When I came home from East Asia after living there for four years, this sign was on my bed. Mom had written these words on a poster board to welcome me home. It made me smile and cry at the same time, in a good way. I felt loved and valued. I took a picture of it so I could keep it with me as a sweet reminder. How do you feel when you hear
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As I pulled into my driveway yesterday, I was amazed at how large the tree in my front yard has grown since I moved here 12 years ago. At that time, the tree was tiny and seemed out of place in the middle of a big yard. At one point, I even asked my yard guy to cut it down. He convinced me to keep it and let it grow. He told me I’d be
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“God, why? What has she done to deserve this? She has loved you and served you all her life. I don’t understand why you’re letting her go through this. It doesn’t seem that You love her . . . or me.” These words spewed out of my mouth as I drove home from the nursing home one day. I was mad at God. Why? Why can’t you just take my mom home? Why are you
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Several years ago a godly woman reprimanded a friend of mine for ironing on a Sunday morning. She was told, “Today is the Lord’s day, and we don’t do any work on the Lord’s day. So you shouldn’t be ironing on Sunday.” I used to work in open-heart surgery and would often get called in for an emergency on a Sunday. One day a friend told me I should find another job because it was wrong to work
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Do you look at prayer as an obligation or as a necessity? Has it become a routine ritual that you feel obligated to do every day? Or is prayer a vital part of your life? Jesus saw prayer as a necessity. No matter how busy He was, He always took time to pray. He knew the importance of spending time alone with the Father in prayer. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in his book, Studies in the Sermon
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One thing is certain—we are going to face disappointment in life. It may be a rejection, a failed relationship, not getting that dream job or dream ________. Disappointment is inevitable in life. How do we deal with disappointment when it comes, and how can we minimize its impact? I just returned home from a writer’s conference where I met with agents, publishers, and authors for feedback on my writing and the possibilities of publishing
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Lately, life seems out of control! B-U-S-Y. And as I talk with others, they’re feeling the same way. You may be feeling stressed today – a health issue, finances, a difficult relationship, job, responsibilities, family, a loss, or just being pulled in multiple directions. When I feel this way, the best thing I can do is sit down and meditate on God’s Word. His words calm and soothe in every situation in life. So, today,
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This weekend we honor our mothers on Mother’s Day. (We should be honoring them every day of the year, but this is the day set aside on the calendar to honor them.) My mom is no longer on this earth, but I can still honor her by giving thanks to God for her. I will always be grateful for my mom. I remember several times as a child when I wanted to trade her in
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Are you planning a trip to the beach this year? Would you like to head home from your beach vacation with more than sandy particles in your sandals? Do you long to engage the presence of God in fresh, creative ways even while basking in the sun? If so, I want to let you know about a book you don’t want to leave home without — Pauses for the Vacationing Soul written by my
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Last summer I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Judy Dunagan, a previous Women’s Ministry director. She had served in that role for many years, keeping busy teaching women’s Bible studies, planning conferences, and encouraging other women to put their hope in Jesus. She shares on her website, “But in the midst of all that out-of-breath-serving-Him-busyness, I realized that I missed Him.” She prayed to the Lord, “I’m so busy serving You,
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