My son, Steven, and I sat on the floor in his room playing a card game. This summer was proving to be the best ever. Our golden retriever, Ginger, had just delivered seven adorable puppies, Steven was enjoying his sixth summer of life, and after four years of negative pregnancy tests, God had surprised us with a new life growing inside my womb. Read more…
Messy Pages Make Beautiful Masterpieces
I wrote a devotion over at Proverbs 31 Ministries last week and I thought it might give you a bit of hope too…especially if parts of your story haven’t turned out like you thought they would. If you’ve already read it over at P31, consider forwarding it to someone who needs a dose of hope in her life. Read more…
Getting a Heavenly Perspective on Earthly Problems
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…
Shame Off You!
Has anyone ever scolded you with the words, “Shame on you”? If they have…don’t receive it. I’m here to today to tell you words God wants you to hear: “Shame off you!”
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. Read more…
Why Your Story Matters
Poor Daddy. He just couldn’t shake it. Shame weighed him down like a dead body strapped to his back. No matter how many times I told him that God loved and accepted him just the way he was, he couldn’t believe it. That kind of grace was unfathomable, unthinkable, unbelievable . . . especially for a man like him. I wonder if you know someone like him…or maybe have been someone like him? Read more…
Moving Beyond Failure
I shared over at Proverbs 31 Ministries yesterday, and thought you might be encouraged by these words too. It’s for every woman who has ever failed…and that includes me. Let’s talk about it.
Sometimes, walking or running away from my failure is easier than facing it.
I’ve walked away from a struggling friendship rather than working through the rough patch to keep it strong. Read more…
Words That Breathe Life
Have you ever had times when you felt like you just couldn’t breathe? Stress weighs you down and the “to-do list” becomes the “too-much-to-do list.” Sometimes we just need a friend to come and breathe life into us. And one of the ways they do that is with words.
When I was in my teens, I went scuba diving with some friends. Read more…
No Plan B
Have you ever taken a leap of faith and then thought to yourself, If this doesn’t work out, I need to come up with a Plan B? Plan B’s are OK some of the time, but not all of the time.
Sometimes when I’m reading the Bible, one little sentence jumps out and grabs me by the heart. Read more…
The Father Ache
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…
Worry Wastes Life
Are you a worry wart? Do you know any worry warts? Are you afraid of the future? Good news! God knows about our tendency to worry so He made sure there was lots in the Bible about it! Let’s talk about two words we read a lot in Scripture.
“Fear not!”
That’s a common shout out in the Bible. Read more…