Spiritual Sparks
“He is not here, for he has risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:6 KJV As the first rays of dawn pierce through night’s veil, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Matthew 28:1 KJV) make their way to Jesus’ tomb. The air is thick with dew and sorrow, and their hearts are heavy with grief. They carry the silent echoes of a lost love. Each step is slow, as if their souls are afraid of what they may or may not find. As they approach the tomb, Heaven shakes the earth and the ground trembles beneath their feet. A radiant angel descends, bright as lightning, clad in a robe as pure as freshly fallen snow. He rolls away the stone—not with effort, but with authority—and sits atop it, as though to say: The door to eternity now stands open and death lies dethroned. The women freeze in a storm of confusion and awe. Grief still clings, but something new flickers. As they peer inside the tomb—eyes wide, breath held—a spark of wonder ignites. The tomb. Empty. Desperation grips their gaze as the angel speaks words that turn the world upside down: “He is not here, for he has risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where he lay” (Matthew 28:6 KJV). The stone slab on which Jesus laid, now a vacant space where eternity broke through time. The unthinkable made real! Death—rewritten by Love. Resurrection doesn’t just challenge faith. It invites us into a divine mystery—where God’s promises soar beyond all human doubt. You see, in a world obsessed with proof and logic, Matthew 28:6 is where the tangible embraces the Divine, where darkness bows before the light, where faith trusts a God who doesn’t just break rules—He breaks graves. This Easter as we kneel at the cross, weep at the tomb, and rise with the resurrection, let’s thank the two Marys. Despite their heartbreak, they showed up when all seemed lost. They found our Savior didn't just destroy death—He conquered it. Through His victory, we find redemption, rebirth, restoration. We find life without expiration. We find ... resurrection reality. Beloved, Jesus is alive. He has risen indeed. Heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of eternal life, for the empty tomb, and for the hope resurrection brings. In moments of doubt or fear, remind me that Love conquers death and that mercy owns the final word. Lord, shape my heart to reflect Jesus' peace, grace, and joy. Teach me to share Jesus' love in all I do and to carry Your light throughout this broken world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV Daylight Saving Time arrives this Sunday—a dreaded morning when we all lose an hour of sleep. We wake up feeling as if we've stepped onto a treadmill spinning at full speed. Our alarms blare like sirens of betrayal, coffee feels as weak as a toddler's handshake, and church pews have a mysterious number of missing members. I remember last year's time change all too well. For some reason I went to bed knowing the clocks would spring ahead but woke up in the morning blissfully unaware … until I glanced at the clock on my nightstand. Panic hit me like a bucket of ice water. I had exactly fourteen minutes to be somewhere that took twenty minutes to drive to. Could I make it? Probably not. Maybe? My math was not mathing. I threw on my clothes with the grace of a raccoon in a laundry basket, grabbed a cup of coffee but forgot the cream, then sprinted to the car—only to realize my gas tank was running on hope and a prayer. By the time I arrived—breathless and questioning my life choices—I realized I wasn’t the only one frazzled. Two of my friends looked like their alarm clocks attacked them. The lost hour can be such a menace, right? Seriously, what happens to that lost hour? Does it fall into a Daylight Saving Time black hole for misplaced time? Maybe it's floating on a cosmic lost-and-found cloud? No one knows. What I do know: Time ultimately belongs to God. He owns it. He created it. So, even as our man-made clocks spring ahead, I'd like to believe God simply snatches the lost hour out of the thin air, tosses it into the night sky, and creates a shining new star—untouched, unbothered, and twinkling for all to see. So, as we adjust to the panicked grogginess of spring's disappearing hour, rest assured time is never really lost. No, not at all. Dear friend, it simply twinkles throughout the universe, reminding us: " To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV). Heavenly Father, When the seasonal hour springs ahead, help me remember that Your timing is always perfect and there is a purpose for everything under heaven. May I always trust that You are in control of every second of our life and may the twinkle of time remind me that nothing is ever truly lost when it rests in Your hands. In Jesus' name. Amen. Spiritual Sparks Just as God placed the rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise, spend a few moments reading these verses about stars and God’s sovereignty over time: Matthew 2:2 – "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." (NKJV) Interpretation-->The Star of Bethlehem led the wise men to Jesus, showing God's perfect guidance and timing. Psalm 147:4 – " He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name." (NKJV) Interpretation--> God numbers and names each star, just as He is in control of every moment of our lives. Job 38:7 – "When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (NKJV) Interpretation-->The morning stars sang as God laid the foundations of the world—time itself is His creation. Revelation 22:16 – "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." (NKJV) Interpretation--> Jesus, the Bright Morning Star, is our ultimate reminder that God reigns over time and eternity.
Prayers Under Fire
(coming soon)
Dex Hamilton, special ops mercenary, turned his back on God six years ago. He now spends his rogue life living for the government, sidestepping a monotony of red tape, and righting a long-overdue wrong.
Marcee Simmons, small-town preacher’s daughter from Ohio, is forced to drive deep into the Belize jungle with Dex. Her faith is tested as she and Dex dodge a host of armed men, cavort with a freeloading tarantula, and plunge over a makeshift waterfall.
Together they must evade the evil forces of a kingpin who fights to monopolize new smuggling channels for the exploitation of illegal drugs and human trafficking. When a few phenomenal miracles cross their paths, the results become an awakening kaleidoscope of change, making their survival critical, their trust unavoidable, and their love unstoppable.
Linda Morgan
Linda Morgan resides in Ohio with her husband. She is a flower gardener at heart, loves to zipline and shoot guns—not at the same time, though. She is an eclectic book nerd. She loves reading her Bible and any devotional she can get her hands on. However, Linda is also an avid reader of everything from Dr. Seuss to Helen Steiner-Rice, YA adventures to espionage thrillers, romantic suspense to clean rom-coms. The latter being her all-time favorite, and as her husband is always quick to point out: “Life’s (more!) better when you’re laughing.” She agrees.
She is a word geek to the extreme and for some quirky reason has an overwhelming impulse to spell words backwards, but only to herself. Not out loud. That would just be weird.
She's written a full-length novel, Prayers Under Fire, which will be released soon. When she typed "the end" to Marcee Simmons' story, she says it was a cartwheel-delight moment--literally. Linda combines page-turning adventure, intriguing suspense, and a romantic happily-ever-after ending to her novels. She had a poem published a decade ago, and a few years back, she won first place on two devotions submitted to FaithWriters.com.
Above all else, God is number one in her life, and Linda knows she wouldn’t be writing if she didn’t believe this is what He’s called her to do. Please take the time to stop by her devotional page, "Spiritual Sparks." She welcomes your visits and prays her words touch your heart.