Some days these days are hard days . . . not because life is hard—but because it’s hard living among humans that see things so differently. 

Growing up in the late 60’s through the early 80’s in the public education system left me with great deficits in understanding most essential things for being an adult in America. While I received A’s and B’s, I did not acquire an adequate understanding or interest in politics, history, finance or philosophy. 

My home life as a dairy farmer’s daughter didn’t foster conversations of a bigger picture of the world I inhabit either. We were bent on getting by. We aimed at making ends meet. We labored over food for life. 

I don’t think I voted in the first election I as an eligible voter—for that reason. 

How I Came Awake

I became a disciple of Jesus when I was 24–both of us, five years married, pregnant with the first, traded in the Tavern for the Tabernacle. 

The Light came on in my soul. Reading the Bible became like a treasure hunt. Themes and new thoughts lept off the pages. Seeing God in His story was like the first time Dale and I drove through Glacier National Park. Blazing glory! 

I couldn’t get enough. I didn’t realize until a long time later that this is not everyone’s experience. I didn’t realize my spiritual gifts of teaching, discernment, wisdom and prophetic understanding were seeds needing watering, gifts requiring nurturing. 

I was given the book, The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Reading about Nazi Germany blew my mind—the fact that so many minds were darkened so as to go along with the atrocities of Hitler. This woke me up to reality and sobered me greatly toward holding firmly to God and guarding against the horror of deception.

The Way We See

Jesus makes it clear—the Bible states that when we are “born again” or “in Christ” and He in us, we are new creations. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We’ve been brought from death (the sin that separates us from God) to New Eternal Life in His name. 

I see it this way: Adam sinned and his pilot light went out—his ability to commune with God died. We are all born with this problem—one which is only solved by repenting of our sin and trusting Jesus for His mercy in reconciling us to God. 

Then, the Light of Life is lit in our heart again. The Holy Spirit comes into our souls and begins to illumine truth to us as we read God’s word. 

Now, by His Light we see! 

Psalm 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

Here we see the fountain of the water of life and light together. The same provisions of God from the Eden story. His aim is toward getting for Himself a Faithful Family. 

It should go without saying but because so many aren’t seeing I’m going to say it: without LIGHT we cannot see. 

Another way to say it is without Jesus, we are blind to truth and in the dark about reality. 

The Mess We Are In

Humanism and Socialism have invaded the mind of many Americans. It’s been a slow fade, but has ramped up steadily at the speed of technology. 

Ideas spread at warp speed. Ideas that seem as logical to the unregenerate mind as the serpent’s suggestion in Eden. 

He is using the same tactic today: “Did God really say . . . ?” And just like Eve, humans take the bait, agree that God is holding out on them, and the hook is set in the mind that does not believe that God is God and He is good and true and pure and that all His ways are true and right and just.

Did God really say —?

What I Witnessed Last Night 

I somehow landed on the service at a local church from here in WI last night on Facebook. (From 3/8/26)

At first I saw wonderful singing, people giving God praise as they were invited to share what God was doing in their life. Then a woman asked for anyone who needed prayer to raise a hand, and for people to encircle them in prayer.

One girl gave praise for God healing her and her boyfriend’s relationship (through the recovery program) and that they’re happily living together. (No one seemed to be startled by this).

Then the preacher “preached” —clearly distressed by the fact (in his mind) that Christians get Jesus wrong and actually believe that some people go to hell. (they “don’t believe in universal love,” were his words)

He clarified for his audience that the English translations of the Bible are not accurate—and that Bible study is not what we should center our lives on. (He mocked that this is the practice of the “inferior Christians” (implied)).

Evidently he doesn’t believe the God who inspired it could also keep it as He willed through translators. This pleases the serpent, no doubt.

The verse he preached on was John 3:16(!!) (using the English translation, no less) and giving his presumably less-studied congregation the “the truth of it” according to the preacher—truth that can only be known by studying the Greek, apparently. 😵‍💫

His description of living the abundant life is in the enjoyment of it: football games and family time. This, to the preacher, is faith. 

He went on invoking confusion as he explained (well) that “believing on” is leaning your whole self upon Jesus—and then he butchered the text by explaining away “whoever believes in him will not perish”—because he is most definitely a Universalist who believes no one will perish in hell.

It’s startling to see—and painful when I consider him facing the Lord Jesus one day to give an account for his false teaching. And also, all who are sitting under his teaching becoming dull to the razor sharp clarity of the Living Word. (Irony, the name of the church!)

I’m praying for God to confront him and to set him free—and that God will move a man to intervene on behalf of this congregation.

I know there are many congregations being led astray like this—and I pray I will always have compassion for them, pray diligently, and confront if God gives me the “go”—

How Well Do You Discern Between Tôb and Rą?

GOOD (tôb in Hebrew) and EVIL (rą in Hebrew) are the actual fruit of the forbidden tree in Eden—

And all through scripture the loud and oft-repeated exhortation is to be diligent in training our senses of discernment. 

Proverbs cries out to distinguish between fools and wise ones, wicked and righteous, our own understanding and God’s revealed way.

Jude turns from encouraging his audience to warning them of false teachers. 

The Gospel of John, his epistles and Revelation make it clear that only those who hold fast to the Word of God will be in eternity with Him whose word is true. 

All to say, beware of false teachers who come to you as wolves in sheep’s clothing. Make sure you know the Living word and walk in His light. 

If you need a place to start, start here.

This is the Literal Word study app where you can find the Hebrew and Greek for the English Bible.