Who Is Responsible for Jesus’ Death?

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Every now and then, the question comes up: Who killed Jesus? Who is responsible for His death?

Let’s look at the possibilities:

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Even though Pilate said he did not find in guilt in Jesus (John 18:38; 19:5), and tried to have Jesus released (John 19:12), he still delivered Him over to be crucified (John 19:16). Even though Pilate washed his hands, proclaiming his innocence of Jesus’ blood (Matthew 27:24), he is still responsible.

The Roman soldiers. One could say they were just following Pilate’s orders, that they didn’t authorize Jesus’ death. Yet they were the ones to actually nail Him to a cross. And they went beyond orders to mock and beat Him (Matthew 27:27-31).

The Jewish officials. The chief priests and elders “plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him” (Matthew 26:3-5). They paid Judas to betray Him. They sent people to seize Jesus (Mathew 26:47). They accused him before Pilate (John 18:28-32; 19:12-16). When Pilate offered to free Jesus as part of his tradition of freeing a prisoner during the Passover week, they urged the people to ask for Barabbas to be freed instead and to call for Jesus to be crucified Matthew 27:15-23).

The Jewish people. When Pilate washed his hands, saying he was innocent of Jesus’ blood, “all the people answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’” (Matthew 27:24-25). This is not a reason for antisemitism, nor is it saying that all Jews of all time are guilty of Jesus’ death. It’s just saying that the people who had rejected Jesus during the time of His ministry called for His death and willingly took responsibility.

Judas. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and led those seeking Him straight to Him. I don’t know if he realized his actions would result in Jesus’ death. But whether he intended it or not, he had a hand in Jesus’ crucifixion.

God the Father. None of the above could have happened if God did not allow it. But God the Father did not merely allow events to happen that resulted in His Son’s death. He gave His Son to die for our sins. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).

Jesus Himself. Jesus was not an unwilling pawn in His death. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:17-19). “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. . . Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesian 5:2, 25-27).

Us. How can we be responsible for Jesus’ death when we didn’t live at the time of His crucifixion? He died for the sins of the whole world. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). We may not have held the hammer that drove the nails or shouted for His crucifixion. But he was on the cross to pay for our sins.

So–who was ultimately responsible?

Well, the disciples said in Acts 4:27-28 (NKJV), “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.” The Roman officials, the Jewish people, and even the Gentiles are mentioned–but so is God’s plan and purpose.

Likewise, Acts 2:23 says, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” The Father and Son planned this ahead of time, but it was accomplished “by the hands of lawless men” (some translations say wicked men).

Somehow God’s rule and man’s will worked together to accomplish God’s purposes. It’s like what Joseph said of his brothers’ wrongs committed against him: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).

The good news is that Jesus didn’t die just to heap guilt on us. He died to save us from our sins. He prayed for forgiveness even for the men who killed Him. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). And His desire is that people believe on Him and accept His forgiveness.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

He died for us. He died for you. Please don’t neglect this wonderful gift of love.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

Posted on March 28, 2026 by Barbara Harper

The internet is full of good blogging. Here are a few samples I found this week:

How Do I “Look to Jesus“? HT to the Story Warren. “For all the inspiration we find in the phrase “looking to Jesus,” we may struggle to know exactly what it means. Look to Jesus, yes — but how?”

The Black Sheep and the Laptop Girl, HT to Challies. “I am pleased to share a true story of a decade-long friendship and sisterhood that I hold close to my heart. It is a story of how God once challenged my apathy for the lost in my city. It is a testimony of God’s power and goodness despite my fears and presumptions. It is an example of the value of small talk and sincerity, in a world starved of authenticity and hope.” I enjoyed this a lot.

Love the Hard Ones, HT to Challies. Ths is written for pastors, but it’s good for everyone. I’ve had trouble loving “hard people,” too. “Christ has filled his church with many kind, generous, and gracious people. His Spirit is clearly at work in them. But the Spirit is working in others too, even the opinionated and ungrateful. These men and women may not be a joy to pastor. They like to argue, or they’re grumpy, or they chronically complain—or all of the above. They might be cantankerous, but they’re still God’s. And he calls us to shepherd them as well.”

4 Ways to Combat the Fear of Man, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “Thankfully, as I’ve grown in my faith, the Lord has given me tangible freedom—more than I could’ve imagined when I was younger. While fearing man will always be a temptation, I’ve found tools to combat it when it arises. Here are four habits that have helped me.”

Embracing Slow Sanctification. “In these middle years of life, after walking with Jesus for decades, not days, this is how I’m learning to see the sanctification process. It’s slow by design. The finish line isn’t a moment of arrival but a spiraling closer and closer toward the heart of Jesus.”

When Your Spouse Stops Being Your Project. “Though both husband and wife may acknowledge they have sins and weaknesses of their own, they are convinced that the greatest holdup belongs to the other person. Many spouses remain stuck here almost indefinitely, trapped in the conviction that the transformation of their marriage lies just on the far side of the transformation of their spouse.”

8 Things Caregivers Should Know About Dementia, HT to Challies. “It’s important to remember dementia is a physical disease that causes psychological symptoms. Dementia patients can’t always control their behavior. But for the more than 11 million U.S. adults caring for someone with dementia, it can be hard to remember that when a parent lashes out, empties every kitchen cabinet, or wanders outside at 3:00 a.m. It can be hard for me to remember, and I’ve spent my career in the medical field. Dementia can drive a caregiver either to exasperation or to the cross.”

Wonderfully Woven Personalities. “Even though personality profiles are man-made, it seems self-evident that every child enters the world possessing a unique, one-of-a-kind personality. How can we explain the natural bent that manifests itself so early on in life? Doesn’t it stand to reason that our inner personhood receives God’s attention just as much as our outward formation?”

Three Reminders for Spring. “Last week I got in the car and saw a thick yellow film across the windshield. I turned on the washer fluid and got the wipers going. When that layer of pollen comes to rest on everything everywhere, there’s no mistaking—spring has arrived, and with it, a special level of frantic activity. Here are three things to remember as you usher in the spring with your kids.”

“Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone,
but in every leaf in springtime.”― Martin Luther

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on March 27, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here we are at the last FFF of the month already. This has been a great week for me–I hope for you, too! I link up on Fridays with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story, who started this edifying practice of sharing five good things, large or small, that God blesses us with during the week.

1. A much more productive week than I have had lately. I know life isn’t all about getting things done–but there are still things to get done. “A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul” (Proverbs 13:19).

2. A shelf expander and cabinet reorganization. I realized that I had serving platters in two different places. There was one shelf that had a little space, but I didn’t want all the platters stacked on top of each other. I found this expandable shelf that worked great. That led to cleaning out two cabinets, rearranging some things, and setting aside a few items for the thrift store.

Top shelf, before:

Top shelf, after:

3. Guys’ camping trip. Timothy wanted to take a camping trip for his birthday next month. But he has an orthodontist visit before then, and wanted to camp before that so he could enjoy it without his mouth being sore. 🙂 Jim, Jason, and Timothy went up to the Douglas Dam Camprgound from Monday through Wednesday. Mittu and I went up on Tuesday for a few hours and enjoyed burgers made by the guys. The weather was a little cold, but otherwise beautiful. I love that the camp sites are right by the lake. The view from were I sat:

Jason’s picture by the dam with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.

A cute little duck couple came up to the camp site. The female, in particular, seemed almost totally unafraid of humans. The male was a little more wary. Jason and Mittu took turns feeding them some bread.

4. The Count of Monte Cristo on PBS Masterpiece Theatre, which began last Sunday night. I loved reading the book a few years ago, so I was excited to hear PBS was making a series based on the book. I was confused that IMDB showed this film having been produced in 2024, when the MT site said it was “all new.” But then I read something that indicated this was the US premiere of the series. And, because we have a subscription to MT, we have access to the whole series without having to wait for them to air! We’ve seen the first three episodes so far, and they are excellent. I hope the remaining episodes are just as good.

5. A light cooking week. I had an offer from Ruby Tuesday’s to buy one entree and get another for $3, so we used that for takeout last Saturday night. With Jim gone Monday night, I got take-out Mexican food. I ate out at their campsite Tuesday. Then last night we tried the brand new Culver’s that just opened near us. It took a while, because so many people are eating there for their opening week. But the food was really good. I had the beef pot roast sandwich and Jim had jumbo shrimp. Though hamburgers are their main thing, I like that they have a variety of options other fast food places don’t have.

Happy last week of March!

Review: The Spice King

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Barbara Harper

The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden takes place during the Gilded Age in Washington, DC.

Annabelle Larkin had come to DC from Kansas when her blind sister, Elaine, received an opportunity to volunteer at the Library of Congress. Elaine had been depressed for a long time after her blindness, but now she was venturing out of her familiar safety. But she was still fearful and dependent on Annabelle.

Annabelle was given a temporary position as a junior botanist at the Smithsonian. Her boss promised her a permanent position if she could persuade Gray Delacroix, owner of Delacroix Global Spice Company, to donate his plant collection to the Smithsonian. Mr. Delacroix had traveled the world for his business, bringing back and cultivating plants he found along the way.

But the famously reclusive Mr. Delacroix has no interest in donating anything to the Smithsonian. He flatly refuses all of Annabelle’s requests.

Undaunted and determined, Annabelle shows up at his home with a gift. At first he refuses to see her. But his interest is piqued, so he allows his assistant to show her in. Their mutual love of plants draws them into conversation, but he still won’t give her any.

When Gray was young, the Union Army seized his father’s ships and burned their home to the ground. Gray and his father lived in a shed while they rebuilt their business. His father later remarried and had two more children: twins, Caroline and Luke. The twins had not known privation and hard work, so they tended to spend and act frivolously. But when Luke’s antics go too far, his life as well as the family’s reputation is in danger. And, unfortunately, Annabelle may have had a hand in his troubles.

Meanwhile, Gray’s business’s fiercest rivals are filling their food products with additives and fillers, making them cheaper than his wares and dangerous to people with sensitivities to them. But can he prove it? His distrust of the government makes him reluctant to appeal to them for regulation. He prefers the food industry to police itself, but what if it won’t?

I’ve read a few of Elizabeth’s books, but this one is my favorite by far. First, I enjoyed that the subject matter was different from other historical fiction books I’ve read. Most are situated in WW2, which is fine–I enjoy those stories. But I do get a little tired of them and wonder why authors don’t venture into the multitude of other eras available.

Then, the spice and food industry proved to be really interesting. Elizabeth shares enough detail to be informative but not academic. Good Housekeeping magazine even makes an appearance in the story long before its “seal of approval” days.

None of that would be helpful if the story and characters weren’t good–but they were!

Though this was Christian fiction, there were a couple of little oddities mentioned, like the luck of a horseshoe and the “stars coming into alignment.” Overall, however, faith in God and living by His Word were the main emphases.

I listened to the audiobook which was well done except that the narrator over-enunciated words, ran sentences together as if they didn’t have periods between them, and emphasized odd words in her inflections, like prepositions (“She disembarked FROM the streetcar,” “his empire IN Virginia,” “He stared at her hand BEFORE offering his own,” and so on). It took a concerted effort to concentrate on the story and not get distracted by the narration.

I thought one character’s fate was left hanging, but then I realized this book was the first in a series called Hope and Glory. I’m looking forward to reading the rest.

Spring for the Soul

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Barbara Harper

After Noah and his family finally got off the ark, God promised, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).

One of the things I loved about moving from TX to SC and TN was having four distinct seasons. Winter has its charms, but it’s not my favorite. Our winters aren’t as severe as many of our northern neighbors, but the cold can still pack a punch.

Early spring can still host a snowfall or two. We don’t usually plant anything until well into May, so young seedlings aren’t killed by a late frost.

Still, by and large, signs of spring increase day by day. Light stays longer. Trees begin to bud. Spring flowers start sending their shoots above ground. And many of us feel a new hope and energy with the return of color and light into our worlds.

Souls have seasons, too, though they are not as predictable as the physical realm. I’ve often been inspired by John Newton’s “Waiting for Spring.” The whole poem, along with some of his journal entries at the time, can be found here. I’ve shared it many times before, but it always speaks to me this time of year. In the first three stanzas, he talks about the change of seasons as part of God’s decree. Then he writes:

Such changes are for us decreed;
Believers have their winters too;
But spring shall certainly succeed,
And all their former life renew.

Winter and spring have each their use,
And each, in turn, his people know;
One kills the weeds their hearts produce,
The other makes their graces grow.

Though like dead trees awhile they seem,
Yet having life within their root,
The welcome spring’s reviving beam
Draws forth their blossoms, leaves, and fruit.

Then he prays in the last stanza:

Dear Lord, afford our souls a spring,
Thou know’st our winter has been long;
Shine forth, and warm our hearts to sing,
And thy rich grace shall be our song.

Another of his poems, or hymns, “Pleasing spring is here again” captures evidences of spring.

What a change has taken place!
Emblem of the spring of grace;
How the soul, in winter, mourns
Till the Lord, the Sun, returns;
Till the Spirit’s gentle rain,
Bids the heart revive again;
Then the stone is turned to flesh,
And each grace springs forth afresh.

Lord, afford a spring to me!
Let me feel like what I see;
Ah! my winter has been long,
Chilled my hopes, and stopped my song!
Winter threatened to destroy
Faith and love, and every joy;
If thy life was in the root,
Still I could not yield thee fruit.

Speak, and by thy gracious voice
Make my drooping soul rejoice;
O beloved Saviour, haste,
Tell me all the storms are past:
On thy garden deign to smile,
Raise the plants, enrich the soil;
Soon thy presence will restore
Life to what seemed dead before.

Both of these hymns were in Newton’s Olney Hymns, Book 2.

Unlike dormant spring plants and trees, we don’t have to wait for the Son to shine. We can go to His light: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

“Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 6:3).

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall” (Malachi 4:2).

“To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:77-79).

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2).

When winter hangs on in our souls, we need God’s light to warm, nourish, and revive us. We can pray with John Newton:

Dear Lord, afford our souls a spring,
Thou know’st our winter has been long;
Shine forth, and warm our hearts to sing,
And thy rich grace shall be our song.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Here’s some of the good blogging found this week:

What God Is Doing When He Doesn’t Seem to be Doing Anything. “Sometimes we can’t help but wonder—what is God doing when he doesn’t seem to be doing anything? What is God doing when it isn’t clear that he is working toward the goal I long for? What is he up to when he doesn’t seem to be answering my most heartfelt prayers? The Bible offers a variety of answers, each of which can encourage us to wait with patience, hope, and confidence.”

Has Manifestation Found Its Way Into Your Prayer Life? “It should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that in our era of expressive individualism, we have come up with a ‘spiritual practice’ that does away with the middleman (who in this case happens to be the God of the universe) and puts the emphasis on the force of our own will. However, I wonder if even firm believers in the efficacy and necessity of prayer have become susceptible to the practice of manifestation in the way we frame our prayers.”

Learning to Be a “Friendtor,” HT to Challies. I love this! “Essentially, I realised I was a regular, bumbling, work-in-progress Christian. If I had to dole out sage spiritual sound bytes at regular intervals or live without mistakes, I would have a giant F on my mentor report card. But as I stepped into the role with doubts and fears, I began to unlearn a few things.”

Fallen from Grace: The Mysterious Warning of Galatians 5:4. ““You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” (Galatians 5:4). Falling from grace sounds serious. It sounds like something we should avoid at all costs. But how can we avoid it if we are unsure of what it means to fall from grace?”

5 Lies that Steal Your Joy (and How to Replace Them with Truth). “Have you ever experienced something that should bring you joy, but instead leaves you feeling discouraged, anxious, and less than? The biggest culprits that steal my joy are the unbiblical soundtracks playing in my head.”

The Secret to Contentment on the Merry-Go-Round of Life. “Life is like a 1960s merry-go-round. It’s not a gentle carousel that rotates slowly while we sit atop cute animals, bobbing and smiling for pictures. Instead, life in this world flings us around at lightning speed, and when we lose our grip, it casts us into a heap on the hard ground, broken and bloodied. Unless we know the secret. “

When Life Feels Impossible: Lessons from the Book of Ruth. “Some situations feel so hopeless that I struggle to imagine how God could bring good from them. However, God has been showing me that this attitude reveals how little I trust Him to work in these situations—and how distorted my view of Him can become. Recently, He’s been using the book of Ruth to help me see this more clearly. “

Kindness That Blooms in Barren Seasons. “A woman’s willingness to care for others when she herself is hurting is a glimpse of grace at work. Perhaps the reason her example moves us so deeply is because it reflects the character of Christ Himself. His example in the Gospels shows us that when we extend kindness isn’t based on our emotional reserves or dependent on if the weather of our lives feels right. Even in barren seasons, the kindness of God can still bloom.”

Risk Setting Your Soul on Fire: Start Reading Missionary Biographies Today. “Few believers today read missionary biographies. I’m not going to list why not. I don’t understand it myself. Missionary biographies have been a blessing and an inspiration to me throughout my spiritual journey. So here is a whole stack of reasons why you should start reading a missionary biography today.”

Life in the Margins, HT to Challies. “Sometimes in evangelical culture we can be tempted to think that the one shot we have to really connect with the Lord daily is in our ‘quiet time’ (or devotions or whatever you want to call it).^⁠ That time is crucial, of course, but what we often fail to realize is that the little moments, the walk-by-the-way moments, add up.”

What Will We Do with What We Know? “I know a lot about the guy. If you’ve been married for long, you probably know a whole lot about your spouse, too. That’s a good thing. But the real question isn’t what do we know about our spouse. It’s what will we do with what we know?”

Time, Routines, and Interruptions That Aren’t. “Whether you are a Christian parent trying to juggle the stay-at-home parenting life, managing a hectic job, holding down commitments to community, church, and family, or a combination of any of those, managing time is a constant struggle. While we want to be good stewards of the time God has given us, we can fall into patterns of unnecessary striving, laziness, avoidance, or idolatry.”

Posting Hoaxes: Part 1: The Facebook Hoax Is Back: Why Writers Must Verify Before They Share and Part2: Before You Share That Post: A Writer’s Guide to Verifying Information and Building Trust Online. Though these posts are written to authors, most of the information is applicable to anyone. When we post what turns out to be a hoax, we lose credibility, among other things.

The fear of the Lord is love on its knees. –Adrian Rogers

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Barbara Harper

We usually celebrate Pi Day on 3/14. But I forgot about it until my Facebook memories reminded me. By that time I didn’t have either the ingredients or the oomph to prepare. We didn’t really do anything to observe St. Patrick’s Day, either, though we don’t always.

So it’s been a much needed quiet week. Here are some of the best parts, sharing with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Safety despite storms. This has been a wild weather week. We had some thunderstorms one night, which can lead to fallen limbs and power loss. But they didn’t this time. Then we got snow one day, but it didn’t even stick here. The kids had a slight accumulation in their neighborhoods, but it melted pretty quickly.

2. Recaps. Our church posts snippets from the Sunday sermon on Facebook and Instagram through the week, and our Sunday School teacher will sometimes email a recap of the morning’s lesson. I find them all helpful in remembering and meditating on what was shared on Sunday. It can be hard to take everything in at the moment. Plus, for whatever reason, I have the most trouble sleeping on Saturday nights, so sometimes I am fighting to keep awake and alert on Sunday mornings.

3. Financial paperwork is not a favorite, generally. But I am thankful my husband has a head for that kind of thing. I do not. And I am grateful he has taken the initiative in preparing ahead in order to make things easier on the kids when we’re gone.

4. The first day of spring! It’s nice to have it officially here, and bringing a bit of a warming trend with it.

5. Affresh. Our washing machine had kind of a yucky smell. The paperwork that came with it suggested something called Affresh, tablets to run through a cycle to clean it out. Our washer even has a cycle setting just for that. We hadn’t used it before, but found it at the grocery store. It took a couple of run-throughs, but the washer smells much better now. Sometimes it’s the little things. 🙂

How was your mid-March week?

Favorite Instagram Accounts

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I don’t do a lot with Instagram. I have an account there where I mainly post graphics from the blog. I don’t follow many people there that I already follow through Facebook or blogs, because then I’d just be seeing the same information in every place.

I follow a few friends, relatives, bloggers, and authors. Otherwise, I use Instagram as a bit of refresher in the day. I thought I’d share some of those inspiring accounts with you.

I follow a few accounts for their beautiful scenery:

Blue Ridge Moments shares some lovely views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and parkway.

The Great Smoky Mountains NP account share beautiful views, too, but also includes news and updates about road closures, work being done, etc.

Loithai is the IG home for a lovely cottage and grounds in Maine.

Beyond Eden’s Gate shows gorgeous flowers, mostly pink.

I follow some accounts of beauitful homes, from castles to cottages:

The Biltmore Estate shares photos of the estate and grounds as well as bits of history.

Some of you might recognize Highclere Castle as the fictionalized home of the Downton Abbey TV family. But Highclere is a real castle where the Earl & Countess of Carnarvon live. I don’t remember whether I started following their account after seeing Downton or after reading Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle. But I enjoy tidbits of castle life.

Pink Dreams Cottage shows the progress of a father and daughter renovation team.

Pink Floral Home provides a lot of decorating inspiration.

Harbor Blue House says it is “celebrating all things #Grandmillennial,” with a lot of blue.

I used to do a lot of embroidery and cross stitch, with a little of other types of needlework. It’s hard for me to see well enough to stitch these days, even with glasses and magnifiers. But I still love to look at and be inspired by the work of others:

Summer House Sewing.

Nicki Franklin Needlework.

Fabric and Ink.

A few other crafty sites:

Illyria Pottery. Katie, the young woman who makes this gorgeous pottery, was a young girl at the church we attended when we were first married. Her parents were good friends. Katie has since married, moved to England, and had a daughter.

Bible and Brush combines watercolor and Scripture.

Tanaka Tatsuya makes intricate miniature displays out of common objects.

Ivory Spring is a long-time blog friend who makes amazing quilts and has been published in several magazines..

Molly and Mama shares patchwork, embroidery, and felt sewing patterns.

These are always good for a smile:

Nathan W. Pyle is the author and illustrator of the Strange Planet books, which include funny and often poignant observations about life from aliens. This account includes some excerpts from these books as well as Nathan’s other art work.

Wrong Hands publishes cartoons with a literary flair.

The Holderness Family does a lot of song parodies.

Foxtrot republishes Bill Amend’s comic strips.

AFV Official shows clips from America’s Funniest Home Videos.

A couple of others in their own unique categories:

Hymns of Grace features old and new hymns.

Happy Little Sigh shares “Homemaking Inspiration from Literature.”

What kinds of Instagram accounts do you like to follow?

(Note: I have not had a problem with bad content from these. Hopefully that will remain the case.)

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

God Uses the Ordinary

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I often hear people put the words “just” or “only” in front of their descriptions.

I’m just a student.

I’m just a housewife.

I’m just a mom.

I’m just a secretary.

I’m just a bus driver.

Saying “I’m just . . . ” in that context implies the speaker feels somehow subpar, that others have a bigger role in life.

It’s true that God sometimes takes a person from relative obscurity, gives them a big job, and puts them out in front. Moses, Joseph, Gideon, David, Daniel, Peter, and so many others come to mind.

But most of the people preached to in the Bible, the people who made up the churches the New Testament letters were written to, were just ordinary people learning what it meant to live for Christ in their worlds.

Some of the people we see in the Bible were in the spotlight for a while, but went back to ordinary life: Ruth, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Anna, Simeon, and others. There are some of Jesus’ disciples about whom we know nothing but their names. Mary, the mother of Jesus, experienced some spectacular episodes around Jesus’ birth. But most of the rest of her life was involved with the everyday happenings of a Jewish mother in Nazareth.

Then there were people like the little girl who served Naaman’s wife and told about the prophet in Israel who could heal her master, or the boy who gave his small lunch to the disciples, which was broken and multiplied to feed thousands.

Ordinary life is where the rubber meets the road, isn’t it? That’s where we tend to let our guard down. But that’s also where the bulk of our ministry is, among our own family, neighborhood, and church.

Some of the ordinary people who have ministered to me:

A couple in our church who often invited me over for a meal, followed by their family devotional time, and unwittingly modeled for me what a godly marriage and family looked like.

A woman just ahead of me in life seasons who talked about her teenage daughter while we put up a missionary bulletin board at church and shaped my view of parenting teenagers.

A couple at church who anonymously paid for my tuition to a Christian school for my last two years of high school. This not only helped me become grounded spiritually, but led to the college I attended, where I met my husband. To this day I don’t know who they are, but I think I might have an idea.

The woman who served with a smile almost every time the church had a function involving food.

People who may never have taught a class or preached a message, but who prayed or shared a quiet word of encouragement.

People who do their jobs with excellence and a good attitude, who are a balm after dealing with people who don’t.

My grandfather used to say, “God must love common folks, He made so many of us.”

Most of us are “common folks.” But God loves us and can use us in our everyday ordinary ways to minister to others and glorify Him.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

Posted on March 14, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good blogging found this week:

God’s Faithful Sovereignty When Things Don’t Go As Planned. “My husband and I have two failed adoptions, chronic illness, and an unexpected mission field exodus to our names. Things not going as planned? I may be an unwilling expert on the subject. But it turns out, being an expert on disappointment can mean possessing a deep appreciation for the goodness of God’s sovereignty.”

God’s Desires:How to Know God’s Will in Difficult Decisions. “How do I know whether to marry this person or choose this or that career? Does God have desires about these decisions? Of course He does. We use the phrase “God’s will” to refer to these desires. God is not AI that coldly calculates a direction based on probability and past outcomes of similar situations. He has desires. He grieves, loves, weeps and wills. As Christians, we want to know what God wants in every decision we make. But how?”

Weak at Work: How God Supplies Our Strength. “While ministry often provides opportunities to enter personal lives of those under your care, all jobs require things of us that we may not feel able or willing to give. We lie awake at night worried about finances, projects, or relationships with clients because working as unto the Lord is HARD work.”

Christlike Work in a Burnout Society, HT to the Story Warren. “In our desperation to maximize productivity, he argues, we’ve become a society defined by voluntary self-exploitation. Achievement addiction has led to emotional exhaustion. Today, many are ashamed of their failure to advance in their careers, frustrated over being underpaid, or bored from long hours of menial tasks. Maybe you’re afraid because of your industry’s direction, or perhaps you wonder if your work is valuable. In the malaise of modern work, God offers us a hopeful alternative.”

You Can Always Come Back to Church, HT to Challies. Glenna talks about the awkwardness she felt returning to the gym after a long absence and compares that to coming back to church.

Roots and Wings. “Rather than feeding them, these stories threatened to poison their imaginations and turn them inward instead of upward. Yet what to do? What could keep them from being caught in our collective cultural drift, circling that drain that threatens to spiral ever-inward? How could I resist its insidious strength? I wanted better for them.”

The Passage in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Tolkien Couldn’t Read Without Weeping, HT to the Story Warren. “Kreeft reflects on the nature of hope, contrasting ordinary hope with what he calls deep hope. Ordinary hope is often rooted in calculation. A bet on good odds. It’s the hope that arises when success is still a possibility, no matter how unlikely. But deep hope is different. It’s the kind of hope that arises after ordinary hope dies. Hope against hope.”

Janette Oke Wrote Her First Novel at 42. Then She Wrote 70 More, HT to Linda. Janette Oke launched me on my journey of reading Christian fiction. I enjoyed reading about her not only for that reason, but for encouragement as an aspiring writer starting later in life.

Note: I read from a wide variety of sources and may not endorse everything from any particular site.

Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. C. S. Lewis