“The Lord is my strength,” Stacy repeatedly murmured to herself as tears slid down her cheeks. Quickly brushing them away, she tried to focus on the task at hand, if nothing else, than to ensure the safety of her sweet daughter in the backseat. Crisis had hit her like a brick wall. But unlike other…
Always There
Pouncing, playing and protecting. That’s a very accurate description of our favorite furry family member. Minna, a one-year-old Rottweiler puppy, loves each member of our family with her whole heart. It’s evident in the way she lives: she sleeps lightly, springing to her feet at the slightest sound. She often detects things we never would…
Perfection Not Needed
Tears filled my eyes as I read my eight-year-old’s handmade card. ALL ABOUT MY MOM My Mom’s Name: Stefany (She tried to sound it out!) My Mom is happiest when I: spend time with her. My Mom looks prettiest when she: dies her hair. (Yes, she spelled it that way!) The best way to describe…
His Creation Calls
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. The pebbles crunched under the weight of my hiking boots on the trail. The sky was beautifully blue. The leaves were gloriously green. The vivid colors captured my attention away from inside my head. The birds called to one another; a woodpecker fed nearby. Even a bunny hopped into the lavender flowers as…
In Need of Sonshine?
A quick trip outside in the afternoon sunshine is all I need to lift my spirits. I work all day in a wonderful classroom. It has plenty of cabinets, four sinks, smartboard and two TV’s! What more could I want? A window to the outside. In the cinderblock rectangle of technology, I miss the simple…
Water Horse Revelation
Sometimes, our present pain can squelch our faith and unabashedly blind us to who God is. Recently, I watched a compelling movie, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep. The main character, Agnes, a boy of about ten, finds an egg which eventually hatches to grow into a water horse, or Loch Ness Monster. He manages…
Fret No More
One glance at the week and I felt my blood pressure climbing. Two evaluations. Three deadlines. A conference. A trip. How did this all fall into one week? When would I sleep? When would I care for the kids, the puppy, the home? When would I make time for God? “Be still before the Lord…
Humbly Saved
Have you ever been condemned for telling the truth? “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15 In Mark 14:62 and Mark 15:31-32, we see Jesus telling the…
What’s on YOUR Lips?
When the sun is shining, the birds are singing and spring has definitely sprung, what are you saying? When it’s cold and dark, and horror of horrors, a snowstorm appears in April, what words are on your tongue? When the routine is predictable and everything is just, well, just normal, what are you uttering? Psalm…
Come
Are you weary? Are you tired of always being tired? Do you days last forever and the nights never seem long enough? When, when will this ever end? Noah was called to quite the task: build an ark, wait out a flood, and perpetuate a new, kinder humanity. God clearly called him, but God never…