Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR The Rescue May 5, 2021 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. ~ Galatians 6:9-10 NIV ~ "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do n ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE NUGGET Is Your Face Turned Towards Me? May 4, 2021 Dallas Willard tells a touching story about a young boy who needed some assurance. At night, unable to sleep, he went into his daddy's room and crawled into his bed. But because it was dark he couldn't tell if his dad was facing him or not. "Is your face turned toward me, Father?" he asked. The dad, either still a ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE NUGGET Dependency? Submission? You're Really Asking THAT of Me? May 1, 2021 I wasn't going to write a devotional this morning. I didn't feel motivated, and besides, I didn't know what to write about (and as I begin this, I still don't!). But God had different ideas. He appears to want to give me a lesson in total submission and dependence, which, of course, are the prerequisites for receiving His wisdom, guidance and direction in life ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE NUGGET Storms of the Heart April 29, 2021 My brother lives in the Ottawa Valley, by a lake nicknamed the Lake of Storms. Often choppy, the wind can whip the water into high waves and whitecaps quickly. All wise boaters know when to go ashore! This pales, though, in comparison to storms at sea. "Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the L ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE NUGGET In the Now... April 27, 2021 "Look here, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.' How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, 'If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.'" (James 4: ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE NUGGET Staying Awake at the Wheel... April 24, 2021 I don't mind driving, even long distances, and it's a good thing, because my husband's vision has deteriorated to the point that it isn't safe for him to drive on unfamiliar roads. The only thing that bothers me about driving is that I tend to get sleepy. Over the years, my husband and I have come up with multiple ways to help me stay alert at the wheel. This ranges from opening and ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE NUGGET Three Not-So-Secret Ways to Overcome Lonliness April 22, 2021 How can it happen? Whether we're in a crowd or in the darkness of a silent room the battle to overcome loneliness begins. I was stunned. CNN reported yesterday that among thousands of entries, my hometown, La Paz, Bolivia, where I was born and spent my childhood was named the No. 1 wonder of the world. But ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE NUGGET The Expectation April 20, 2021 "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'" (Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV) As I approach the corral, it is still dark, and the icy morning seeks to penetrate the warmth of my parka. My head ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE NUGGET Lost Cause April 17, 2021 Do you ever feel like you are a lost cause?  You know what I mean: You just keep falling into that same pattern of sin over and over again... You know you’re forgiven, but you hate that old you and those old patterns, and you want... Out! You know God is the answer. You know He delivers. But somehow, that deliverance just isn't com ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE NUGGET It's Against My Religion April 15, 2021 You've likely heard the phrase, "It's against my religion", used as an excuse to avoid unpleasant tasks. You'll also know that religions tend to have forbidden practices. That's true across the branches of Christianity. Can you think of any that apply to you now? Or does it seem that anything goes these days? Of course, that's untrue, if we consider Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, s ...Continue Reading