I love the Thank You Journal that some friends gave me several years ago. Each page is a specific date, divided into spaces that cover five years. This morning as I was looking back over today’s thank-you nuggets over the past three years, I was reminded of where I was a year ago today. I had thanked God for meetings with four agents and publishers at a writing conference, even though all four were closed
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From the first time I laid eyes on little Hannah, I knew she was the one I wanted to take home with me. I was planning to adopt two kittens and had gone to the vet’s office to meet four kittens up for adoption. Hannah drew my attention right away. Not because of her beauty or size, but because she seemed overwhelmed and frightened. I knew from the first moment I looked into her eyes
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I was convicted this week as a friend from a predominantly non-Christian country shared what was on his heart. He made the statement that many people are praying for the return of Christ, but there’s so much work still to be done with the Gospel. “Pray that every person will have a chance to hear the gospel before Jesus returns.” I haven’t been doing that. Instead, I’ve longed for the return of Christ as our
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None of us enjoy going through painful situations. Life is much more enjoyable when everything’s going smoothly and just the way we want it. But, I have realized that my deepest seasons of spiritual growth are not when everything’s going great, but when I’m desperately dependent on Him – for strength to get through a tough situation, for grace to respond in a godly way. Yes, I want to go deeper in my relationship with
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I’ve been watching the Hallmark Christmas movies over the past few weeks for the first time ever. A friend told me about one she thought I’d enjoy. And once I started, I was hooked. Yes, they’re predictable. We know how they’re going to end. We even know the twists that are coming. But, I still enjoy them. They make me smile, and there are a few that have made me cry. I’m a little sad
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Happy Thanksgiving! Many of you are enjoying a fun-filled day with family and friends in the kitchen and around the table, watching a good movie or football game, or playing your favorite board games. Some of you have chosen to make this a low-key day, not spending the day in the kitchen, but picking up food somewhere or even going out to eat. I purposely chose to take this week as a “Stay-cation.” I took
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What are you looking for in a discipleship relationship? What would that look like to you? I grew up in a Christian home and came to Christ at an early age. I knew I was a sinner and that I would never be good enough to pay the penalty for my sin or earn my way to heaven. I needed a Savior, and at nine years old, I placed my faith in Jesus Christ and
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I want to introduce you to my friend and author, Cathy Baker. The more I get to know Cathy, the more I love her, and you will, too. She has just published her second short devotional book for vacations — this time for a vacation in the mountains. I have so enjoyed her books, and I asked her a few questions recently about her writing. Cathy, what led you to write a seven-day devotional? And
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I strongly dislike mornings. As you can guess from that statement, I’m not a morning person. When the alarm goes off, I don’t jump out of bed ready to embrace the day ahead. Instead, I moan and turn over, mumbling something like, it’s morning already? I’ve even been known to ask God, why did You create mornings? But once I’m up and get a few sips of coffee down, my body begins to wake up.
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It’s been an interesting day! Tropical Storm Harvey decided to visit Memphis and brought along heavy rain and winds. Shortly after noon, we heard an all-church page through the intercom instructing us to head to the children’s area and help get the kids in Mothers’ Day Out to the basement. The tornado sirens were going off, and we needed to take cover. (I never realized how many kids we have in MDO until today.)
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