Have you ever been reading the Bible and suddenly something grabs hold of you so tightly, you know, oh you know, that God has opened your eyes to a new truth? That He has spoken to you loud and clear? Not through someone else, but directly to you? That happened to me one morning while reading the story of Ruth, Read more…
Have you ever felt that this thing called life is just too hard? I know I have.
I remember when my son was four-years-old and I was trying to teach him how to snow ski. The first day was just horrible…at least it was for me. I felt like a down-covered workhorse as I lugged two sets of skis in one arm while dragging along Steven with the other. Read more…
A sign was posted on a telephone pole by the grocery store: LOST DOG with three legs, blind in left eye, missing right ear, tail broken and recently castrated. Answers to the name of “Lucky!”
Perhaps as you’ve had times in your life when you’ve felt about that lucky! You’ve wondered how you can help someone else or encourage someone else when you feel so empty. Read more…
Have you ever felt discouraged and disappointed? Silly question. We all have. Keep reading and you’ll see how Mary Magdalene handled those same feelings. Let’s see what we can learn from her.
Sometimes you expect you’re getting a Rachel and you wake up with a Leah. Okay, I know that example might connect better with a guy, but you get the point. Read more…
Do you ever have trouble trusting God? I get it, we all do. This post is just for us occasional doubters.
I hopped up on the counter at the soda fountain and placed my five-year-old feet on the spinning stool in front of me. Dad sipped on a Coke and talked to the lady behind the counter with the red-and-white-striped apron tied around her waist. Read more…
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, Read more…
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, Read more…
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. Read more…
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 figuratively. Read more…
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 eat until we hurt. Read more…