One Choice That Leads To Hope
Have you ever felt like something was hopeless? Maybe it was an issue with your family, and you knew the harsh words wouldn’t be forgotten. Maybe it was a situation at work that had no good possible outcome. Maybe it 
Be Careful What You Ask For
Do you make a list of things you’d like for Christmas so that family and friends can shop appropriately? It’s that time of year again, and making a list is a good idea. Especially if your family doesn’t appreciate your
A Different Kind of Thanksgiving
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving memory? Maybe it’s a Thanksgiving with your family when everyone was together, before people moved away or passed away. Maybe it’s the traditions of turkey trots or touch football games or wearing pajamas until noon or
Help v. Hinder: 3 Ways to Equip Others
Have you ever had someone try to help you and they ended up making things worse? Or have you ever wanted to help someone else but no matter what you did they couldn’t break free of what they were struggling
It’s How We Finish That Matters
Who cares how we started? That’s what I want to say. No, this isn’t the normal way I start a blog, but today I’m in a fighting mood. Why? Because there are so many of us girls out there who
Walking, Running, Rushing Thru Life
Do you ever go for a leisurely walk? It’s a great idea to get out, relax and enjoy fresh air, warm sun, and the beauty of nature. But me? Not so much. I have a hard time finding time to
When “Doing” Leaves Us Empty
Do you ever get to a point of doing so much that you wonder if it’s all worth it? I do. Does anyone even appreciate our concern and effort? Some of us, including me, are serial “doers”. We see something
Who is Looking For You?
Have you ever been completely lost? I don’t mean just lost as in you don’t have the right driving directions to get to a new restaurant. I mean really lost––as in you’re alone in a foreign or isolated place and
A Majority That Always Wins
What’s a situation you faced when you felt completely outnumbered? Most of us have never been on a battlefield when enemy forces dwarfed our own, but we can still feel like the odds are against us. Maybe it’s a sports
Floating in the Dead Sea
Have you ever relaxed on a raft in a pool or the ocean? For me it’s the epitome of peacefulness. Feeling the warm sun, smelling the fresh breeze, floating softly as the stress just melts away. That’s the life. If
Here I Am, But Send Someone Else!
Have you ever been “volunteered” for something you really didn’t want to do? If you’re like me, you’re still wondering, “How did it happen?” When they were looking for someone to step up we did the right thing; we kept
The Beauty of Baptism–Our New Threads
Have you ever seen someone get baptized? What does it mean? I’ve watched baptisms at various churches and each one is different. Some baptize babies and others baptize people who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Some baptize
A Matter of Life or Death
Have you ever had to make a decision with huge consequences? It’s not easy figuring out the right choice because there are so many factors to consider. Risks. Pros and cons. The effects on us and others. Long-term repercussions we
Calling On God–Local or Long Distance?
Do you know anyone with a calling plan that allows calls to certain numbers without charging minutes? Before cell phones, we had land lines that charged different rates for local and long distance calls, and different rates for daytime, nights
Don’t Be Afraid!
What do Golgotha, Mt. of Olives, Dead Sea, Mt. Sinai, Galilee, Nazareth, Bet Shean and Petra, Jordan all have in common? No hints. Give up? Ok, I’ll tell you. They’re a few of the places I experienced on my trip
Headed for the Holy Land!
Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to live back in the day of Moses or Jesus? Besides thinking it would be hard to not shower or to wear cute shoes in the sand, imagine if we
Honesty is a Kiss
How do you greet your closest friends? In many cultures, people greet friends with a kiss on one or both cheeks. In our culture, most of us greet casual friends with a wave or handshake or maybe even a hug.
Pumpkins in our Patch of Real Life
Have you ever grown your own vegetables? It sounds like a great idea at first. But trying to get vegetable plants to grow and survive in a backyard garden to the point of actually producing edible fruit is easier said
We Can’t Lose Our Citizenship
What comes to mind when you think of “citizenship”? I think of our country and the freedoms that we have. How blessed we are to be American. The song that comes to mind is Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA”
Passport to Heaven
What’s the number one city you’ve never been to but you’d like to visit? There are so many on my list, but if I had to narrow it down to just one I think I’d pick Prague in the Czech
Do You Want Help?
Do you have a hard time asking for help? I do. Sometimes it’s because I don’t want to rely on other people. Sometimes it’s because I think that I should be able to do it by myself. Sometimes it’s because
How Do You Say L-O-V-E?
How do you say “I love you”? Not how do you actually speak those three words (although that can be hard to do sometimes). But how do you show someone that you love them? Some people hold long embraces and
The Land of Rebellion
Do you know someone living in the land of rebellion? Making bad choices. Running with a partying crowd. Throwing caution to the wind. Caught in the wilderness of loneliness and emptiness. Heading down the path to a very dark place.
Who Needs A Good Doctor?
Do you have a good doctor you would recommend? The days of a physician that delivers babies and then cares for the entire family through adulthood are over. Now we have specialists for every phase of life, every disease, and
In Her Own Words… Jill
My name is Jill and this is my story… I sat outside in the grass, leaning against the side of the house. I sobbed. “What has happened?” I wondered. Rob and I had been married 5 years. We had a
Fear that Binds Us
Is there something that scares you? Snakes? Elevators? Heights? Clowns? Public speaking? Death? Fear is powerful. Fear is consuming. Left unchecked it can grip like a vice and squeeze until we can’t function or even breathe. For those who give
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Ambition
Are you driven? Not as in are you driven around by your friend who has her own car. But is there something in your life that you’re driven to achieve? For most of us, great opportunities for advancement and growth
Make It Happen
Have you ever pushed for something and been completely committed to it, only to realize down the road that it was a bad idea? We talked yesterday about personal mottos and life mantras, and I shared that as a teenager
Dare to be Different
Do you have a personal motto? Some people memorize motivational or inspirational sayings to recall in times of trial. Some people want a mantra they can carry through life which depicts their purpose or calling. As a teenager, there were
What’s In Your Wallet?
Have you seen or heard those catchy credit card commercials that depict the medieval people in funny modern-day situations? The message of the commercials is twofold: 1) we can and should go experience the world, and 2) no matter what
Is It All In The Shoes?
What’s your favorite pair of shoes? Mine is a cute pair of pink silk stiletto sandals with high ankle straps and big pink beads over the toes. They’re pretty and fun and as comfortable as heels can be. What’s not
To Give or Receive: Love is the Question
If I were to ask how you express love to others, is there something that comes to mind right away? We hear a lot of talk about love languages. Supposedly, that’s how we express our love to others in meaningful
I Trust You, But…
When things are going haywire and the storms of life begin to swirl, is there someone that you trust to always be there for you? Someone who will take care of you? Someone who will listen and bring reason to
What To Do When Jesus Is Coming
What do you do to get ready when a guest is coming to visit? It probably depends on who they are and how long they’re staying. If they’re someone important that we’re trying to impress, the vacuum comes out, counters
Peace is Not the Absence of Trouble
What is peace? We hear people talk about wanting world peace or peace of mind. Some people use “peace” as a way of wishing others well at the end of a conversation or email. But what exactly is peace? Is