Posts by Lucinda Secrest McDowell

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Selah. ~ Psalm 68:19 “Whoa! You’re talking way too fast. You must stop long enough to breathe. Pauses are also important in a speech.” How well I remember some of my early training as a public speaker. My instructor was…

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! ~ Habakkuk 3:18 The news…

Jesus replied, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?” ~ Luke 17:17-18 Leprosy is a horrific disease. It’s easy to recognize lepers. They’re the ones missing noses, fingers, and toes. Because they can’t feel pain, injuries aren’t treated. Not only does this infection spread to…

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit.” ~ John 15:16 I was usually the last one chosen for sports teams during elementary school recess. Back in the day, the captain of each team would take turns choosing players. Raised hands and shouts of “Me!” echoed until…

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. ~ Psalm 68:19 As hard as it is to hear your young husband’s brain cancer diagnosed with “no cure,” my late friend, Jennifer Kennedy Dean, told me that in that moment a divine blanket of peace descended on them both, and…

For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. ~ Psalm 107:8-9 “I did not know then what I would learn over many years—that he was a healer of souls.” John reflected upon his first visit with Dallas Willard. He later asked his mentor, “What do I need to…

“I will make of you a great nation and will bless you. I will make your name respected, and you will be a blessing.” ~ Genesis 12:2 It took me a moment to recognize this holy moment, occurring in the midst of ordinary. I had just settled my first newborn grandchild into my eldest son’s…

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let’s continue to express our gratitude. ~ Hebrews 12:28 They are the first words I see. The moment my eyes open from a night’s sleep. Stenciled on the gable directly across from my bed — “Each day is a gift from God.” Prompting me…

From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. ~ John 1:16 “Sometimes I blurt out words that hurt other people. In trying to hide my insecurity, I become bossy, controlling and impatient. With ears tickled by the praise of others, my mood can fluctuate from joyful to despondent on the whim of someone’s…

The next time I blog, I will be a whole year older. It seems to happen in the blink of an eye. One day we’re young and out to change the world, and the next day we turn around and six decades have flown by while we were simply living ‘one day at a time!’…