One of the ways that I enjoy showing love is to give gifts. Not expensive gifts, but simple, thought out gifts that say to the person, “I love you” or “I am thinking of you.” My eleven grandchildren flock to me for that one piece of gum or the tic tac that Nana always has waiting…
When singer/songwriter Keith Green, along with his 3 year-old son Josiah and two year-old daughter Bethany were killed in a plane crash in July of 1982, it rocked my world. I was a fan. My husband was a fan. We had only been married for six months and Keith’s song, “Make My Life A Prayer…
Drowning in the sea of “What if?”. It fills our minds and our hearts and it consumes us. Controls us. Chains us and pulls us down and drowns us. In fear. In worry. And an overwhelming sense of helplessness. UNTIL.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ** I want that. Overflow. So full that there’s no room for more. So filled to the brim that hope overflows. Spills out. …
There is no perfect parent. Period. We would be so much healthier and happier in the process if we would just realize that it’s our humanity that reveals our need for the kind of help that every parent longs for. And that looking for help can be healthy. There are over 70,000 parenting books for…
Sit down with me for a minute. This little snippet might just change your life. “How?”, you say. By changing the way you look at the Bible. Maybe you think it’s not for you. Maybe you struggle to know where to start. Or maybe you have just given up in frustration because you don’t “get…
I think I have watched every single episode of the reality show, Fixer Upper. I made sure that I recorded the ones that I missed and am guilty of watching some episodes more than once. You could say I’m a fan. I am fascinated by the transformations they can make on homes that many would…
These are not soft hands. They are tough and worn and calloused. Eighty years of use. I’m sure I did, but I don’t remember holding my Dad’s hand when I was small. We never had a Daddy-Daughter dance. Unless dancing around important topics counts. You see, my Dad is not much on words or sentiment.…
Some days it is only a flicker. But even the smallest light will shine in the darkness. Being human means that I don’t always feel like living up to the world’s definition of “Shine”, but God’s definition is a very different one: At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, He…
Yes, I know. In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John we see “The Gospel According to…”, but in the Acts of the Apostles we see the gospel in action. The Gospel: the “good news” of Jesus the Messiah who came to bring salvation to all who place their faith in Him. While the first four books…
On an ordinary day I might be running in to pick up a few groceries, rushing to check things off my list, barely noticing those around me. But she found me. I don’t know if I looked kind (I certainly hope so) or non-threatening, but when I turned to the timid, “Excuse me, ma’am” I…
We all do it. Putting up walls around our heart to protect us from more pain. More hurt. And we think we’re doing it to be safe. Only the walls that we put up sometimes become our prison. What we think we’ve done to protect ourselves has, in reality, caused us to hide behind the…
Decades ago I worked in a travel agency sending people all over the world, but had hardly been out of my home state. While I loved planning trips and dreamy vacations, I could only read and dream of someday traveling to exotic places. If you had told me back then that one day I would…
I love tools. I even have some that I call my own. The right tool can make any job much easier. But using social media to promote criticism, negativity or judgement serves a different purpose. I love how we can use social media to reach across the oceans and share life with believers and non-believers.…
No, really. We have a well. And it’s dry. Again. This has been a particularly dry year for us and while having a well seems almost… romantic. Almost. I can assure you that running out of water doesn’t come close to making the “Top Ten Ways to Romance Your Wife”. Wishing my husband would “woo”…
