September 24 – Daniel 6: 19, 20, 26

Daniel in the lions’ den — another challenge to God’s ability. Again Daniel refuses to worship another god, and again the punishment is “death.” Again, God didn’t save Daniel from going to meet the king’s punishment. Early the next morning the king ran to the lions’ den and Daniel 6: 19, 20, 26 “cried out in a voice of anguish, … O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God Whom you serve continually able to deliver... Read More

September 23 – Daniel 4: 35, 37

The third story is when the king basically said, “I am able. Look at all I’ve done,” and immediately he became like an animal for seven years. At the end of that time, his mind returned to him, he began praising God, Daniel 4: 35, 37 Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion… He does according to His will… and none can stay His hand or say to Him, What are you doing?…Whose works are faithful and just; and those who walk in pride He is able... Read More

September 22 – Daniel 3: 17,18, 29

The second challenge to God is via the three Hebrew boys, who refuse to worship the golden image. Daniel 3: 17,18, 29 If our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us… He will…But if not…we will not serve your gods. Which, of course, sent them to the furnace. You know the result (which is a whole other lesson: God didn’t save them from going to the furnace, but he was in there with them.). And in the end, the king himself says, “…there is no... Read More

September 21 – Daniel 2:parts of 21-30

Look at what Daniel says about God’s “able-ity.” Daniel 2:parts of 21-30 He changes the times and seasons, He removes and sets up kings, He gives wisdom…He reveals… secret things, He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him! The king asks Daniel, Are you able…? and Daniel says all the kings wise men aren’t, But…God… All the glory is given to God. In all of Daniel’s speech and actions, God is the... Read More

Spinach Penne Salad

To kick off my year of focusing on cooking, I made an easy penne and spinach salad. It has a unique flavor – and a bit of a bite! This recipe comes from a Cooking from A to Zest video. My kids love watching this series of instructional cooking videos. I hope they grow up loving to cook! To make the salad, boil a pot of water, add some salt, and pour in the penne. Cook the penne as directed. Fill a salad bowl with fresh spinach leaves. To make your own garlic paste, mince... Read More

September 20 – Daniel 2:11

Our help comes from the Lord, but is He able to help? I love the book of Daniel! It seems like it was written to answer that challenge, even the specific wording — but that’s beyond the scope of 3×5’s. We’ll just hit a few highlights, ok?! The first challenge: Daniel 2:11 A rare and weighty thing indeed the king requires! None except the gods can [my note: is able to] reveal it to the king, and their dwelling is not with [human] flesh. We’ll... Read More

September 19 – Psalm 121:1-2

Psalm 121:1-2 I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made Heaven and earth. I believe the Lord is so eager to help us, but He wants us to know that our help comes from Him — because that will draw us close to Him. (Always wooing, always wooing us to Him.) Sometimes I picture Him sitting on the edge of His seat, waiting for us to ask for help, so He can step in. Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterest Read More

Smile on the Horizon

A couple days ago my hyper-responsible older daughter burst inside yelling, “MOM! There’s a cow in the yard, and the baby is trying to go outside!” I peeked out the door and saw neither hide nor hair of cow. What I did see was the most marvelous light from the sunset… the kind of light that keeps reminding me, “You’re home.” I cajoled my distraught daughter into standing in the light for me. (Click here to read more or leave a comment... Read More

September 18 – I John 4:7

I woke up in a fun way this morning, with the words of a song (slightly rewritten)going through my head — “My Love just wrote me a lettah.” and I realized my Love has written me a “Lettah,” and it was waiting on the table in the computer room for me to read. I got up, sat at the table, and listened. I John. Ok. 4. Ok. 7. I John 4:7 Dear Friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows... Read More

September 17 – Proverbs 15:28

Proverbs 15:28 Amp The mind of the [uncompromisingly] righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. How many times I’ve wished afterwards that I had studied how to answer! Your brother and mine both seem to have that — they pause and think before they answer. Rather than being distracting to me as the listener, it makes me feel like they really care about how they answer me. So why do I have problems with doing it myself? Habit,... Read More