Chasing Ribbons

If you are looking for a daily Bible reader series, this is for you...and ME! Reading the scriptures is a faith discipline that (statistically-speaking) few of us practice, and it is essential! The most wonderful thing about Holy Spirit speaking to us through the Bible is that we don't have to endure the torture of thoughts like, "Was that God, or was it just me? Did I hear correctly? What if I ju...

If you are looking for a daily Bible reader series, this is for you...and ME! Reading the scriptures is a faith discipline that (statistically-speaking) few of us practice, and it is essential! The most wonderful thing about Holy Spirit speaking to us through the Bible is that we don't have to endure the torture of thoughts like, "Was that God, or was it just me? Did I hear correctly? What if I ju...

If you are looking for a daily Bible reader series, this is for you...and ME! Reading the scriptures is a faith discipline that (statistically-speaking) few of us practice, and it is essential! The most wonderful thing about Holy Spirit speaking to us through the Bible is that we don't have to endure the torture of thoughts like, "Was that God, or was it just me? Did I hear correctly? What if I ju...

If you are looking for a daily Bible reader series, this is for you...and ME! Reading the scriptures is a faith discipline that (statistically-speaking) few of us practice, and it is essential! The most wonderful thing about Holy Spirit speaking to us through the Bible is that we don't have to endure the torture of thoughts like, "Was that God, or was it just me? Did I hear correctly? What if I ju...

Jumping into 1 Corinthians chapter 2 for our ribbon chase in this episode. In this episode, we sit down together (virtually-speaking) and invite God to speak to us using the Bible as the vehicle. It's a practice we should be disciplined in, yet it's also an intimidating one. But if we will just pay attention to the highlights as we read, we may discover thoughts and ideas that are God-breathed and...

Welcome to the first episode in our new year series of chasing the ribbon down to discover what God is saying...through reading the Bible! If you are looking for a daily Bible reader series, this is for you...and ME! Reading the scriptures is a faith discipline that (statistically-speaking) few of us practice, and it is essential! The most wonderful thing about Holy Spirit speaking to us through t...

The Promise of a Child, The Promise in a Child Taking our inspiration from Mexico's Christmas tradition of Las Pasadas, we chase the ribbon down to a word about the significance of the Christ Child and how His coming in such an unexpected way set a precedent on how we are to enter into His presence and live out our faith.  How childlike are YOU? Merry Christmas!

Comfort Have you ever met God as Comforter? Do you know Him enough to reveal Him to someone else in need of Comfort? In this episode of our "The Gift" series, we take a trip to Portugal and chase down a ribbon through Christmas tradition that leads us to Jesus as the Bringer of Comfort.  It's no secret that the Christmas season is not a cheerful time of year for everyone. For many, the holidays ar...

The King There are so many facets to what God's Gift to the earth encompasses, and I don't suppose we could ever really take it all in if He Himself laid it all out for us. But I think we should take the time to understand the reality of the Kingdom that His birth, death, resurrection, and ascension has afforded us access into. The fact it is an open invitation to all is relatively mind-blowing! ...

Discipleship What does this have to do with Christmas and why are we talking about it now? Discipleship is a gift established by THE Gift, Jesus, and it was one of the first things Jesus established within those 3 years of ministry… We’re about to jump into things you likely already know, but I want you to make the decision right now to change your mind about what you do with this information. “On...

The Word (Logos & Rhema) Words are powerful things. When it comes to God, we understand that that it was through the spoken Word that all things came into being, lo and behold, that Word, was Jesus Himself.  In today's episode we define what John 1 means when it describes Jesus as "the Word," and we wrestle with what that should mean to us as Jesus-followers. How we walk this out matters and, in l...

The Good News From the very beginning, Jesus’ coming was “Good news,” and He brought “Good news.” The whole world had been holding its breath, waiting for God to speak once more. What He had to say was a Good News forecast…because HE is good.  Jump in to the revelation of The Gift (Jesus) as The Good News!

Hope Remember: “Jesus is the ultimate Gift—the kind that is not only beautiful, but functional and powerful too.”  In this episode, we take a look at the truth behind the celebration of St. Lucia’s Day for us as believers, specifically that Jesus is Hope for a better existence on Earth. The reality of Him in us is the revelation of Heaven on Earth through us. Others need the hope that we carry as...

On Chasing Ribbons, we are going to carve out some time and space for Holy Spirit to lead us quietly and securely into the revelation of Christmas and what the Gift of Jesus means to us.  Each week, we will take our inspiration (and first Ribbon Chase clue) from a Christmas tradition practiced somewhere in the world. From there, we will make a correlation between the focus of the tradition and The...

"The Beginning" This week we conclude our deep dive into Who God is, as uncovered through the life of David, and, specifically, we see God follow through on His promises with regard to both David and Saul.   I am entitling this episode “The Beginning” because, though it is the close and tragic end of yet another chapter in Israel’s history, it is the setup to the beginning of David’s reign as Isra...

“Accept No Substitutes,” With this week’s episode, we continue on in our search for clues to God’s nature and character, landing specifically on the reality that God is a God Who leads…and He expects us to call on Him when we lose our way.  I am entitling today’s podcast “Accept No Substitutes,” because God does not share His glory with anyone, and He demands that we come to Him for counsel and le...

"Mediation of Mercy" This chapter almost seems out of place amongst the histories of David and Saul, which is why it has always captivated me (God loves to surprise us in life’s narratives with downloads of His goodness, and that’s what He is doing here in David’s life). We meet one of my heroes of the faith, and we catch a glimpse of God through her bold actions that reveal, once again, a powerfu...

"Trust in the Testing" This week we are waging a war on doubt as we cover chapters 23, 24, and 26 of 1 Samuel. Once David has settled his heart on the reality that his God will never abandon him, he is prepared to enter into testing with confidence, but he must choose to trust God, no matter how things appear in the natural.

"God Never Leaves" The characteristic of God we are diving into today is that He NEVER leaves. He will not abandon us, even when we are messed up. In chapters 21 and 22 of 1 Samuel, we are on the run with David, and we watch how he processes faith through real fear and doubt, leading to a conclusion that changes his perception of his circumstances and his God.  

"Covenant Maker" In episode #9 of our "GOD?" series, we are diving into the characteristic of God as a covenant maker. Through portions of 1 Samuel chapters 18-20, we read about the the relationship between King Saul's son, Jonathon, and God's next king, David. What we find is that the bond they share with one another is founded upon God's nature as a God Who keeps His word. We unearth what a cove...

"Through Opposition to Opportunity" The character/nature of God that we explore in this episode is that of a perfect Father Who wants His sons and daughters to grow and mature in health. We explore the process God employs to lead us into opportunity through overcoming opposition, using David's famous confrontation with Goliath as a roadmap.  Come along on a ribbon chase of discovery!

Still chasing down the character of God as revealed in the life and times of David. Today's episode covers the account of David's anointing as a young man by the prophet Samuel, some 15-20 years before he would become Israel's most famous king. Entitled "The God-Cycle", episode 7 describes a sort of Kingdom-law (like a law of nature) that anyone who is in relationship with Father God experiences t...

We're taking another look at Israel's first king, Saul, in 1 Samuel 15 as we continue on in our ribbon chase through the character of God as revealed in the Old Testament of the Bible. We discover a major breakdown in Saul's priorities when it comes to follow-through with God, and we expose our own failings in this arena too. The challenge is to take what we learn and apply it so that we can grow.

In this episode, we delve into the character of God as revealed to two sword-wielding men, King Saul and his son, Jonathon. The God they know has a major impact on how they use the weapons they carry, and it has significant implications for you and for me as well. Take a listen to "The Tale of Two Swords."

Chasing down what God wants to say to us about His character  in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. In Episode 4 of our GOD? series, we track down the nature of God through the rise and fall of Israel's first king, Saul.  One of the things we discover through this ribbon chase is the motive behind chasing donkeys, and it's worth taking the time to let what's revealed sink deep into our hearts.