This past fall I was reading through God's Word with the Sweeter Than Honey Bible reading plan. On October 17, I came to ​​2 Chronicles 33. There we read of Manasseh's reign over Judah.

We also read of ​Manasseh's enormous sin—not only private sin, but very public sin. So public in fact that Bible tells us he led all Israel astray.

But then, in a complete about-face, we read of King Manasseh's humble repentance to God.

The lesson I saw there was that no one is beyond God's reach—no one! No matter how big the sin, God covers it.

Finally, and here's the best part, we read of God’s incredible act of mercy. This act of mercy is great on Manasseh's behalf, and actually, on behalf of all Israel.

This past fall, I was reading through the Bible with the Sweeter Than Honey Bible reading plan. On September 23, I came to the book of Esther.

The book of Esther is one of my favorite books in the Bible. A little-known fact about the Bible is that God is not mentioned once. Although He is not mentioned by name, we see Him working through Esther's story. We see this throughout the book, and the book has excellent lessons to teach us.​

​One important lesson the book has for us in chapters 4-6 is about time. "For such a time as this" Esther 4:14 says. "For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

I used to think that when our children turned 18 or 21, when they moved on to adulthood and out of our home, our parenting days would be done. Wow, was I ever wrong! Our parenting days have just begun it seems.

I've heard other parents say things like, "All we can do is pray." Well, maybe so, but isn't that the most important thing we can do as well?

All we can do is the most important thing!

Praying over our adult children is a way for us to express to them our love, support, and belief that prayer has power and it works.

Our adult children may or may not ask for our guidance as they navigate this difficult adult life. Whether they do or not, we need to pray for them. They need protection that we can no longer offer—protection only God can provide.

I love a good “how to” video or article online! It is always such a cool thing to sit and watch or read the directions on how to do something new. I love following directions and seeing the finished product of my hard work!

I have recently revived a childhood hobby in my life – building Legos! I love it! All the pieces spread out on the table and a huge book of instructions on how to take hundreds or even thousands of tiny pieces and make them into something so lifelike! But the trick to successful Lego building is to follow the directions.

When I was a kid, I would just build with whatever I had on hand in my huge bucket of Legos. Now that I am older and much more mature, I keep all the pieces for each set separate so that I can easily follow the instructions to build exactly what is intended. 

The Beatitudes are a set of teachings by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7.

These eight blessings, also called "beatitudes," describe the characteristics and behaviors of individuals who are blessed by God, as well as the rewards that they will receive in Heaven.

Here are the eight Beatitudes:

• "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."
• "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
• "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
• "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

The message of the Gospel is beautiful in its simplicity. It is straightforward, it never changes, and it holds equal power for every individual who believes. Behind that simple message, though, is an infinite and incomprehensible divine power.

God is behind the Gospel, and He is capable of anything.​

• He can make a Gospel simple enough for a child to understand but complex enough for scholars to discuss for centuries.
• He can make a Gospel simple enough to distill into one sentence and complex enough to fill an entire book.
• He can make a Gospel simple enough to understand at the time of salvation and complex enough to still be learning about it twenty years later.

What is the sovereignty of God?

First, let's define the word "sovereign." Sovereign has everything to do with power. When used in a sentence, the word often describes a person who has supreme power or authority.

The sovereignty of God is the fact that He is the Lord over all creation. As sovereign, He exercises His rule. This rule is exerted through God's authority as King of kings and Lord of lords. He ultimately controls all things, and that is important for us to remember, especially in the chaotic world we live in today.