Have you ever heard someone say, “She’s just a bitter old woman.”
I have. And whenever I do, I know exactly what the person means. The image comes instantly to mind—a woman whose smile has been replaced by a scowl, whose conversations are peppered with complaints, and whose heart seems trapped in yesterday’s hurts.
I don’t want to be that woman. Read more…
Have you ever had a hard time forgiving someone? If so, keep reading…
It was a Saturday afternoon college football game, and I was doing what I like best—not watching the game but observing people.
My flip-down seat was the last in a long row of Carolina blue. A steady stream of fans traipsed up and down the concrete steps carrying soft drinks, Read more…
I have a confession to make. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but when I was in high school, I hardly ever read the books we were supposed to have read in English class. I read the Cliffs Notes study guides and got by. I mean, who’s got time for homework? Right?
But a decade later, I decided to go back and get that high school reading list and actually read the books! Read more…
Have you ever wondered if God is really for you? Here’s a lesson I learned about how to view my weaknesses.
My son played on his high school basketball team when he was a teenager. We loved sitting in the bleachers and cheering him on.
At one game, I noticed a man on the home side of the court videoing the action. Read more…
Hi friends, did you know I have been writing devotions for over 25 years! So I’m changing it up a bit. Starting April, 2026, my devotions will release on the first and third Tuesdays of every month, rather than weekly. Thank you for sharing them with your friends and encouraging them to sign up! It means the world to me! Read more…
I sat in the dimly lit room with soft music wafting through the air, and I began to relax. No this was not the prelude to a romantic evening with my husband. It was my yearly eye exam!
If you’ve ever had an eye exam, you’re familiar with the refraction test the doctor uses to determine if you need glasses and if so, Read more…
The beach storm was fierce. Angry black clouds pelted watery swords toward the roaring waves that reached up with foamy fists. Sea oats and tall beach grass strained to keep the sand dunes in place. But within thirty minutes of the war of wind and waves, the sun came from the east, chased the irate clouds out to sea, and told the ocean to settle down. Read more…
Hi there. I’m back from a month of reflection and rest. I’ve been praying for you and I’ve missed you! I’m glad to be back. Here’s today’s devotion:
There have been times when my heart ached because of a difficult or disappointing situation: a bad decision that led to painful season, an unexpected happenstance that created an unresolved circumstance, Read more…
I sat across the table from a broken friend. Her life was scattered on the coffee shop floor like spilled grounds from the bean machine. Melissa (not her real name) had had an affair, and she finally mustered up the courage to tell me the truth. I knew about some of it, but not all of it.
While listening to her through tears, Read more…
(Let today’s devotion prepare your heart for Easter.)
Suppose I knew ahead of time that the people who cheered for me one day, would sneer at me five days later. That the people who showered me with praise one day would hurl insults the next. How would I respond to the accolades, applause, and admiration of others on a Sunday…if I knew those same people would turn their backs on me and shake their raised fists at me the following Friday? Read more…