Have you ever asked God to take care of a situation, but then found yourself holding on to it so tightly you got in His way? I sure have. I’ve prayed for various situations and then tried to fix them myself. Not a good idea.
I saw a great example of that when my son was in elementary school. Read more…
As moms, wives, and co-workers and friends, we face many seemingly impossible situations. School struggles that seem beyond a tutor’s intervention. Maturing that feels like it’s on the far side of never. Attitude adjustments that could use a personality transplant. Relationships in which someone jumps ship.
The Bible is filled with stories of seemingly hopeless situations that served as a backdrop for heavenly miracles. Read more…
I had been praying for a family member for my entire adult life, but it seemed nothing was happening. Nothing. Perhaps you’ve felt that way about a prayer before.
In 1 Kings 18:41-45, there’s a story about the prophet named Elijah who predicted a three-and-a half-year drought was coming to an end. After delivering the news to King Ahad, Read more…
I sat by her bed.
Her hand swollen…full…unmoving.
Feet that danced just a few weeks ago now stilled. Arms that lifted just a short time ago now limp. Words that spilled easily just a moment ago now halted. How could life seep away so quickly, right before my eyes?
Mom was ready. But I wasn’t. Read more…
Have you ever prayed about something, but didn’t really expect God to answer…I mean really expect it? I’ll admit I have. Sometimes I’ve prayed because I knew I should, but doubted God would truly answer.
That same thing happened to a bunch of Peter’s friends. (Acts 12)
In the early years of the church, King Herod had many Christians murdered and many more put in prison. Read more…
It was time for prayer requests from the five-year-olds in my Sunday School class. They eagerly raised their hands and expressed their greatest concerns for the day.
“Pray for my loose tooth, that it’ll come out.”
“Pray for my tooth, that it’ll come in.”
“Pray for my cat who is sick, that God will make her better.”
“Pray for my daddy. Read more…
Harper and I were having a visit on Facetime. This five-year-old bundle of love, my niece’s daughter, was telling me all about her Guinea pig, Skitters. Skitters was her new best friend. He went down the sliding board with her, nibbled on baby carrots at tea parties across from her, and nestled in the mini stroller in front of her during walks. Read more…
I’m writing over at Proverbs 31 Ministries today, and thought you might enjoy it too!
There’s something about January that gets me down. While others are setting New Year’s resolutions and goals for the months ahead, I tend to feel sorry for myself because some areas of my life aren’t where I hoped they’d be by now. Read more…
I know that most of you in my online family know the story of how I came to faith, but I realize that many of you don’t. So, I want to take today to share it with you. If you’ve heard it before, perhaps this would be an opportunity to forward it to someone who might be encouraged by it. Read more…
In the South, we name our beach cottages. Barb’s Folly was one of our favorites to rent. Her screened-in back porch on the second floor overlooked a weather-worn dock jutting out over a lazy canal, and fuchsia myrtle bushes dotted the landscape like splashes of paint. The outdoor back stairway wrapped around a palm tree that reached for the sky, Read more…