Devotional Thoughts Archives - Page 19 of 29

The Art of Worship

England. Who would have thought that a trip to England would bring about one of the biggest "A-HA" moments of my spiritual journey and growth? We were there as part of a multi-cultural gospel choir - a beautiful sea of color taking on London and the surrounding areas with our sound. There was clapping. There was swaying. There was dancing. There were questions and comments from some of the younger members of the choir as to why the English church members who were hosting us weren't "worshipping" when we sang for them . . . what? George and I were [...]

By Joline Atkins|2015-05-14T15:44:21-04:00March 5, 2012|

Here I Am To Worship

Worship. That word ignites many feelings, opinions, discussion, meetings and debates at churches all over the globe. What is it? Is there a right or wrong way to worship? You will not BELIEVE some of the glimpses I've had into this debate over the years. I intend to chat away about a few of those with you tomorrow. (I'll even be pulling out an old journal from 1996 that contains some A-HA thoughts I gleaned about worship during a visit to England!) I furrow my brow at this debate because I wonder, "Why is there one?" Worship. It's not an [...]

By Joline Atkins|2015-05-14T15:44:21-04:00March 4, 2012|

Desired

You. Are. Loved. You. Are. Wanted. You Are. Pursued. YOU. ARE. DESIRED. Have you read Ezekiel 34:11-15? What? You haven't? Oh, please do. And here's your assignment - in case you don't believe that you are loved, wanted, pursued, and desired. How many times does the SOVEREIGN LORD state, "I will . . ." in that portion of scripture? (I'm specifically soaking in the New Living Translation at the moment.) Funny, I recall my husband saying, "I will", ONCE, 20 years ago. (He has certainly followed up with many "I wills" since then, but that one in particular sealed the [...]

By Joline Atkins|2015-05-14T15:44:21-04:00February 27, 2012|

Decisions: There Is ALWAYS a Choice

"But if you refuse to serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 I had a great conversation with a friend the other night. Their story reminded me of a similar stage in my own life: newly married, struggling to make ends meet, and yet, making a decision to quit a stable job because it was obvious God was [...]

By Joline Atkins|2015-05-14T15:44:22-04:00February 20, 2012|

Shades of Diversity

My Mom would never buy me the Crayola crayon box that held 64 colors. You know, the one with the built in sharpener? I begged every school year. Boy did I envy that box - and any kid that had one. While my smaller box contained white, brown, and black crayons, (plus all the primary colors), the 64-count contained such goodies as Apricot, Burnt Sienna, and even Maize. Not to mention Copper, Gold, and Silver! How could I expect to churn out decent elementary art without the assistance of Cornflower? I grew up outside of Washington D.C. And while my neighborhood [...]

By Joline Atkins|2015-05-14T15:44:22-04:00February 13, 2012|