I’ll let you in on a secret about me. There’s no creative brushstrokes in my DNA—none. Even my stick figures look pitiful. So no artist-blood runs through my veins. I’m not artistic in any stretch of the imagination. But the art of coloring gives un-artsy people a way to add individual flare to a beautifully drawn picture. Coloring Connoisseurs My daughter, Megan, and I are fond of coloring. A fondness starting when we were both little girls. We colored together through her childhood, Continue Reading
A Winning Strategy during Difficult Times {The Atlanta Journal Constitution}
April is here and excitement is building in our house. Our oldest is a junior in high school and has experienced the hardest academic year of her life. Needless to say, summer does not arrive soon enough for our 16-year-old. In my corner of the world, however, the unwinding of her junior year is not as exciting. It means we start filling out endless scholarship forms, finalize college visits and look at every aspect of sending our first-born to college. It’s a bittersweet, hectic time, Continue Reading
Faith Doesn’t Protect You from Pain
On my way to clean up after weeding, one late summer day, I yanked up a dead shrub. My shins suddenly burned like fire. I looked down and gasped. Scores of yellow jackets clung to my legs. I wondered if I was going to die. That experience left me reluctant to garden in shorts and T-shirts. Ski masks and thick layers seemed safer. But heat and humidity changed my mind. As a young believer, I thought mature faith protected us from emotional pain. Hurts, insults, and disappointments would Continue Reading
21-day / 15-minute God First Challenge
In Greece they were called Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis and Dionysus, to name a few. In Egypt, it all started with Atum, the first god to exist. Atum coughed and spat out Shu, the god of the air, and Tefnut, the goodness of moisture. Following were countless gods and centennial dynasties of Egyptian pharaohs, who were (of course) also gods. And Then there was Rome. The first nation to persecute Christians worshipped Jupiter, Neptune, Venus and others. Her emperors were also gods and would Continue Reading
Sympathy – Two Hearts Tugging at One Load {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
Our Daily Bread is a well-known ministry established in 1938 by Dr. M.R. DeHaan as a radio program called Detroit Bible Class. Over the years, it has expanded to offer various resources to millions of people around the globe, including podcasts, publishing, topic-based studies, as well as their well-known daily devotionals. I was browsing through some of my writing resources when I came across a story used in one of Our Daily Bread's devotionals which powerfully illustrated a sentiment that Continue Reading
Keep Praying When It’s “Over” {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
We pray before we eat. Before our days begin. Before we go to sleep. Often, we pray before big events and decisions. We pray as loved ones face difficulties. But we don’t have to stop there. We can keep praying after. God doesn't say "cease praying" after the test results suggest the worst or the conversation ends terribly or the morning rush causes us to forget what we even read in the Bible that morning. In our limited sense of time, praying after things seem "finished" can feel Continue Reading
