My father turned 82 today. Two years ago we found out that he was in Stage 4 kidney failure, and he quickly progressed to end-stage, requiring dialysis to survive. While the damage done to his body cannot be reversed, being hooked up to a machine to rid his body of the toxins has prolonged his…
“Why do bad things happen to good people?” “If God is good, then why is there so much suffering in the world?” Two very important questions that are often asked by those considering Christianity, these are some of life’s hardest questions. Why would I want to tackle them? Because many in our world are asking,…
Young girls carefully slip the perfectly white gloves onto their little hands, working to fit each finger inside the correct hole. Almost instantly, it seems, they are whisked away to a land of make-believe. Transported to another time and place, they begin to speak in a polite accent, go through the motions of being “proper”,…
I long to be the one who makes you smile. From deep within me is a person who wants to be that somebody who makes every person feel like a somebody. I really do want to be an encourager, but far too often I leave a conversation thinking about what I wish I had said. …
We all have them. Those little things that drive us crazy. They flip our switch and spark a fire. The question is, if we want a happy marriage, how do we respond to those little idiosyncrasies that get under our skin? “If you let them, idiosyncrasies can take the joy out of marriage. Those peculiarities…
The problem with falling down is not just the initial shock or the pain of blunt force trauma to your backside, but the consternation and wounding of your pride as others look on. Worse than that is when the fall is not physical at all, but a spiritual, emotional or moral tumble that leaves you…
Every day you wake up thinking, “maybe today will be the day someone finds her.” Our story is a common one, unfortunately. Looking for a lost dog, we have heard all kinds of stories about beloved pets who decided to journey into the unknown. So I pray. Of course I pray. The creator of the…
Sometimes it is of our own doing. Sometimes it comes because of the hard circumstances of life. That familiar, not so friendly state of feeling frustrated. Desperate. Lonely. Tired. Tired of where we are but not sure how to turn the corner and move past this place that seems, well, muddied. Like the familiar story…
Despite the not-so-uncommon view that the hope of this world is found in politics or prosperity or possessions, one brush with eternity, and your perspective can change in a heartbeat. Hope has a name: His name is Jesus. When our youngest was in junior high, he started complaining about pain in the side of his…
My story is not a dramatic one, but it starts in the shadow of pain. I was born 10 months after the tragic death of a sister, only eight months old. Pain has a way of shaping you, and my sweet mother was never the same after losing a child. I know. She’s told me.…
The words jumped out at me from the page. “Do the next thing.” As simple as this phrase might seem, some days life can stop us in our tracks. Whether we are struggling physically–or emotionally hanging on by a thread, our minds can be overcome by a sense of futility. “I’ll never (be/do/accomplish that)… so…
I love coming home. It’s my safe place, my calm in the storm, my refuge from the hectic-ness of life. Not that my house isn’t loud and crazy at times with our large family, but even then, it is a place of contentment for me where I relish the moments, surrounded by the ones I…
I’ve never been good at celebrating myself. I’m not sure why, really, but birthdays have always been… Awkward. Why is that? Even when it wasn’t about my age, I never liked the attention that a birthday brings. While I should be thankful for another year–another day to be alive, I focus instead on the awkwardness…
Just a quick reminder that whatever it is that you’re seeking, it all starts with desire. We can desire riches or fame or even comfort–but wisdom says, “Seek me. Search for me. I AM is the one who will guide you and guard you and rescue you.”
The voice inside my head said, “You’re not good enough.” And I knew it. I was a mom of four, my youngest still in diapers, and I was overwhelmed. Thankfully, I had a loving husband and friends who recognized that I needed help. My husband is a pastor, so we’re supposed to have it all…
