As we’re headed into Thanksgiving week, I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude. Gratitude and thanksgiving are so important for your soul. It’s not just what God wants from you; it’s what God wants for you. Gratitude has been called the “memory of the heart.” Praise and gratitude bring up pictures in our minds that say, “Remember when…” Isn’t that …
Have you ever noticed this pattern in the gospels: the disciples get in a bind and Jesus bails them out? Hmmm. It sounds a little bit about my life. How about you? In John 6:1-15, we find the disciples in a precarious situation. Their lawn party had turned into quite a bash. The guests far exceeded their expectations, the disciples …
If you’ve ever wanted to jump in and solve someone else’s problems for them, then this post if for you! Join me in the laundry room. He ironed. I watched. I stood in the door frame of my guestroom, watching my nephew Jonathan iron the wrinkles out of his crumpled shirt, the rumpled creases out of his crumpled heart. He …
Have you ever felt like God has forgotten you? I know I have. When my husband and I lost our second child, I felt like God was far away, and didn’t see what I was going through. It was a wilderness time, and I felt very alone. In Exodus 3, Moses was on the far side of the wilderness—literally and …
You could smell the fried chicken as we walked out of the restaurant, but we pranced out as if nothing was unusual. When I was in dental hygiene school, my friends and I never had enough money to go out to dinner…unless it was all you can eat night at Wilbur’s Barbeque. On those nights, we gathered our pennies and …
My son and I sat on the floor in his room playing Rummy. We had just a few minutes before rushing off to register for his summer swim class and wanted to get in one more round of play. This summer was proving to be the best ever. Our Golden Retriever, Ginger, had just delivered seven adorable puppies, Steven was …
I was riding down the crowded streets of Mexico City in a cab when I saw her. She measured about four feet high, back curved, bent at the waist at a ninety-degree angle, and fingers gnarled and twisted shut. Like an upside-down chair, her face was parallel to the dirty sidewalk. Feet. Dirt. Trash. That was her view of the …
I’m writing over at Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Encouragement for Today this morning. I wanted to share this with you too. By the way, if you haven’t been over to P31’s website, check it out! Can I make a confession? Sometimes I quit too soon. I’ve quit when what I really needed was to press on and press through. Sometimes I’ve …
Have you ever felt like Jesus was on vacation or lost your address? Have you ever cried out, “God, where are you?” I know I have. A crisis of belief occurs for most of us during difficult situations. We know that God is all-powerful and could rescue, heal, or save us at any time. So we tend to feel abandoned …
Have you ever said, “I just can’t help myself!” I’ll admit, I have. I think we all have. But is that really true? Jennifer stood in front of the mirror staring at the overweight woman looking back at her. Just two years ago she’d lost 120 pounds, and now 80 of them were back. I can’t keep this weight off, …