a short journey from doubt to despair. Faith is an attitude of acceptance as described in Jeremiah 32:27, “I am the Lord, the God of all people of the world. Is anything too hard for me?” Seek His will in all you do, trust in the Lord and He will remove the doubt. Tony Ferguson

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Many of our young generation are graduating with degree’s that appear to have no useful purpose and yet they seem to think they are going to start in managerial positions right out of college. Sadly, they are setting themselves up for a life of frustration and despair. True lasting success is almost always tied to diligence and hard work. The old saying, “if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again”. Never let a lack of effort be a contributing factor in failure. Tony Ferguson

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An estimated 1 million Americans are expected to develop dementia annually by 2060—roughly double today’s numbers—researchers said in a Jan. 13 report, adding that the risk of developing the neurological condition may be higher than previously thought.

The researchers’ study, published in Nature, found a higher lifetime risk than previously thought: After age 55, people have up to a four in 10 chance of eventually developing dementia if they live long enough.

Previous studies estimated that about 14 percent of men and 23 percent of women would develop some form of dementia in their lifetime. The new study evaluated updated data and tracked the heart health and cognitive function of about 15,000 older adults over several decades.

“All of our research suggests what you do in midlife really matters,” Dr. Josef Coresh of New York University’s Langone Health, who co-authored the study, said.

The latest findings show that Americans’ risk of developing some form of dementia after age 55 stands at 42 percent, more than double the risk reported in older studies. The lifetime risk of developing dementia rises to more than 50 percent among those who reach age 75, the researchers found.

They also noted that the increase in cases is directly tied to the aging U.S. population.

“That dementia risk translates into an estimated half-million cases this year, rising to a million new cases a year by 2060,” researchers said in a New York University statement.

Quotes You Can Use

God has made only one provision for your safety when the day of judgment comes, and this is in Jesus Christ. Dan Shock

“The God who made the world . . . does not live in temples made by man” (Acts 17:24). His transforming presence is as close as your next prayer. Jim Denison

The Bible doesn’t promise us happiness if we become followers of Jesus. As much as we would like for it too, it just doesn’t. However, it does talk a lot about joy and reminds us to be joyful always and in all things. Marty Stubblefield

In the day of prosperity, adversity is forgotten, and in the day of adversity, prosperity is not remembered.

Everyone says forgiveness is a good idea, until they have something to forgive and then the whining starts. Tony Ferguson

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. Martin Luther King, Jr.

No matter how hard we work or how much success we’ve had in the past. We’re not promised that everything will turn up roses in every endeavor that we take on. We’re not promised that we will gain riches and wealth when we become followers of Christ. Marty Stubblefield

If God forsook His own Son because of sin, how can you ever expect God to be in fellowship with you as long as you have sin permeating your life? Dan Shock

Restoring a culture of respect for the sacredness of life is fundamental to solving our country’s most pressing problems. When each person is treated as a beloved child of God, individuals can reach their full potential, communities will flourish, and America will be a place of even greater hope and freedom. Jim Denison

So, the pie isn’t perfect? Cut it into wedges. Stay in control and never panic. Martha Stewart

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025

Week Eleven, 2025

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

It happened quickly and was a stupid thing on my part. I was in St. Stephens Cathedral in Passau, Germany, where the largest pipe organ in Europe, with 18,000 pipes, is located. There are also beautiful frescas on the ceiling. With my video camera, I started with the pipe organ and raised the camera higher and higher until I was leaning back, not realizing how far.

Suddenly, my knees gave way, and I fell on my head and was unconscious, having led to a skull fracture and a brain bleed. After an extended time, I awoke in the hospital ICU, surrounded by people in white coats speaking an unintelligible language. At first, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Tragic as it sounds, the story had a good ending. I recovered, but was told by the doctors more than half of all people who have that kind of brain damage don’t survive.

Over the ensuing months of recovery, I thought about why I survived, while many do not. I came to the conclusion that God was not finished with me yet. I still had a ways to walk in my life….. days to serve Him and help others. Without survival, this devotion would not have been written.

“God is not finished with me yet” means that despite current challenges or setbacks in life, a person still has potential for growth and transformation. God is actively working in them and has not completed the process of shaping their life. This is a message of hope and encouragement to keep striving and believing in a better future. This signifies God is still actively working on a person’s character, developing their potential, and guiding them towards their purpose.

We know not how long we have in this life, but God has a plan. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

What does God have in store for you and where do you need to go as you walk through the remainder of your life on earth?

Sometimes True Stories

The most acreage in Florida owned by a single person or entity is some 626,000 acres owned by Farmland Reserve, an auxiliary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Their orange groves, timber land and cow-calf operations is one of the largest in the nation which dominates Florida’s landscape. They earn returns to fund the church’s mission and works.

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And then… there is the fear of the Lord. The great respect. The awe. The knowing of His great strength, His great knowledge, even His great wrath. The knowing of His history, His dependability, His promises, His love. The knowing of this Greatest Gift of all, His Son, who He sent to live and die and live again, is so that we might have eternal life.

As we face the fears of today and tomorrow, whether large or small or somewhere in between, let us not be afraid. For we know that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We know that we are never alone. We know God is in control.

Though I may fear… I will not be afraid, for I know from where my help comes. I will have faith over fear. Marty Stubblefield

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The most effective way to destroy a great nation is to obliterate their understanding of their own history. We must never lose sight that on June 8, 1845, President Andrew Jackson said “That book, the Bible is the rock on which our Republic rests.” Newsweek magazine acknowledged on December 26th, 1982, “Historians are discovering the Bible, even more than the Constitution, is our Founding document.”

Quotes You Can Use

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the Truth is still putting on its shoes.

Wisdom begins with understanding, you are a student forever learning. Socrates

No society wants you to become wise: it is against the investment of all societies. If people are wise, they cannot be exploited.

Older people shouldn’t eat health food. They need all the preservatives they can get.

The leading cause for injury in older men is thinking they are still young men.

God created the first cordless phone. It is called prayer. It never needs recharging; it can be used anywhere, and the line is never busy!!!!

Never forget that nothing is more powerful than prayer, nothing is stronger than faith and nothing is greater than God!!!

People who make you smile on bad days are so important!!!

Once you lick the icing off of a cupcake, it becomes a muffin and muffins are healthy.

If you have to choose between being kind and being right, choose being kind and you will always be right.

Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus.

No one is harder to reach than a false Christian. John Macarthur

We have a God who not only understands our suffering—he feels it personally.

Jim Denison

Tolerance is important, but equally as important is understanding the background of the other person and how they determine truth. Tony Ferguson

Commit to follow Jesus by willingly surrendering your life to Him while understanding the cost of your commitment. Kevin Baggett

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. Mark Twain

My affections were first for my own country, then, generally, for all mankind. Thomas Jefferson

Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, aAddress all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025

March 8, 2025

—There is only one woman in the Bible that I can find who is specifically referred to as a shepherdess. Do you know who it is? Genesis 29:9 reads,

“Now while [Jacob] was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.”

—Most of us are far removed from a shepherd’s life, yet the Bible overflows with images of shepherds and their sheep. David leaning against a tree, trying to think like one (Psalm 23). Jesus teaching that good shepherds give their lives for the sheep (John 10), and, of course, beautiful Rachel watching her dad’s flock and turning Jacob’s head (Genesis 29).

—The Shepherdess, displayed in the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in Israel, also turned my head the first time I saw it. Executed in oil on canvas and measuring sixteen by twenty-one inches, it captures a solitary shepherdess, holding a wooden staff and seated in the foreground of a quiet pasture. Painted in 1889 by Vincent van Gogh, a minister’s son who himself pursued the ministry for a short time before turning to art, I’m drawn to the face of the shepherdess. Is she young or old? Rested or beleaguered? Is it a hot day or a cool one? Is it windy or still? I can’t tell, and yet not knowing actually adds a touch of timelessness to the painting, for the shepherdess is always among her sheep. They are never alone.

—At first I missed them—the sheep! They had blended unseen into the hilly background of the canvas, but when I looked again, there they were, standing just to the left of the shepherdess, not far from her, perhaps eager to remain near, unwilling to stray, for they have a good shepherdess.

–Daniel McCabe

Who We Are

—Shalom Y’all Ministries is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all gifts to our ministry are tax-deductible. SYM was formed in 2021 to teach the Bible and lead tours to Israel. Our teaching and presentations feature the acronym S-H-A-L-O-M, which means “peace” in Hebrew.

——S – Scripture Study

——H – History and Geography

——A – Archaeology

——L – Life in the Land

——O – On-the-Ground Tours

——M – Media and Resources

Our Mission

—To teach and encourage those who love the Bible, the land of the Bible and the people of the land and to lead educational tours to Israel that forever change the way you read your Bible and worship the Lord

Our Prayer

—“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

Week Ten, 2025

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments (Exodus 20:2-6).

He is one of my favorite pastors. For thirty-six years he was pastor of Moody Church in Chicago. He has written more than twenty books. His latest, The Eclipse of God, chronicles modern culture’s attempts to redefine God and calls Christians to return to the God of the Bible. He is Erwin Lutzer.

We all have seen the drifting away from God, especially with the younger people. Just 16% of Americans say religion is the most important thing in their life, according to a new report released this week by the Public Religion Research Institute. A 2020 survey found that the average congregation size across Christian denominations is less than half what it was in 2000 — down to 65 from 137. It also found that on average, a third of churchgoers are 65 or older, twice that age group’s representation in the general population. These numbers held true for Protestants, Evangelicals and Catholics alike. Only congregations of other faith traditions — including Islam, Baha’i and Judaism — are seeing increases, the survey said.

But the church is not just withering from the outside, it is also withering on the inside, by many churches, in order to be culturally attractive. The church has to get back to the Biblical concept of God and not the gods of popular culture. Americans say they believe in God as long as they can choose the god in which they believe. Even many in church believe it is okay to sin because we are under grace and not under the law. Even pastors have slid into this culture; in order to keep modern members coming and giving. Tolerance has become the byword on issues like abortion, same sex marriage and the like.

Luke had an answer in Luke 6:46: Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Paul laid it on the line in Romans 8:7: For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

Lutzer says the church has to decide if we interpret the Bible through the lens of culture or critique the culture through the lens of the Bible. We have to tell this generation that love and truth are not our enemies. They are the core of the Bible.

We all need to do our part both within and without our churches. The church and our culture cannot long survive if we continue to slide down the slippery slope of Christian modernization.

Sometimes True Stories

Love and faithfulness are two of the greatest attributes of human behavior. It is important to do a self-examination of these two qualities and equally important to instill these qualities in others. Jesus sent His disciples to all corners of the earth to spread the good news that He is the Truth, the Way, and the Light. If you are a believer in the commands of Jesus, then you are charged with being a disciple of God and spreading His word. We are not responsible for anyone’s response. We are only responsible for planting the seed. You cannot force a tree to grow, but you can provide the fertilizer and the water it needs to flourish. C.S. Lewis said, “No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good.” Go out today and plant the seeds of love and faithfulness. Tony Ferguson

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6 million seniors in America are living below the poverty line.

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The cornerstone – Having its foundation upon the apostles and prophets, the church’s message is to be apostolic and prophetic. Still, we remember that Christ is the cornerstone.

A cornerstone was the first stone to be placed at a construction site when a building construction process began. Its function was to set the pattern for the building as a whole. Christ is thus given priority and is the one who sets the standard for all who follow. Ephesians 2:21 affirms this by saying the entire structure is built upon Him and joined together as one.

Quotes You Can Use

I rarely know where I am going in my life’s journey, but I look back and see that God has been leading my every step and I did not know it. A. W. Tozer

God doesn’t tell us to understand. He tells us to trust Him. Proverbs 3:5-6

If you are worried about it, that’s a sign that you need to pray about it.

Even if other people leave you, God will never abandon you.

God’s timing is better than your timing.

God knows what’s best for you. Trust the plan.

Love is not what you say. Love is what you do.

We have a Trojan horse full of enemies in the citadel of our hearts, enough inside to undo us.

Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in charge. It is not about being a star; it’s about lighting the way for others to shine.

A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.

If money and material things make you believe that you are better than others, you are among the poorest people on earth.

Before you mock people who still believe in Santa, remember there are many adults who believe everything they read on Facebook.

You’re not grown up until you know how to communicate, apologize, be truthful and accept accountability without blaming someone else.

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity and I am not sure about the universe. Albert Einstein.

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Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected]. © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025