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You are welcome to use the writings on these pages or pass them on to others who might find a touch from God in the words. Our purpose is always to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you everything, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring these words to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom its been shared. All rights reserved. Peggy Hoppes

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A WORD FOR TODAY

Our Lord is so good, He grants us many blessings. We can see Him in the daily course of events, in our homes, our jobs, our lives. I pray that these words help you to grow in your faith and recognize His hand in even the most mundane circumstances.

The picture to the right is of a Celtic Chapel located in Cornwall England. This building is approximately 1700 years old, and contains a holy well known for its healing powers.

(Click for enlarged)






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A WORD FOR TODAY, February 12, 2025

There’s a meme going around that has a caption, “I’m this old...” with a picture of a person holding a pile of papers with directions from an online mapping website. I laugh because those online sites are not that old. I’m so old I remember Triptiks from the automobile club. Well, to be honest, I’m old enough to remember using paper maps to get to my destination. I do admit that I use my phone GPS almost every time I’m in the car these days, not because I don’t know where I am going but because you never know when you’ll run into traffic situations that require a detour. And in Texas (and many other places) right now, there’s always a chance you’ll need to take a detour.

The problem with using digital mapping is that it isn’t always right. There is major construction happening on several roadways along the routes I travel regularly. It will be good when the whole project is finished (2028!), but it is really problematic right now. Roads are often closed, but since the closures are temporary, the GPS doesn’t know it. The closed roads make for traffic jams on those that are open. One part of the project was completed in December with the opening of a new exit ramp, and it took GPS about three weeks to recognize there was a new and better way to get through the junction of two major highways.

We had company for Christmas, and as the day for their homebound trip approached, our nephew showed us a pile of printed maps and directions. The directions didn’t make any sense to him, so he asked if I could look over them and give him some ideas. The directions didn’t make any sense to me, either. I sat with my own GPS to analyze what it intended and realized that it was taking them around traffic issues of the moment when he printed the maps. That’s the problem with trying to map a plan far in advance: the computer is up to the minute and circumstances change at different times of the day. I gave him my recommendation to get to where they were going but told him to watch his GPS in real time just in case there are any issues.

One of the things we learned in England is that you find the most fascinating things when you are lost. We almost always found a fascinating historical site or a beautiful view when we made a wrong turn. We also learned that it was better to follow signs than to try to follow a specific route. It is hard to tell on British maps which road is which: many of them are unnumbered or the drawn lines are deceiving. In Cornwall we found that the “roads” going in the right direction were little more than dirt tracks through cornfields. So, we learned to follow the signs, always heading toward the next city in our path. When we took a wrong turn at one roundabout, we would find an exit off the next roundabout headed in the right direction.

Those mistakes led to some of my favorite adventures. We never knew what exciting thing we might see around the next corner. It can be frightening to get lost; you never know what might happen along the way. I have heard horror stories of people who took a wrong turn and ended up in dangerous situations. If a driver happens into the wrong neighborhood, they might find themselves victims of robbery or violence. It is not unusual to hear wintertime news reports about someone who got stuck in a snow drift after turning onto the wrong road. I have had some experiences in unknown neighborhoods and bad weather. Being lost might mean being late for an important appointment. So, it is important to know which way to go. Relying on our own wits or mistaken maps can lead to horrible circumstances.

Unfortunately, when it comes to living our lives, we often try to follow our own wits or rely on mistaken “maps.” Go into any bookstore and you’ll find shelves filled with self-help books, most of which are based on one or two “successes.” Are they really reliable? We buy into self-help schemes with the hope that the program will work, but usually find that there are disadvantages. “Self-help” means relying on self while ignoring the help of neighbors. Most of all, “self-help” means relying on anything but the One from whom all help flowers.

When we try to do things on our own, we turn our back on God. When we trust in mapping sites, we get lost; when we turn our hearts and our eyes off God we get lost. Jeremiah wrote that a person whose eyes are not on the Lord will be like a shrub in the desert that misses the stream when it comes. This is an interesting image, since a shrub cannot move toward the water even if it can see when it is coming. Desert storms cause flash floods as the rainwater fills the dry creek beds. Though the shrub can’t move from its spot, desert plants have learned to take advantage of the brief moments of water when they come, because as soon as the storm clears the water will be gone. So, Jeremiah reminds us to keep our eyes on God so that we will always see His mercy and grace. Otherwise, we will try to handle things on our own and get lost along the way.

There are often many different ways to get from one place to another. There are several different roads that help us go through or around the road construction that causes so much traffic. The direction we choose often depends on the time we are traveling and the final destination. I’ve had people ask me how to avoid the problems, but so many of my choices have twists and turns that are hard to describe. I try to find the easiest, straightest route, even if it is a little out of the way, to help them avoid the construction. GPS will often give several options, sometimes saying one way will take longer. I often mumble to myself, “Why would I take the longer route,” but then I realize that the other might be more stopping. Sometimes it is worth going out of the way to avoid the dangers of frustrated drivers.

I’m not always right. Sometimes it turns out that my choice leads me on the road that has significantly more traffic or lots of extra stop lights. Sometimes there is a school or an extremely busy intersection that makes it difficult to pass. Sometimes I come across a one-way road or other barrier that was not well marked on the map. One day I went the back way to avoid the highway construction, only to discover my short cut was also closed, leading me to a detour I did not expect. Sometimes my choices make my trip longer, especially if I get lost along the way. There may be many different ways to the same destination, but there is usually a best way, a path that is safe and quick and easy.

Faith in Jesus Christ sets us on a journey. That journey is not necessarily safe, quick, or easy. God does not build a superhighway to heaven and place our feet on a particular road. We often come to crossroads in our life, times when we have to make a decision about which path to travel. The roads will lead to the final destination, because by God’s grace the faith we have been given in Christ Jesus will always take us to the Promised Land. However, the road on which we travel might be more difficult, with more roadblocks or twists and turns. If we choose the wrong spouse or the wrong job, we might have to deal with heartache or distress that was unnecessary. If we make the wrong choices, we might just miss out on the special blessings which God had waiting for us on the right path.

There are many things in this world that try to guide us in the way they want us to go. We are tempted by people and their expectations. We are led by our desires and our lusts. It is amazing how many studies I’ve done recently that come down to the reality that there are two ways, two doors, two highways. We are constantly facing choices, and the scriptures warn us to be wise and discerning about the way we will go. In today’s psalm, the psalmist warns the reader to not walk, stand, or sit in the ways of the wicked. He says, “Do not follow the advice of those who would set you on the wrong path. Do not conform to the ways of the world. Do not join in the wickedness of those who are traveling their own way.”

So, how do we know? How do we make the right choices about the direction of our life and the path by which we should journey? As we delight in the Word of God, meditate on His law day and night, our hearts and our footsteps will be guided in the ways of righteousness and truth. As we spend time in the scriptures daily, we have God’s Word emblazoned on our hearts and in our minds, so that when it comes time to decide, we will be guided by Him rather than by the temptations that surround us. God knows the path He has planned for us, and He will guide us if we allow Him. Online maps and GPS might not always be reliable, but God is.

His way is not always easy, however. Sometimes His plan is designed to strengthen us for trials, to build up our faith, to give us experiences that will glorify Him. We all face disaster in our lives and somehow we find the strength and courage to bounce back. Illness is overcome; loss is regained. Most people are able to take adversity and make their lives better for it. It usually takes the help of others – a word of encouragement or an offer of support. Disaster is not permanent, though it may seem like it is. There is only one thing that cannot be overcome with perseverance or resilience, death. Only in Christ do we bounce back from the death of our flesh, though there are those who do not think this is important or even possible.

Thomas Edison was one of the most prolific of all the inventors, having patented more than a thousand inventions throughout his lifetime. He focused on communication, developing telegraphic equipment, transmitters, and receivers. With the money earned from successful inventions, he set up the first large-scale industrial research laboratory. He is also known for his work with incandescent lighting and generators. He only made one significant scientific discovery, but he did not find practical use for the finding so he did not pursue it. It is thought that his success was due more to perseverance than any special insight. He is quoted as saying, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

In December 1914, his laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey caught fire, destroying millions of dollars’ worth of equipment and research. The record of his life’s work was wiped out. Edison’s son found his father watching the burning building. “My heart ached for him,” Charles said. “He was no longer young and everything was being destroyed. He spotted me. ‘Where is your mother?’ he shouted. ‘Find her. Bring her here. She’ll never see anything like this again as long as she lives.’” The next day as he walked through the charred remains of his work, Edison said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” Edison was not a young man at the time, but he knew that we can always bounce back better than ever.

Charles Edison thought the fire was the end of his father’s career, but Thomas knew that there would be a tomorrow. Those who look forward with hope to what can happen after disaster find themselves stronger and better for living through the adversity. There are those who are truly devastated by illness or fire, who just can’t seem to overcome. When it comes to death, the difficulty is even greater because death is permanent. Those with no hope face the loss of a loved one with emotions that are impossible to overcome like mourning, fear, regret, anger, hatred, and confusion. While we experience those emotions because death is difficult for those left behind, those who believe in Jesus Christ have His strength to help them triumph. If there is nothing, no way to bounce back after death, then our faith is in vain. But we know that Christ has been raised and in Him we too are raised to a new life. All our mistakes are burned away, and we start anew in the eternal kingdom of God, to live and love forever.

There is an anonymous story about how to live a good life on the right path. “A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit an old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress at work and in life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. The professor told them to help themselves. When all his guests had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: ‘If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and, in some cases, even hides what we drink. All you really wanted was the coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups, and then you began eyeing each other’s cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money, and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. God brews the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee! The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.”

Our Gospel passage for this week does not present a very pleasant life. This passage, often referred to as “The Sermon on the Plain” is a brief summary of what we find in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount which is found in Matthew. Jesus tells us what it means to be blessed, also translated “happy.” Can we really say, “happy are the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated, and the persecuted”? Can we really say we would be happy in any of those situations?

I love the story “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. In the story a tree loves a boy to the point of willingly giving him everything she has. Each step along life’s journey, the boy thinks that if he has just one more thing - money, a home and family, a boat - he will be happy. In the end he is old, tired, and still sad. All the tree has left to give him is a stump on which he can rest. There they found happiness together.

Happiness or blessedness is not about having the fancy cup, a lot of money, the best home, or material possessions. We are truly happy when we are content to live and serve God with our whole hearts no matter what “cup” holds our life. It is hard to rejoice in suffering, and we should never seek suffering just so that we can appear to be one of those who are blessed. We are blessed when we are content and rejoice in the life which God has given to us, serving Him with our hearts, our hands and our voices. We know that there is more to our hope than happiness. Blessedness is found when we rest in God, when we trust in Him.

The construction that I most have to navigate is creating a better functioning junction between two major intersections in my town. It isn’t every complicated. The entire project is adding lanes to a highway, making it wide enough to handle the high amount of traffic in our constantly growing city. This exit that has already opened is really high, so high many people who are afraid of heights won’t even drive on it. I love it because the view from the top is spectacular. There are junctions that are a mass of roads coming from many different directions, highway super-junctions that I call “octopuses.” These intersections are a confusing collection of suspended roads, with a dozen or more bridges all in one area. The exit ramps tangle together like an octopus with too many arms, or as some people suggest, like a bowl full of spaghetti. Too many of these roads seem to be headed in no particular direction. I have wondered if anyone even knows where all the roads go; I mean, can anyone stand in the middle of these super-junctions and point out which road is which?

These super-junctions happen in big cities where major highways meet. The roads are suspended so high and piled on one another because they do not have the land to build enough roads to hold all the traffic. We hope our mini-octopuses will ease some of our traffic woes, giving more people room to drive from place to place. Unfortunately, it will not take long before all those roads are filled with too many cars and we will have to find a new way to ease the traffic congestion.

The problem in many big cities is that there is no space for new roads. The highways run right through the center of town, with skyscrapers on either side. Though there was no room for growth, more roads were needed. Instead of tearing down the buildings, city planners built up, adding a second “story”, necessitating a choice: do I go up or down? In my own city, I know which is better for my destination. I know to go up if I am going one way, or down if I am going another. It is more difficult in other cities.

This decision is not a question of life or death, although it could be. If I take the wrong level when traveling to a certain exit, I have to cross several lanes of traffic in a very short period of time. During a busy time of day, this could mean missing my exit or causing an accident with unsafe driving.

We make decisions every day. Most decisions are inconsequential like what we are having for dinner and what clothes we will wear. Yet even those decisions mean something. The Corinthian Christians existed between two points of view: the pagan and Jewish lifestyles. Though they were not Jews, they were expected to live the way Jesus and His first followers lived. Pagan practices were inappropriate for their newfound hope and faith. Though their salvation was not dependent on their actions, the grace of God was given to transform their life. Salvation was a blessing that was given so that the person of faith would be a blessing.

It is interesting that this scripture from Paul comes to us so close to Valentine’s Day. We often think of the love at this time of year in terms of romance, and yet Christian love is so different. It is not a love that follows the heart, for the heart can be deceptive. It is a love that trusts in that which will lead us in the right paths. Unfortunately, the right path is not always the easiest path. The lives of those who trust in God are not peaches and cream. As a matter of fact, Jesus warns His apostles that they will face persecution, suffering, and pain. Our scriptures for this week offer two ways to go: the path of blessing and the path of woe. Blessed are those whose trust is in the Lord, no matter the circumstances. We may have to navigate many obstacles like we do on those roads under construction, or our path may seem like a confusing mess, but in Jesus Christ we will find rest, peace, and joy.

Jesus turned the world upside down. “Blessed are the poor, the hungry, those who weep and those who are hated.” He said that we should expect to be excluded, insulted, and rejected. This was not the direction anyone wants to take with their life, and it is hard to rejoice and leap for joy under those circumstances. Persecution is frightening, disappointing, and disheartening. Most people react to rejection with a change of heart, doing whatever is necessary to be accepted and loved. We want to be successful, as so many were healed that day on the plain, even if we have to conform to the expectations of those around us. This is the wrong path.

Instead of conforming to the expectations of the world, the disciples would have to choose another way. They would have to trust in God, not man. In our scriptures, blessedness or happiness has nothing to do with satisfaction. Instead, it is about contentment. We can be poor or hungry and blessed, not because we are satisfied but because we know that God will provide everything we need. We can weep and still be happy because our joy is established on something beyond our circumstances. We can be hated and still rejoice because we know that there is a love that conquers the world, and that love is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord. We can trust Him because He will always lead us on the right path.







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A WORD FOR TODAY, February 11, 2025

“Sing to Yahweh a new song! Sing to Yahweh, all the earth. Sing to Yahweh! Bless his name! Proclaim his salvation from day to day! Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. For Yahweh is great, and greatly to be praised! He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to Yahweh, you families of nations, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts. Worship Yahweh in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “Yahweh reigns.” The world is also established. It can’t be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness! Let the field and all that is in it exult! Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy before Yahweh; for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, the peoples with his truth.” Psalm 96, WEB

I love art. I confess that I have not spent enough time in my study recently, but I try to stay connected with people who are creative. I attend a craft retreat every year. I meet with a group of artists about once a month for fellowship and workshops. This month we will gather for lunch and share a piece or more of our work. We love to see what others are doing, and sometimes we get ideas for our own work.

I used to belong to a group that met once a week to paint together. There was no teacher, but we helped one another. The group was very diverse with many different talents and techniques. A few of the artists used oil paint, others used watercolors. The group I am in now has even more variety, with artists who work with jewelry, sculpture, pastels as well as paint. I am both an artist and a crafter, so many of my paintings include materials besides paint, like silk flowers, paper, and found items that will make the piece interesting. The advantage of these groups is that they help keep me accountable. They want to see what I’m doing, so I am spurred into working when I really don’t feel like spending time in my studio.

It is so easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of life, setting aside our time to be creative. After all, it doesn’t seem very important in the scheme of things. Yet, there is value to our work. The paintings are beautiful and share our vision of the world. I share my faith through my work, and even if the subject matter is not blatantly religious, I hope that others will see beauty and peace, hope and joy through my paintings. Most of my work is donated to organizations for fundraisers, so it also acts as an example of grace and generosity. The artists with which I gather encourage one another, with positive comments and critical ideas.

Do we always like each other’s paintings? I have to admit that I don’t like all of them, and I’m certain that many of the other artists do not always like mine. I tend to be more abstract and many artists tend to interpret their subjects more literally. At one gathering I attended one woman said, “I just can’t think like you.” And I responded, “And I can’t think like you.” But that’s ok. Both types of paintings are beautiful and are needed in a world where people see and think differently. The paintings that touch one person might not touch another, and vice versa.

Unfortunately, throughout history there have been times when people thought it would be best to destroy art because it was deemed offensive or even heretical. During the 17th century Reformation in England, rioters often destroyed the intricately carved statues in the cathedrals and churches, claiming that they were idols and against God’s law. Stained glass windows were broken, and paintings were destroyed. The same thing happened in the ninth century.

February 11th is the feast day for Saint Pascal, who was pope in the early ninth century. Fanatics in the Eastern churches destroyed pictures of Jesus, Mary, and the Saints because they were seen as idolatrous images. They even murdered those who tried to save the art that were used to encourage faith and worship. Pascal loved religious art and tried to end the violence, but did not succeed. We remember him for the work he did trying to promote artistic expression in other regions, and for rebuilding church that he filled with beautiful art.

We might not like all the art that is produced, and some might even be offensive. We don’t think about idolatry in the same way as they did in those previous times, but we have our own understanding of the world and some of today’s art does not fit that picture. We live in a time, unfortunately, when so many people are offended by everything that is different than they expect, we should be careful about what we choose to destroy. Some art is not beautiful. Quite frankly some art is offensive, however it is not our place to choose what should be destroyed. God can use the beautiful and the not so beautiful to share a message of grace and mercy with the world. St. Pascal reminds us to encourage artists of all kinds, for in art, religious and secular, whatever the materials or techniques, God might just have the very word we need to hear today.




The following links provide some specially chosen scripture that tell the stories of the Birth and Passion of our Lord as Savior Jesus Christ, as well as a fictional perspective of the Crucifixion. Spend time in God's Word, read about His life and learn of the wonderful gifts He has for you. Know Jesus Christ and honor Him today. Thanks be to God.

The Birth of our Savior

The Story of our Savior's Passion

The Crucifixion, a fictional perspective




When researching, I use several versions of the bible, including the New International Version and English Standard Version. Due to copyright restrictions, I have not included quotes for the scriptures on some of the archives, but highly encourage you to open your own bibles to read the scripture passages for yourselves. Where scripture is quoted, it is usually the American Standard Version or World English Bible which belong to the public domain. Any other versions used in quotes are identified.



The devotion posted on Wednesday is based on the Lectionary texts used by millions of Christians each Sunday. The Lectionary consists of four texts: an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a passage from one of the Epistles and a Gospel text and follows the church calendar. Archives for these writings are found at Midweek Oasis.




You are welcome to use these words to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you these gifts, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring them to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom you've shared it. Peggy Hoppes