My family growing up was one big mess. Fighting. Arguing. Yelling. Crying. And eventually, a lot of forgiving. If ever there is a place to learn about forgiveness…to practice forgiveness…to struggle with forgiveness…it is in the family. And interestingly, it is in the context of family where the word forgiveness first shows up in the Bible.
Let’s dig into Scripture today. Read more…
Let me tell you a story about what it looks like to hang on to Jesus. It just might be what you need to do today.
Blondin” was the stage name for Frenchman Jean-Francois Gravelet. He was a young man who migrated to the United States with a troupe of acrobats employed by Master Showman P.T. Barnum. In 1858, Read more…
I remember as a little girl, hiding under the covers of my bed, trying to shut out my parents’ yelling and screaming in the next room. I heard bad words. I didn’t know what some of them meant, but I did know how they made me feel. Dirty. The next morning, I awoke to the aftermath of the night’s tirade—Mom’s black eye, Read more…
Don’t you love those movies when boy meets girl…and then boy pursues girl…then they fall in love?
I was in college when I met my husband at a Bible study. He was sitting on the floor dressed in scruffy jeans, a red flannel shirt, and a strong face that needed a shave. The moment I saw him, I was smitten. Read more…
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…
It’s coming. We can’t stop it. The holidays are upon us. And while it is a joyous time of year, it can also try our patience and get on our last nerve. Actually, it’s not the season itself…but the people. Am I the only one who feels that way? I don’t think so…smile.
While pondering the happy and the harrowing feelings that come along with all this togetherness that is coming over the next six weeks, Read more…
It was a Saturday college football game and I was doing what I like doing best—not watching the game but observing people. My seat was on the end of a long row of Carolina blue bleachers, and a steady flow of fans walked up and down the concrete steps. After a while, I noticed that four out of five people walking up the stands tripped on the step right in front of me. Read more…
Father’s Day is coming up in just a few days. For some, it is a lonely day because the dad they loved has passed away or is absent from their lives. For some it is a painful day because of past memories and disappointments. Wherever you are on the continuum of happy to heartbroken this Father’s Day, keep reading to be reminded that you have a Heavenly Father who is the best dad of all. Read more…
Aren’t you glad that God gives us second chances…and third…and fourth…and…
Perhaps one of the most memorable and heart-touching stories of grace and forgiveness is recorded in Luke 15. It’s what we’ve come to know as the Story of the Prodigal Son. This young man demanded his inheritance while his father was still alive, spent it all on riotous living, Read more…
I’m sharing over at Proverbs 31 Ministries today about how a friend helped me through one of the most difficult days of my life. I thought it might encourage you too. So grab a cup of coffee and prepare your heart.
It was one of the worst days of my life. Tragedy struck our family in the worst way, Read more…