Raisins & Apples


Latest Blog Posts

My Story of Faith

Recently, I have been posting stories of faith from my fellow church brothers and sisters on our church’s website. This trend started with an exercise I did with the middle schoolers, where we prepared them to share their own faith stories and post them on our website. We did this exercise after studying the Red…

Daily Grace 1/7/23: Finding Strength In Quietness

Took another walk to the shoreline this morning and really enjoyed the tranquility of a Saturday morning.   There is something magical about the sound of the ocean waves. The rhythmic sound of the waves crashing against the shore is powerful yet calming. It’s like a reminder that no matter what challenges we face, the ocean…

Daily Grace 1/6/23: Three Blessed Years of Full-Time Ministry

Give thanks for three blessed years of full-time ministry! I took a morning walk by the water to celebrate this special day.  It was a nice break from the rain, and thankful for the quiet time that allowed me to reflect on the ups and downs in the past three years and see the Lord’s…

Daily Grace 1/5/23: Choose What is Better

First things first. I got my best breakfast combo on a rainy morning – coffee, pastry, and the Bible.   In Luke 10:42, Jesus said to Martha, “few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  I recently came across the phrase, “good…

Daily Grace 1/4/23: Sing Like a Wind Chime in the Wind

The storm is here today! All I can hear now is the sound of the howling wind, the pouring rain, and the lovely tune of the wind chime out there in my backyard.    I’ve always admired the calmness of the wind chimes. Even on the windiest day, they can remain calm and sing that beautiful…

Daily Grace 1/3/23 – In His Time

Another big storm is in the forecast tomorrow, so today, I cleared the fallen leaves off my backyard to keep them from clogging the floor drain and standing water. When I finished the work, I took some time to enjoy my clean backyard.   Suddenly I found my white gerbera daisy has already bloomed. Then…

Daily Grace 1/2/23 – The Wild Colorful Mushrooms

Giving thanks for the morning walk with my bestie today and was thrilled to spot these colorful mushrooms! Think of Smurf or Mario Cart! It’s fantastic thinking that no one planted these mushrooms, but they just showed up overnight after the rain. Their vibrant colors and cute shape are so attractive. Yet the more colorful…

Daily Grace 1/1/23 – A Renewed Mind for a Happy New Year

Happy New Year, 2023! Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. To renew also means to renovate. When we renovate a house, we would have to identify what is important…

Acts 19:11-22 (“Daring Faith in Action” Devotional)

11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the…

Acts 19: 1-10 (Daring Faith in Action Devotional)

Paul in Ephesus19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.4 Paul…

Acts 18:19-28 (“Daring Faith in Action” Devotional)

19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he…

Acts 18: 1-18 (Daring Faith in Action Devotional)

In Corinth18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every…

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