Be and Do
April 10, 2025 by Gina Stinson
Filed under Daily Devotions, Worship
By Gina Stinson
Christ was always busy doing the work of His Father. Whether he was performing miracles, learning from the priests in the temple, spending time in the Garden with the disciples, sharing a meal of remembrance or dying on the cross. He was busy…doing the will of God. In the world that we have made for ourselves, it’s difficult to imagine living such a singular purposed life (after all, there’s a mortgage, jobs, kids, pets, stuff, bills, schedules), yet as Christians it’s the singular purpose of JESUS that should keep us focused on finding a way through all that…to share Christ with others.
Daily Resolution
March 10, 2025 by Gina Stinson
Filed under Daily Devotions, Worship
By Gina Stinson
The last few years I haven’t made New Year’s resolutions. I used to make the common resolutions as I switched to a new calendar – lose weight, read my Bible more, spend less, get more organized – and each year, somewhere around January 15th, I realized I’d already failed. I beat myself up, did some pretty degrading self-talk and sometimes even tried again. But, with only a few exceptions, I would eventually give up. What a disappointment!
For a couple of years I conveniently ignored all the hype regarding resolutions and just opted for a resolve-free year. That was a commitment I could keep. That worked well, until I realized what God’s Word had to say about New Year’s resolutions.
When Your Children Hurt
March 6, 2025 by Gina Stinson
Filed under Daily Devotions, Family
By Gina Stinson
My seven year old has extreme stage fright. She takes after her mother. Recently, after practicing for four months on a Christmas musical, purchasing the traditional formal attire for such an event, and spending some extra time getting ready, she almost didn’t make it up on stage. As the children filed in to step onto the stage, I noticed her usually light complexion was a rosy shade of pink. At first I thought, she is just a little flushed. Then I saw the look that accompanied the blush. She was frightened out of her mind. Tears were streaming down her face. She wanted her mommy. She was scared!
I tried to encourage her to go ahead and get on the stage with the other forty children. She reluctantly continued up the steps. When she got into place she was still sobbing and looked like a frightened kitten. For a couple of moments, I wanted to step in and rescue her, make it all better, let her step out of the program, but rational thinking got the best of me and I decided to wait a few minutes and see if she could regain composure. And then it happened.
The Smells of Christmas
February 5, 2025 by Gina Stinson
Filed under Daily Devotions, Humorous
By Gina Stinson
Gingerbread, pumpkin pie, apple cider, roasted turkey, fresh breads, and homemade cookies are the smells of the season in my kitchen.
Last Christmas Eve, we were busy getting things ready for Santa’s arrival…reindeer food, cookies, peppermint stick, and milk. We wrapped last minute gifts, made an emergency trip to the local store, and tried to keep the kids under control. It was hurried and crazy but at four in the afternoon things took a turn. We left for church.
Focusing on the true meaning of Christmas had a calming affect. We enjoyed fellowship, music, and communion with our church family and returned home to welcome more friends for Christmas Eve finger foods.
24
February 3, 2025 by Gina Stinson
Filed under Daily Devotions, Life Topics
By Gina Stinson
My last 24 hours have been CRAZY! My friend from out of town came to stay with us for two days while in the area working. While here, she had a horrible reaction to some medication she is on and we ended up spending four hours in the ER. When I got home, my son, who had been sick for three days, was worse than ever—fever, vomiting, coughing, stuffy nose…YUCK! We had a pretty sleepless night.
Isn’t it funny how much can change in 24 short hours? The house was clean, we had company over, we were talking about a staff dinner we were to host that night, and we were making PLANS. Needless to say….all those plans…and the clean house changed pretty quickly.
Somehow, in the chaos that transpired, I imagined how it must have been 24 hours before Christ was born. My mind had been dwelling on the nativity story lately so I pondered there for a while. What was Mary thinking? Knowing the Savior of the World was on His way in just hours. What about Joseph? Do you think he felt the weight most fathers feel when they are about to become a parent? I also thought about Mary’s parents. How do you think they felt knowing their daughter was soon to deliver and was heading out of town? (I know my mom wouldn’t have been happy!)
