Blog – Barbara Lynn Seibel

June 22, 2025June 21, 2025

Trials, Tests, and Insults are to be Expected

I literally walked away from the computer after deciding on the title for this post.

Why, you ask?

Because it makes me uncomfortable.

Yet, when I reflect on all I have experienced in my life, I know it is true.

I can’t run away from it.

Neither can you.

I don’t enjoy thinking that trials, tests and insults are a normal part of our lives.

Some are small and better described as inconveniences or annoyances.

But I’m not thinking about ordinary trials, tests or insults today.

Rather, I’m reflecting on the trials, tests, and insults that come because of my faith in Christ.

And that makes me even more uncomfortable.

Yet, Peter provides encouragement about this in his first epistle.

June 15, 2025June 14, 2025

Attitude Adjustment for Jesus Followers

Roughly thirty years ago, my late husband and I had recently rescued an Akita/Rottweiler mixed puppy we kept outside.

Our other two dogs were Pomeranians that spent most of their time inside.

One day, when we were all in the backyard, the new puppy started zooming happily towards my late husband. The male Pomeranian quickly took up a stance between the puppy and my late husband and started barking to take control of the larger puppy.

As the larger puppy approached, one of his paws accidentally tagged the Pom, sending the Pom into rolling somersaults. The look on the Pom’s face after recovering from the somersaults showed wounded pride. He then slowly slinked to the backdoor with his tail down, wanting to hide.

From that moment on, that Pom avoided the Akita/Rottweiler puppy.

I’ll share the rest of this story about our dog’s wounded attitude adjustment in relation to our study of 1 Peter 4:1-11 at the end of the post.

Meanwhile, let’s see what Peter has to share about attitude adjustments.

June 8, 2025June 8, 2025

Reminders of What to Focus On

Focus.

Back in my undergraduate days as a music student, I can say I was focused.

I was required to practice two hours daily per instrument as a double major in piano and flute performance.

My practice routine, however, was ten hours per day. Six hours on the piano and four hours on the flute.

I wasn’t just focused; I was obsessed.

Years and two shoulder surgeries later, this hyper-focused obsession with over practicing took a significant toll on my upper body stamina.

Today, I make sure I take frequent breaks and regular stretching, working as I do at a computer both for my day job and for my writing pursuits.

If I fail to focus on taking care of my upper body, I pay the price with significant physical pain.

Finding the peaceful balance of the right amount of activity for my upper body was a learning process that required maturity and time.

What does this have to do with reminding us of our spiritual focus?

June 1, 2025June 1, 2025

Sometimes I Need to Rest

Rest.

Something we all need, but many of us struggle to do.

I certainly struggle to rest.

Sometimes it is an emotional rest that I need.

At other times, physical rest is critical.

Then there is also mental rest that is required.

And yes, sometimes we need spiritual rest, too.

Today I think I need all four areas to rest.

Why do I need rest?

May 25, 2025May 24, 2025

Called from Darkness to be Living Stones

Do you recognize the plant in the picture above?

It is a lithop.

I was thrilled when I first learned about these little succulent plants that look like stones or pebbles many years ago.

They even produce a flower.

When I first learned about them, it took a while to find a local plant nursery that had some for sale.

I do not have any right now, but after studying our passage for today, I might get me one or two again.

Why, you ask?

Our passage today talks about the ultimate living stone, and tending to some lithops could be a fun visual reminder of this passage.

May 18, 2025May 17, 2025

Relating to This World and God with Hope

Hope.

A four-letter word packed with positivity.

Yet hope is often something we must fight hard to hold on to when we face hardships.

Consider how the picture above relates to this post’s title.

What part of the picture represents the world?

Where do you see hope in the picture?

How is God a part of the picture?

Why is it important to relate to the world and God with hope?

I’ll share my personal thoughts at the end of the post. But first, how does 1 Peter 1:13-21 help us answer the above questions?

May 11, 2025May 12, 2025

How Do We Know God Cares?

In September 2024, a hurricane affected the area where I live.

As I was watching the rain, I saw a tree fall that just barely missed hitting my balcony and fence in the back of my home.

Once the rain had cleared, I discovered that five trees had fallen, and another one was leaning against my neighbor’s home.

Given the amount of devastation that this hurricane caused throughout the area, it wasn’t until late April 2025 that the trees behind my and my neighbor’s homes were finally cleared.

This past week, as I was surveying the tree stumps that remain, I realized that the trees going down were a provision of God’s care for me in a way that I truly needed last fall.

And yes, it has something to do with the kittens in the picture above.

I’ll explain this as we study 1 Peter 1:3-9.

May 4, 2025May 3, 2025

Are You an Obedient Exile?

This question is not about physical exile per se.

Rather, it is a question of whether you are obedient to your faith when the stakes become higher than you expected.

Are you aware there are more martyrs for Christian faith today than at any other time in history?

If this startles you, it is probable that you live somewhere where Christianity or being a follower of Jesus is not under outright persecution.

It may also startle you if you are not someone who keeps informed about the state of God’s mission to redeem people from every group across the globe.

Today, we will study the opening two verses of 1 Peter from the New Testament.

I hope these two verses will encourage you to consider deeply what it truly means to be an obedient exile no matter where you live.

April 27, 2025April 26, 2025

Why Did Jesus Walk to Emmaus?

In the immediate days following a tragedy, we are at first in shock.

Bewilderment is a common expression along with questions of why and how this tragedy could have happened.

The followers of Jesus experienced all of this after his crucifixion on a cross. (Luke 23:26-49)

But then something remarkable happened that caused even more bewilderment.

The women who went to anoint his body with spices according to their burial customs discovered an open and empty tomb. (Luke 24:1-3)

Angels appeared and informed the women that Jesus was alive, so they went and told the disciples and others. (Luke 24:4-10)

But the apostles did not believe the women. (Luke 24:11).

Peter, investigating their report, discovered things just as they said, but no angels appeared to him at the tomb. Thus, he then went home marveling at what this meant. (Luke 24:12)

Luke then turns his attention to two followers of Jesus, who left Jerusalem for Emmaus, sharing that Jesus joined them on their journey. Neither of these two were part of the lead apostles.

The question is, why did Jesus walk to Emmaus with these two followers?

April 13, 2025April 13, 2025

Have You Ridden a Donkey?

I am sure I have been around a donkey or two at a zoo or other wildlife preserve.

But I have never ridden one. Nor have I had to lead one anywhere.

In the last year of my earthly father’s life, he shared a story with me I had never heard before about a time he handled two donkeys.

He shared he was responsible for getting these two donkeys from one location to where his father was waiting for him.

At one point, the donkey he was riding stopped and refused to move forward. The other donkey also stopped. My dad said he did everything he could think of to get those donkeys moving again.

Donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn, which my father experienced firsthand.

What does this have to do with Matthew 21:1-11?