Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR The Hope Chest August 5, 2024 I have put my hope in your word. ~ Psalms 119:114 NIV ~ As I think back, the blond-colored box was not at all that fancy, but he made it strong and sturdy. It was white pine, unstained but buffed and varnished. My grandfather built this wooden box to be my “Hope Chest.” Some might not even know what that is. It came from a time when a dowry wa ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Looking Towards Home August 5, 2025  ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. ~ Hebrews 12:1b NIV ~ “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR A Piece of Gravel and the Windshield August 2, 2024 The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things. ~ Matthew 12:35 AMP ~ “The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things.” (Matt 12:35 ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Getting Out of a Trap July 31, 2024 But now we are released from the Law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. ~ Romans 7:6 ESV ~ "Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the Law—that the Law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? ... Like ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Daydreamer July 29, 2024 Finally, brothers, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ~ Philippeans 4:8 ESV ~ I have always been a daydreamer! Today, they would probably call it ADD (attention deficit disorder) and medicate m ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Inheritance July 28, 2024 But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. ~ Joshua 24:15b NIV ~ "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Clinging to the Rock July 26, 2024 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ~ Matthew 7:24 NIV ~ There it was, right along the edge of the worst river rapids in North America – A tree, rooted into a boulder.  With white water rapid ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR The Swamp July 24, 2024 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ~ Isaiah 55:9 NIV ~ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Cease Striving July 22, 2024 Cease striving and know that I am God... ~ Psalms 46:10a NASB ~ Not very many days past that I don't go back to my childhood memories of my Aunt Wanda and Uncle Merle. My brothers and I loved to stay at their house during the summer or any time we got a chance. My Aunt liked to feed us, which always included desert and my uncle liked to enterta ...Continue Reading

Welcome To THE ILLUSTRATOR Identifying Marks July 21, 2024 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own, by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. ~ Ephesians 1:13 NLT ~ I have a stack of my mum's handkerchiefs – hankies we called them. One particular one stands out to me ...Continue Reading