Who in the world would wait until Christmas Eve to do their Christmas shopping? I find it hard to believe the statistics that show December 24th is one of the biggest shopping days of the year, so one season I decided to venture out to the stores and see for myself. I usually have my Christmas list complete by Thanksgiving to avoid the crowds, Read more…
I wonder, has your life turned out like you thought it would? If you’re like most of us, your answer is probably “no.” Maybe it’s better than you imagined. Maybe it’s worse than you thought possible. Most likely it’s just different.
When I hit 40, I realized life wasn’t turning out like I thought it would. There would be no gaggle of laughing children filling my home, Read more…
My husband woke one morning with a nostalgic urge to revisit the small North Carolina town where he spent the first eight years of his childhood. At family gatherings, he and his twin brother recounted endless stories of playing kick-the-can and baseball in their front yard, which was “at least the size of a football field.”
They recalled long hardwood hallways where they slid sock-footed, Read more…
Have you ever felt like you just wanted to quit this thing called the “great race” of life? That’s your spiritual legs ache and you would much rather sit on the side of the road and have a good pity party than take one more step. I certainly have. And then I think of my nephew Stu and his mom, Read more…
Have you ever felt that your love for Jesus has just grown cold? Maybe you feel that way right now. If so, keep reading…
Most of us come to Christ with a certain “inloveness”—a stirring of emotion mixed with an inexplicable knowing that we’ve discovered our reason for being. But some years into our spiritual journey, the wonder that swelled during the early years ebbs into routine religion laced with busyness. Read more…
Today I want to share with you a story that I wrote a few years ago. In it, I tried to imagine what it would have been like to be one of the shepherds who visited Jesus at His birth. For just a moment, I want you to pretend that you are reading a letter that one of the shepherds wrote to his brother, Read more…
I opened the letter and read words of rejection. Thanks, but no thanks.
Several months prior, I had sent my first book proposal off to a publisher. It was a step of faith walking to that mailbox and dropping it in the slot. However, I knew this was what God was calling me to do. Then the rejection letter came. Read more…
One phone call and my life crumbled into a pile of dust easily blown away by shock and unbelief. In a moment, my trust in God was tested as never before. Could I trust Him with this?
Trusting God would certainly be easier if we could see Him and His angel armies face to face. But even though we can’t see the physical realm, Read more…
Sometimes when I’m reading the Bible, one little sentence jumps out and grabs me by the heart. That’s what happened when I read 1 Kings 19:19-21. This was the day that Elijah the prophet called Elisha the farmer to take his place. Here’s the verse…
“He burned the plowing equipment…” 1 Kings 19:21
Okay, this might be the strangest Bible verse I’ve written about, Read more…
Have you ever had a disappointment that ripped your heart out? Perhaps you’re in the middle of or recovering from one right now. Let me tell you a story about one of the most difficult days of my life and how God pulled me through.
I sat on the floor playing a card game with my young son. Read more…