About Barbara Harper

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Plug In or Abide?

Posted on January 25, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Most of us have devices we have to recharge: a cell phone, a smart watch, iPads, earbuds, electronic cars, etc. Packing lists for travel include cords and cables for charging. We seek outlets in airport terminals to charge up until our next flight. The threat of storms and power outages causes us to make sure all our devices are charged just in case.

Some of this technological language has filtered into other areas of life. We talk of rest and rejuvenation as needing to recharge our batteries. We say we need to “plug into” some community or power source.

Some might even think of their time in the Bible and prayer as a spiritual recharge. But Joni Eareckson Tada challenges that thought in her devotional book, Spectacle of Glory. In the reading for November 4, she writes that we don’t “sit down for our quiet time and ask ourselves, How long do I have to be plugged into God today to get a good spiritual charge?” She expands that thought by saying:

We don’t get charged up in God in order to unplug and live on our own–until it’s time for the next charge. No. We never disconnect from Him. We are living branches connected to the living Christ. His life is our life.

Instead of plugging in, we abide in Him, as Jesus said in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

In one of the best definitions for abiding that I have read, Joni says:

Abiding is living in constant awareness of total dependence on Jesus. It involves a constant flow of life-giving sap from the Holy Spirit–not a spiritual charge that takes us up to 80 percent. Abiding in Christ is a 100 percent relationship.

We’re placed in Christ when we believe on Him, and that connection is never severed. But we don’t always consciously think about depending on Jesus.

How do we cultivate that awareness of our dependence on Him? Well, trying to do anything in our own strength will often cause us to fall flat, reminding us we need His strength.

Jesus goes on in John 15 to talk about prayer and His words abiding in us. We don’t confine prayer and Bible reading to our devotional time and then go off on our own. Psalm 1 talks about meditating on God’s instruction day and night. Isaiah 26:3 says “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” We can talk with Him all through the day. We think about His Word as we make decisions and go about our work, asking Him for help and wisdom in knowing how to apply what He has said.

Then we demonstrate our love to Him by obeying His Word. It’s not that we keep His commandments to try to earn His love. We come to Him for salvation because we can’t keep all His commandments all the time. But when He saves us, we value what He says and we seek His strength to obey Him because we love Him.

Once we believe on Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we’re a branch connected to His vine. His life flows through us. He doesn’t charge us up and then send us off to live independently til we need another charge. We don’t have to worry about becoming disconnected to Him. He’s always with us, constantly empowering us to live for Him. But we abide in Him when we lean into that relationship and depend on Him.

Jesus saying that we can do nothing without Him reminds me of these stanzas from Frances Ridley Havergal’s lovely hymn, “I Could Not Do Without Thee“

I could not do without thee,
O Saviour of the lost,
whose precious blood redeemed me
at such tremendous cost;
thy righteousness, thy pardon,
thy precious blood, must be
my only hope and comfort,
my glory and my plea.

I could not do without thee,
I cannot stand alone,
I have no strength or goodness,
no wisdom of my own;
but thou, belovèd Saviour,
art all in all to me,
and weakness will be power
if leaning hard on thee.

May He teach us all to abide more consciously and fully in Him.

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

Laudable Linkage

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reading found this week:

A (God-Centered) Path from Anxiety to Peace. “In the past, when I turned to prayer in times of anxiety, my focus largely remained on the cause of my anxiety and my desire for his peace. It remained on me, my circumstances, my desires. In fact, praying in this way often increased my anxiety. What I needed was to shift my focus.”

Not a Hindrance, But a Prerequisite. “Many Christians feel they are too unholy or too sinful to participate in the Lord’s Supper. They come to the table downcast, convinced that their sin makes them unworthy. They may refuse to participate at all. But the reality is that being a sinner and having an awareness of that sin is not a hindrance to the Lord’s Supper, but a prerequisite.”

Benefits of Reading Your Bible Every Day, HT to Knowable Word. “Whether you have just become a follower of Christ or have been one for many years, establishing a daily habit of reading the Bible is great medicine for the soul and the means of living effectively in daily life.”

Your Only Sure Protection from the Tragedy of Moral Collapse. “Perhaps Yancey’s parting gift to the evangelical world as he withdraws from public life will be the realization that there’s not a one of us who is immune to the siren call of sin. Every one of us needs to examine our own hearts and pay attention. At age 63, I still have plenty of time to make an unholy mess of my life.”

The Value in Learning to Struggle. “‘We’ve been married for four days,’ we said, practically giggling. I’ll never forget the weathered waitress looking us over and saying ominously, ‘Welp, I hope it lasts.’ Her words would come back to me just weeks later, after the real world had come crashing over our love affair like a wall of water.”

A Helpful Motto for When You’re Exhausted and Overwhelmed. “I didn’t have near the full plate that my friend carried at the time, but I know what it’s like to trudge around all day in a perpetual state of overwhelmedness. I’m not talking about being a bit too busy or somewhat over-committed. Rather, this has to do with the kind of mind-numbing fatigue that stems from circumstantial, hormonal, relational or physical factors that often are beyond our control.”

On Unjust Magistrates: The Doctrine of Interposition. “The doctrine of interposition assumes that magistrates are accountable to a higher moral authority. The laws that they enact can be judged as either just or unjust. The most unjust laws are those that require people to do what is wrong or that forbid people from doing what is morally obligatory. These laws are not only unjust, but immoral. Magistrates must never enact immoral laws. But they often do”

We can all start afresh! However far we have ascended, there is something higher; and however far we have fallen, it is always possible to make a fresh start. F. B. Meyer

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Barbara Harper

We’re supposed to have a winter storm this weekend, so our streets might look like the picture above. I’ve heard different reports about whether we’ll get snow or ice and how much of each. We’ll see! One of my main concerns is losing power, so we’re praying that doesn’t happen.

Meanwhile, I’m joining with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story to cultivate thankfulness by share this week’s blessings.

1. A successful cardioversion. I was sorry to miss FFF last week, but I had a procedure scheduled that day. I didn’t have my thoughts together enough to get a post ready ahead of time. I had an ablation for atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation the week before, but those procedures left me in afib despite three cardioversions. My doctor advised going home and getting back on the medications I’d had to stop for the ablation to see if that helped. It didn’t, so he had me come in for another cardioversion on Friday. Thankfully that went well and my heart rate and rhythm have been back to normal since. My heart might still be a little jumpy over the next few weeks as it heals from the ablation, but it feels so much better than it did! It’s nice to have energy again. I’ve been slowly getting back into my regular routine and even got some tidying done this week.

2. Meals and a visit. Jason and Mittu and Timothy brought a meal over to us and ate with us one night. I enjoyed the food as well as the company. Then Mittu sent over a few other meals another night.

3. An outing. I had my follow-up visit with the cardiologist’s PA Monday, and all went well there. My appointment was for late morning, and his office is near one of Timothy’s favorite restaurants. So I texted his family the night before to see if they might want to meet us there for lunch after my appointment. They did! It was my first excursion in a long while. We enjoyed lunch, then Jim and I went to Crumble Cookies, and then home. I went back out for a haircut with a $9.99 coupon. The stylist got it a bit shorter than I had wanted–I always say to take about an inch off, but people have varying ideas about how much an inch is. 🙂 However, I liked the way it turned out.

4. A working furnace. We’d had a maintenance call scheduled for our AC/furnace unit long before we knew a winter storm was coming. A few hours after having it serviced, I noticed the temperature was a couple of degrees lower than our setting, yet the furnace wasn’t coming on. Jim called the man who had worked on it, and, thankfully, he was able to come back the same day. Some wire hadn’t gotten connected properly. I’m glad it was an easy fix and we didn’t have to wait to make another appointment. Even without a winter storm, it’s been cold at night.

5. Bible study. We had been off over the holidays and started back up in January. I had missed the first couple of meetings, but the books were delayed, so I didn’t miss any lessons. We usually study a book of the Bible, but this semester we’re going through True Woman 201: Interior Design: Ten Elements of Biblical Womanhood by Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss (now Wolgemuth). I had read it about ten years ago, but it will be good to go through it again. Our first discussion was very encouraging.

How was your week? Is a winter storm forecast for you as well?

Review: Saving Grayson

Posted on January 22, 2026 by Barbara Harper

In the novel Saving Grayson by Chris Fabry, Grayson Hayes has early-onset Alzheimer’s. He knows his diagnosis and realizes his thinking ability and memories are slipping away. But there are some wrongs he would like to right while he can–even if he doesn’t remember exactly what they are.

He has a recurring dream about a woman in his home town. She’s on a bridge and someone is trying to push her off. Grayson feels his dream is a sign that he is supposed to go back to his home town in West Virginia and either save her from her fate, or find out what happened and who is responsible so justice can be satisfied.

Gray’s longsuffering wife, Lottie, has sworn never to go back to WV. And she can’t let Gray drive alone. But a young Black man named Josh volunteers to drive Grayson from AZ to WV.

As you might imagine, Josh and Grayson have several arguments and misadventures along the way.

Grayson isn’t a very nice person. At first we assume this is because of his condition and his frustration over things like his wife trying to sell his tools and pack up for a move. Grayson is paranoid, instantly thinking people are conspiring against him instead of assuming there is a reasonable explanation for whatever is happening. Lottie knows this is part of his disease but admits she is exhausted.

Yet when Grayson finally makes it to WV, nearly everyone he meets says, “I can’t believe you would come back here.” So we wonder if maybe his abrasiveness is not completely due to his disease after all.

Yet Grayson had an encounter with God late in life that changed him, and moments of clarity sometimes come through.

Chris Fabry skillfully weaves together threads of what it’s like to lose your memories and yourself, to love someone in this situation, the value of all life, the nature of forgiveness and receiving love, a little humor, and some suspense.

I’ll admit the first few chapters were not a cozy read–it was frustrating to read of Grayson’s misunderstandings and antics. Yet I am sure it’s many times more frustrating for all involved to actually deal with these issues.

But I am so glad I kept with the book. I loved the redemptive arc the story took. There was a nice “aha” moment when I realized who one character was (I don’t want to say more and spoil the surprise for other readers). The last chapter was a nail-biter.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

He had clear memories of the past, but others were fuzzy, like a photo taken from a car at a high rate of speed (p. 9. Kindle version).

How many of the mean people he’d met in his life were just scared of something, a monster they couldn’t see past? (p. 55).

Can God forgive what a man can’t remember? Can a man atone for the mistakes that haunt him when his memory is in ruins? If I could go back and relive a moment or an action, I don’t know where I’d go or what I’d do to make up for my failures (p. 215).

Let people love you. Don’t push them away. Allow God to love you through those he’s put in your life. Live knowing you are loved. You don’t earn that kind of love. You just receive it every day (p. 229).

Forgiveness is not never thinking of the bad things again. Forgiveness is choosing to move past them. Or maybe better put, allowing the past to move in next door (p. 240).

Chris has a Q&A about the book here. I got the Kindle version on sale last year and then the Audible version, read by Chris, a few weeks ago. It was nice to be able to switch back and forth between them.

I wasn’t sure what “Jerry Jenkins Presents” on the front cover referred to. That wasn’t explained inside the book. But this article shares that this book was one of three published by Focus on the Family and edited by Jenkins which deal with modern issues in a redemptive way.

Though this book would be helpful for friends and loved ones of people with dementia, I think it would be beneficial to anyone. The story itself is excellent and enjoyable. And many of us wrestle with feeling we have to earn people’s love–or God’s–instead of receiving it. Or we feel we have to atone for our sins, when Jesus is the only One who can do that.

Review: Count the Nights by Stars

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Barbara Harper

In Count the Nights by Stars by Michelle Shocklee, Audrey Whitfield is the college-aged daughter of the manager of historic Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville in 1961. The hotel had once been one of the grandest in Nashville, but was now mainly used as a residential hotel.

Audrey’s mom passed away the year before. Her brother, Emmett has some kind of unspecified developmental issues–though he’s seventeen, he has the mind of a five-year-old. Her father had a near break-down of his own. Plus the employee who worked at the front desk had just gotten married and moved to Texas. So Audrey is helping out until she can get back to school or decide what to do next with her life.

Then one of their oldest residents, Miss Nichols, suffers a stroke. When Audrey’s father learns that Miss Nichols probably won’t return to the hotel, he asks Audrey to box her things until they know what to do with them.

Andrey finds a scrapbook in Miss Nichol’s room dating back to the time of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897. She keeps it out to show a friend who is interested in history. They find clippings about the expo as well as postcards written from someone named “Peaches” to a “Luca.” Then there’s an article about six women who disappeared during the exposition. Audrey and her friend, Jason, try to research and find out more about this time in their city’s history.

The book goes back and forth between 1961 and 1897, when Priscilla Nichols was the daughter of a railroad magnate. Their family lived in Chattanooga but came to spend several weeks at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Her parents keep thrusting her into the company of Kenton Thornley, hoping for an engagement. But Priscilla refuses to be married as part of a business deal. Plus, she knows Kenton isn’t all her parents think he is.

The luxurious Maxwell House Hotel supplied ladies’ maids and drivers for its guests. Priscilla’s maid is a lovely young Italian girl named Gia, and her brother, Luca, is the family’s carriage driver. Since Priscilla’s parents have various social obligations, and Priscilla can’t go around the Expo alone, she is often accompanied by Gia and Luca. She’s amazed at how much more respectful and thoughtful Luca is than Kenton.

Then one day, Gia mysteriously disappears. As Priscilla and Luca use their separate resources to search for Gia, they discover a seamy side to the beautiful city. As they work to rescue Gia, Priscilla can’t help but wonder about the other young women caught up in the same business about which polite women did not speak. But if no one speaks for them or intervenes for them, how will they ever make it out?

I loved the historical aspects to this book, which sent me on internet searches for more information. The Maxwell House Hotel was a real grand hotel in its day, which later became a residential inn. It’s also where Maxwell House coffee was first served. Sadly, the hotel was destroyed by fire in the 1960s. The current Millennium Maxwell House Hotel was named for it but was built on a different site.

It was fun to learn about the Exposition as well. I found some sites online with drawings of some of the buildings and features mentioned in the book. A replica of the Parthenon from the Expo still stands.

I didn’t see in the author’s notes whether the part about six girls going missing during the expo was true. But I respected the careful way Michelle dealt with the trafficking issue. Priscilla wants her life to count, and she knows that if she starts to work with a couple who helps rescue women in this situation, she’ll likely never marry or be accepted in “polite” society of that era.

Michelle says in this interview that one theme of this book is “I see you,” while another is “Love thy neighbor.” I think she brought out both themes well.

I enjoyed Audrey’s story, too. She’s at a crossroads in her life, waiting until she can take the next step. How God leads her and how she changes in the interim was a nice arc as well.

I listened to the audiobook, nicely read by Sarah Zimmerman. But I also checked the Kindle version from Libby especially for the author’s notes.

This is my second book by Michelle, the first being The Women of Oak Ridge. I am eager to read more.

Dealing with Distractions During Prayer

Posted on January 18, 2026 by Barbara Harper

If you’re like me, settling down to pray triggers all kinds of distractions. It’s not so much that other people interrupt me, though that happens occasionally. The problem is usually in my own mind going a dozen different directions.

Here are some practices that have helped me:

Allow for quiet time during the day. I think one reason our thoughts scatter so much is that we don’t often have quiet time to just think any more. If I am cooking or cleaning in the kitchen, I turn the Christian radio station on. If I am driving or getting ready for the day, I listen to music or an audiobook. All of those things can be edifying in themselves. But especially if you are an internal processor like me, your mind needs time to think things through. So allowing for some quiet thinking time during the day helps our thoughts not to go so far afield when we sit down to pray.

Keep a notepad nearby. If I suddenly remember an item I need to add to the grocery list or a blog idea or an appointment I need to make while I am praying, I jot it down to take care of when I am done. That way my mind isn’t struggling to remember those things while also praying. You could also use the notes app on your phone, if the phone itself wouldn’t be a distraction.

Deal with your phone. You may want to silence your phone, depending on whether someone might need to get in touch with you. I have some prayer prompts on my phone, but otherwise I put it in my pocket or turn it face down on my desk. I have most notifications turned off anyway because I don’t like my phone dinging all day. I check my email and social media often enough that I don’t need my phone to tell me every time something comes through for me.

Pray out loud. Depending on whether or not I am alone, praying aloud or in a whisper can keep me focused.

Walk or do something active while praying. Sitting with head bowed and eyes closed makes some of us sleepy. I know many people who like to pray when they take a walk.

Integrate prayer with Bible reading. We often divide prayer and reading into two separate activities. But we can pray as we read. When we come to a passage about praise, we can praise the Lord right then. If something from the Bible convicts us, we can confess that o the Lord immediately and ask for His help.

Use prayer lists. I didn’t always like prayer lists. I felt that if prayer is just talking to my Father, then wouldn’t it seem weird to bring Him a list instead of just talking to Him normally? But then I realized I do use lists when I talk to people. I always jot down things I want to discuss with the doctor before I see him. I might even do the same before calling or FaceTiming my son–even though we can text or email, some things that are better discussed when we’re actually talking. I think God knows our frailties and doesn’t mind if we use aids to prayer.

Pray throughout the day. In my early Christian life, I felt like I hadn’t officially prayed for something unless I prayed about it during my devotional time. But that can result in a ridiculously long prayer list. Plus I might forget a request I heard during the day. Now I try to pray for a request immediately when I hear or see it. With all our other relationships, we have shorter conversations throughout the day and then longer, one-on-one times. It can be that way with the Lord, too: we don’t have to confine all our prayer to our devotional time.

Divide up requests. Some people pray for their country one day, their church another day, their family another day, missionaries one day, and so on. Others pray through their church directory a few people at a time.

Use prayer prompts. I like to use Scriptural prayers to start off my prayer time. Most often I use what we call “the Lord’s prayer.” For instance, I might start, “Our Father . . . Thank you for being My Father. Thanks for making me Your child. Thank you for giving us a picture of a loving Father and child to understand your care of us.” And I go through the rest of that prayer in like manner.

I also like to use prayers like Paul’s in Colossians 1:9-12 or Ephesians 3:14-19 for myself and others. I’ve made a list of them in my notes app as I have found them.

Though I am not quite as fond of prayer acronyms, I did find them helpful in keeping me focused when I first started praying. One is PRAY:

Pray
Repent
Ask
Yield

Another is ACTS:

Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

Confess and carry on. When I find my thoughts miles away while praying, I just usually say, “I’m sorry, Lord,” and get back to it. Sometimes the thing my mind runs to is something to stop and pray about.

Let distractions remind us of our need. Elisabeth Elliot once wrote in A Lamp For My Feet:

Distractions can be useful. They provide constant reminders of our human weakness. We recognize in them how earthbound we are, and then how completely we must depend on the help of the Holy Spirit to pray in and through us. We are shown, by a thousand trivialities, how trivial are our concerns. The very effort to focus, even for a minute, on higher things, is foiled, and we see that prayer–the prerequisite for doing anything for God–cannot be done without Him. We are not, however, left to fend for ourselves. The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness.

What about when people distract us? Jesus faced that as well. He took care to pray alone at night or early in the morning, but people still found Him and interrupted Him. A Sunday School teacher from years ago once said that when someone called his home during family devotions, he wanted to answer the phone by saying, “Do you realize you’re being used of the devil right now?” But Jesus never responded in such a way when His time with His Father was interrupted. He always responded graciously. It is taking me a long time to learn that God is over even our interruptions.

I think one of the most important things to remember about prayer is that it is not a performance or a ritual. We’re talking to our loving Father when we pray. We can lay our hearts bare in all our humanness and imperfection, knowing He loves us and wants what is best for us.

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

Laudable Linkage

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads fond this week:

Petty Annoyances and Minor Insults. “I wonder if you are like me in that, as you look back on your life, you realize that most of the circumstances that have troubled you, most of the annoyances and disgruntlements, were produced by circumstances that were hardly worth noticing. In retrospect, most of the situations that stirred you to anger, kept you tossing and turning at night, or caused you to lash out in retaliation, were minor rather than major, little peeves and provocations more than grave injustices.”

Is a Quiet Life Consistent with the Culture Wars? HT to Challies. “The challenge here is that legitimate issues are at stake underneath the logic of the culture war. . . . If the culture wars involve (in part) a constant need to comment on political . . . and social issues and degregrate your neighbor, I wonder if we can honestly say that participation in the culture war is consistent with what Paul calls us to in 1 Thessalonians 4:11: a quiet life.”

5 Habits for Better Prayer in 2026, HT to Challies. “A healthy prayer life involves a steady stream of shorter communications (brief prayers throughout the day), paired with more intimate and extensive conversations (unhurried times of solitude with God). Jesus modeled both forms.”

We Have Dusty Bibles and New iPhones, HT to Challies. “This blog is not meant to condemn but to be a wake-up call to us all, myself included. I accidentally came across Josiah Queen’s song, ‘Dusty Bibles,’ which the algorithm providentially brought to my playlist. In the song, Josiah asks, ‘We’re too busy and can’t find the time. Are we busy or is it all a lie?’ and I could totally relate. I had spent countless hours on my phone, scrolling and watching reels on social media, but did not have time to read even a chapter of the Bible. Those words hit me hard!”

Helping Students Read the Bible for Themselves, HT to Challies. “A few years ago, a former student came up to me with a question that sounded simple, but clued me into a deeper problem. He said, ‘Hey, I’ve been reading the book of Mark like you told me to… but now what? I don’t really know what to do after that.’ He wasn’t lazy. He was trying, but like so many students today, he didn’t have a framework for how to read the Bible – no direction or understanding of what he was even looking for. That moment stuck with me because it reminded me: opening their Bibles is not the same as reading it well. So how do we help them read the Bible for themselves?”

The Key to Finding the Author’s Emphasis When You Read the Bible, HT to Knowable Word. “Often, however, we do not work hard to actually find the structure of the biblical passages that we study. We simply read them and ask general questions—or make general comments—about them, or we focus on the impressions or feelings that biblical passages give us. When we study this way, failing to pay attention to the structure of the passages we are focusing on, we run the risk of making incorrect interpretations and applications.”

The Courage in Encouragement, HT to Challies. “To encourage isn’t just to soothe; it’s to put courage into someone—to strengthen the will, to stiffen the spine, to remind a weary saint why the path is worth walking and how to keep going.”

Christians Bear Fruit, HT to Challies. “If you are sitting beneath live-however-you-wish-after-you-have-raised-your-hand-and-repeated-this-prayer-after-me type of preaching, run. Your soul is in danger.”

Fruitful to the End, HT to Challies. “Slowing down feels like fading away. Thankfully, the gospel tells another story. Output and speed do not equal fruitfulness. Old age is not a winding down—but a deepening. Productivity is reframed, not as busyness, but as rootedness; not as the accumulation of achievements, but as the cultivation of character and blessing.”

The Freedom of a Lower Reading Goal, HT to Challies. Much of this resonates with me. I set my reading goals realistically to allow time to be selective and spend as much time as I want with a book rather than racing through them just to reach a number.

If I did not see that the Lord kept watch over the ship, I should long since have abandoned the helm. But I see Him! – through the storm, strengthening the tackling, handling the yards, spreading the sails – yes more, commanding the very winds! Should I not be a coward if I abandoned my post? Let Him govern, let Him carry us forward, let Him hasten or delay; we will fear nothing! –Martin Luther

Update

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Barbara Harper

I’m sorry there was no Friday’s Fave Five here today. I know some of you particularly enjoy that feature.

Last week I had an ablation for atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. But the procedure triggered an episode of atria fibrillation (afib) that hung on despite three cardioversions.

The doctor had me go home and resume the medications I’d had to be off of for the procedure, thinking that might help get my heart back in rhythm. It didn’t. So today (Friday) I went in for another cardioversion.

Thankfully, God allowed it to work this time with just one shock. Even though the procedure itself doesn’t take long, with all the preparation and then staying for observation afterward, we were at the hospital most of the day.

Thankfully, I had the same two nurses I liked so much last time!

We also had good talk with the cardiologist. I had not seen him personally in a while except for just a minute before the ablation last week. Usually when I go to the office, I see his P.A.–which is fine–I like him well enough. But we were able to discuss what the options were if the cardioversion didn’t work. I’m glad there were options, but even more glad that we didn’t have to go those routes at this time.

Now Jim is out getting take-out, and I am supposed to rest for 48 hours. Which sounds good to me. 🙂

Thanks so much for praying about this with me!

Review: Mercy Mild

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Barbara Harper

Mercy Mild: A 25-Day Christmas Devotional Tracing Christ’s Love from Eden to Eternity by Josh Taylor is a 25-day Advent devotional book leading up to Christmas. Though the author discusses some of the usual Christmas passages and topics, he expands his focus to show that Christ is foretold and pictured in Scripture long before the gospels tell of His birth. And His coming shapes what is taught in the rest of the Bible.

Taylor starts in Genesis, moves to Abraham and the tower of Babel, David, Solomon, the kings, the gospels, the epistles, and Revelation.

Each chapter ends with a prayer, reflection questions, and possible conversation starters from the chapter to spark a spiritual conversation with unbelievers.

I have a multitude of quotes marked in this book. Here are a few:

Your worth isn’t earned. Scripture speaks honestly about our condition—sinners by nature, hostile to God. And yet God’s love reaches across the divide, not because we deserved it, but because love is who He is (p. 3).

How often do we miss God because He shows up differently than we expect? We look for raw power, and He gives us willing sacrifice. We seek a warrior-king, and He sends a servant. We expect a throne, and we get a manger (p. 24).

It’s fascinating how the word “worship” breaks down—“worth-ship.” It’s not about what we get; it’s about declaring what God is worth (p. 49).

God’s writing poetry with geography. The town where David started his search for a place to house God’s presence is exactly where God chose to show up in person (p. 51).

Sometimes the biggest act of courage isn’t doing more; it’s standing still and remembering who God is (p. 56).

This promise didn’t depend on Ahaz’s faith, didn’t need his permission. God was writing a story bigger than one king’s fears or failures (p. 58).

Peace isn’t just about ending wars; it’s about healing what starts them—pride, fear, broken relationships, sin. That’s why surface solutions never last; we need peace that goes soul-deep (p. 67).

He takes our deepest wounds, our darkest chapters, and writes redemption right through them (p. 92).

Sometimes the biggest moments in God’s plan don’t look big at all. Just one person, being faithful, speaking words that heaven whispered first (p. 98).

God didn’t send Jesus because He was lonely or incomplete. He came because that’s what love does—it gives itself away, draws near (p. 104).

A mother’s heart shatters as heaven’s plan unfolds through her Son’s broken body. Being chosen, being blessed—it didn’t spare Mary from this moment. It led her straight to it (p. 131).

The same God who spoke light into existence now arrives as a baby, bringing a different kind of brightness. Not the kind that hurts your eyes, but the kind that helps you see everything more clearly. The kind that shows you the way home (p. 169).

Yet here we are, still acting sometimes like we don’t have a home. Still trying to earn what’s already ours. Still carrying ourselves like orphans when we’re children of the King (p. 168).

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. A couple of passages sparked blog posts. I’m sure I’ll visit this book again in the future.

Review: The Book of Hours

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Barbara Harper

In Davis Bunn’s novel, The Book of Hours, Brian Blackstone has been traveling aimlessly for the past two years, grieving the death of his wife. After a harrowing illness in Sri Lanka, and still not completely well, Brian lands in Oxfordshire at Castle Priory, where his wife had grown up. Her aunt had passed away and left the property to him.

The aunt had been elderly and unable to keep up with repairs, plus, the property had sat untouched for some time. It needed a lot of work in addition to an enormous amount of death duties owed. Though Brian would like to keep the place for his wife’s sake, he can’t afford it. The real estate agent in charge of the property already has it set up to be sold at auction.

The people in the small town around the castle mistakenly think Brian is only after the money the estate will bring, not realizing their won’t be any money left after the sale. One who is particularly frustrated with Brian is Cecilia Lyons, an American doctor whose dream has been to practice in an English village. Plus, she loves her home, Rose Cottage, which is one of the buildings on the castle property, and doesn’t want to lose it.

In addition to the castle drama, the local vicar is facing a battle on another front. The church bells had been taken down to be repaired. But some people don’t want them put back up. They used to chime every hour, which annoyed many people. But the vicar insists it’s not just about the bells–the chimes were a call to prayer.

When Brian finds a letter from his wife’s aunt with a clue to finding another message, he, Cecilia, the vicar, and a couple of others discover that the castle problem and the bell problem might be intertwined. But will they find the solution in time?

I am not sure of the time frame of this story. I don’t think one was mentioned. There are cars and phones, but no mention of cell phones, computers, the internet, etc.

Though most of the book takes place in the weeks before Christmas, that’s almost incidental. The connection with Christmas isn’t mentioned until the last chapter.

I really enjoyed the story a lot. I loved how so many people had to overcome their mistaken impressions about each other. There was quite a lot of suspense in the latter half of the book. And I really loved a lot of side characters, particularly an older couple who are Brian’s neighbors. I found the spiritual journeys of the characters quite touching.

The only odd thing about the story was frequent mention of proceeding with an action or conversation because it “felt right.” That’s not so unusual in itself, but it was mentioned so often it began to stand out.

Overall, I loved the book.