Elaine’s “Thoughts Along the Way” devotions
Thoughts Along the Way© Elaine Mehn “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45 In our nearly 23 years of living in Japan, we have come to enjoy watching sumo. At first it was a substitute for American football, but eventually we learned to appreciate it on its own merits. Recently we had the unusual opportunity…
Thoughts Along the Way© Elaine Mehn for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, Psalm 95:7-8 Japan is known for its crowded commuter trains. I experience this occasionally, but every time seems worse than the memory of the time…
Thoughts Along the Way© Elaine Mehn Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. Psalm 36:6-8 When we first moved to Japan, ladies always wore…
Thoughts Along the Way© Elaine Mehn But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. Matthew 15:18-19 Once a year our neighborhood association sets aside a day to clean the storm sewers. This involves lifting off the grates and scooping out the rotting leaves and other putrid matter that…
Thoughts Along the Way© Elaine Mehn The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 From the bus window I saw the sign that said Smile Search, a realtor. What a wonderful name for a company that helps people find the place that will bring a smile to…
Thoughts Along the Way Elaine Mehn She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 I recently received a letter encouraging us as we serve Jesus. I appreciated the encouragement as there are times when I wonder if anyone cares but the letter did not use the name Jesus. Rather it used the letter J. Using “J”…
Thoughts Along the Way© My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. John 10:27-28 It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for walking to the post office. As I stepped out the front door, I thought, “It is so nice I really don’t need my coat.” A few steps from the…
Thoughts Along the Way© And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 I was working on my computer when a little message came up saying that updates were ready for my computer. It also said that I could continue to work during the update process. (It lied!) I thought fine as long…
Thoughts Along the Way© He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8 While on Home Assignments, we do a lot of driving – sometimes short distances and sometimes from Chicago to Colorado or Chicago to Ohio.…
Thoughts Along the Way© “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11 In my family I am famous (maybe infamous is…