The first Christmas I spent away from my family was also my first Christmas walking with the Lord. I was living in Needham, Massachusetts. Having grown up in the deep south, my assignment to Boston out of college couldn’t have been more exotic if it’d been Mars. I arrived in early October. The beauty of the colored leaves intoxicated me. I loved the quaint town with its mixture of Victorian houses and small clapboard homes. The locals’ accents fascinated me. One student, named Barbara Continue Reading
Beware! Halloween Candy on Sale This Week {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
Halloween candy is on sale this week. But before you snatch up your favorite treat, don’t let temptation trick you. We’ve given Eve a hard time for eating the forbidden fruit, but if it smelled like chocolate, I understand. Somebody knew women who like pottery, love chocolate and placed my favorite bar among housewares. I picked up the 14.1-ounce Swiss Toblerone bar and remembered its smooth taste. “I’ll buy it for you,” my friend said. “No, thank you!” I said and dropped it. But Continue Reading
Does My Time With God Have to Look Like Yours? {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
“What did you want to be when you grew up?” our small group leader asked. One by one, people offered sensible vocations. “From the time I was a boy, I wanted to be an eye doctor,” my optometrist said. “I wanted to be a preacher and pound the pulpit,” a Christian worker chuckled. The leader turned to me since I was the only one who hadn’t answered. I couldn’t recall one serious aspiration and couldn’t bring myself to admit I’d wanted to fly like Peter Pan or ride horses and catch bad guys Continue Reading
Am I Responsible for Their Happiness? {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
The tendency to confuse faithfulness with responsibility runs deep in my DNA. One time I decided to put together a Saturday conference for the women in our church. My husband and I led a large Sunday School class, and I envisioned women primarily from our class attending. When I learned how many were registering, I began to worry. Why were so many coming? What were they expecting? This wasn’t an event I’d spent months planning. I hadn’t even promoted it except for a notice in the Continue Reading
When It Looks Foolish to Trust God {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
Have you ever noticed how often the bad guys seem to come out on top? How many faithful partners are left to raise their kids and pay the bills while the unfaithful ones enjoy new cars, homes, and vacations with hot new partners? Or how often does the responsible spouse have to share the custody of her child and pay child support to her ex-spouse who refuses to keep a job? We’ve all witnessed—and experienced—times of injustice when God seems absent. If God is good and sovereign, how could Continue Reading
A Delightful Way to Stop Fretting {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
A friend recently remarked, “I’m starting my morning wondering what new loss or bad news the day will bring.” 2020 has punched many people in the gut. Has a long battle or diet of bad news caused you to fret? Whether your enemy is physical, emotional, or spiritual, I have good news. You have help! Scripture reminds us God is our strength and deliverer. No enemy can defeat Him. He doesn’t expect us to rescue ourselves from trouble. He will save us. But—we have a role to play. If you aren’t Continue Reading
