Francine Rivers's Blog, page 13

Pandemic of Love

A favorite scripture of mine is Romans 8:28:  “All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”  Of course, we don’t always recognize those good things when we are going through trials and crises.  It often takes time and wisdom brought through life experiences for us to look back and see the blessings that came from them.  But there are also things we can see as blessings ... Read more

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Easter and Sheltering in Him

Life on this earth is always fraught with difficulties, crises, uncertainty. This is nothing new, and wars (whether nation against nation or against a virus) will continue until Jesus comes again. As we shelter-in-place, we do not need to be afraid. While we practice social distancing, we can stay in touch through social media, telephone calls, letters and cards. Remember — Jesus lived thirty-three years in a human body; fully human and fully divine. He had ... Read more

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The Corona Virus

The Corona Virus was already spreading when Rick and I were returning from a trip to South Africa.  (I hope to tell you more about our visit to that beautiful country soon.)  We transited London’s immense Heathrow airport, had a five-hour layover, then caught a long flight to San Francisco, followed by a two-hour ride home during Friday get-out-of-town traffic.  We heard from friends on the cruise ship Grand Princess, still refused (at the time) docking ... Read more

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Searching for Solutions to Help the Homeless – Part 3

My daughter, Shannon, pointed out a “Gift to God” section in the Tyndale Life Application Bible Commentary on the book of Acts  (page 172) on the  excuses we’ve all made at times – and may continue to do so – for not helping the poor and needy.  Here are eight of the most common excuses the commentary writers listed: They don’t deserve help. They got themselves into poverty; let them get themselves out. God’s call to ... Read more

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Searching for Solutions to Help the Homeless – Part 2

When finding solutions, it is always helpful to look to Scripture and see what God has to say about our problems.  It might surprise you to know the Lord designed a system to provide for the poor.  The following are just a few of the scriptures that address poverty.  Leviticus 19:9-10 – When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the crops along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up ... Read more

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Searching for Solutions to Homelessness

Over the past few years, our area, along with so many others, has seen a rise in homelessness.  Those living on the streets used to find hidden places to camp.  Now, they build tarp villages on downtown streets, in city parks and along public nature trails. There is a banner in the largest local encampment, one commuters drive by every day that says F— YOU in large red letters. A state of emergency was declared five ... Read more

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Searching for Solutions to Help the Homeless – Part 1

Over the past few years, our area, along with so many others, has seen a rise in homelessness. Those living on the streets used to find hidden places to camp. Now, they build tarp villages on downtown streets, in city parks and along public nature trails. There is a banner in the largest local encampment, one commuters drive by every day that says F— YOU in large red letters. A state of emergency was declared five ... Read more

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Thanksgiving

The first Pilgrims sailed from England in 1620 — seventy-two men and thirty women (eighteen of whom were adults).  During the first winter in the New World, almost half died.  Governor William Bradford found it necessary to ration corn; five kernels of corn per day per person. When Captain Jones readied the Mayflower for its return to England, he invited the survivors to return with him.  When he set sail on April 21, 1621, not one ... Read more

Kincaid Fire Evacuation

Rick and I received warnings on our cellphones that we might have to evacuate due to the Kincaid fire northeast of town.  Geyserville, Healdsburg and Windsor had already been evacuated.  The blaze was out of control, consuming acres of grass, brush, trees, and some houses and businesses.  PG&E was shutting down power all over the state, and Sonoma County was on the list. A few days before the inferno, people had lined up at gas stations ... Read more

Friends Fleeing California

Over the past year, several couples in our Bible study have moved away.  Why?  Here are some reasons (and something to consider if you long to live in California):             Highest state income tax in the US             2nd highest gas tax in the US             1.3 Trillion dollars in debt             Highest homeless population in the US             Highest poverty rate in the US             One out of three welfare recipients live in California             ... Read more