Bethany McIlrath

First and Second: Perspective On What Matters Most (Matthew 22:36-40)

Tag: peace

  • Listening Through the Static

    Listening Through the Static

    I drove past that familiar gnarled tree, and the yellow house I like. Approaching  that long stoplight, I slowed to a stop. It’s a road I know. A drive I make daily. I try to get near to the Lord on the trip. To help me tune in, I’ve usually got a CD and two…

  • What You’ll Find In a Stronghold

    What You’ll Find In a Stronghold

    “The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.” –Nahum 1:7 A refuge, by itself, is a place that offers sanctuary and safety. It is a figurative expression in Scripture describing God as our security. He offers us a place that we can retreat…

  • Peace With Who I Am Not

    Peace With Who I Am Not

    When Lisa Murray asked me to be a part of her book launch team for Peace For a Lifetime, I didn’t know what to expect. It didn’t seem like fiction –but was it a textbook? A self-help guide? A lengthy theological statement? Peace for a Lifetime is written by a counselor. A friend. A believer….

  • New Amongst the Old

    New Amongst the Old

    “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.” –Matthew 9:16 With the New Year, new resolutions are made. New outlooks are had, and, if nothing else, a sense of hope and possibility is renewed. Within weeks, it all…

  • 25. BEHOLD: The Christ

    25. BEHOLD: The Christ

    Behold, the warmth of a newborn baby. Behold, the peace in the stable. Behold, long journeys over that have only just begun. Behold, the world forever changed in a moment. Behold, the moment by moment blessing. Behold, the hope we have forever. Behold, the promise fulfilled. Behold, the victory over sin and death. Behold, the…

  • 22. BEHOLD: The Settling

    22. BEHOLD: The Settling

    Settle down. These are words children hear as they leap around the house in anticipation of presents, cookies, parties, and celebrating. They are also words many of us adults need to hear. Settle down. Take a rest. Be at peace. Don’t rush so much. More than that, though: be settled in your soul with the…

  • 21. BEHOLD: The Unifier

    21. BEHOLD: The Unifier

    Treaties are signed, even temporarily, for Christmas. In families and between countries, the agreement to live in peace for even just a short time is often made for the holidays. People step out of their normal routines, paying more attention to the needy and giving more than any other time of the year. At Christmas,…

  • 15. BEHOLD: The Calm

    15. BEHOLD: The Calm

    Crazy days. Crazy illnesses, crazy injuries. Crazy times with students. Crazy plans to keep up with. Crazy lots to get done. Crazy excitement ahead. Everything is crazy these days. Has anyone else hit that point yet? Regardless of the careful planning ahead, Christmas always seem to come with craziness. It must have during the first…

  • 7. BEHOLD: The Bearer

    7. BEHOLD: The Bearer

    I have 60 people on my Christmas card list this year. There are more than 10 people to buy for. That’s just Christmas stuff. The Lord blessed me with a new job a few months ago. The more people I get to know there, the longer my prayer list grows. That’s on top of the…

  • The Lord Erases Our Regrets

    The Lord Erases Our Regrets

    This post is also shared on Purposeful Faith along with many other bloggers sharing about the Lord’s work in their life. Click the link to read others : )   I’m a know-needer. It’s not that I think I know it all, but that I want to know it all. The “what-ifs” of life are maddening to…