Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (HCSB) Encouraging one another doesn't sound so hard. A fist bump here, an "atta girl" there. A quick text to say "Hang in there, you can do this!" A hug when you see a friend in person. Encouraging one another sounds pretty easy . . . until you realize it's not. What ...
We gather at this virtual table because of you — you, beloved friend and cherished daughter of the King. Your life is significant. Your story matters. We go first in sharing our stories because that's the best way we know how to invite you into community and cheer you on in the good, hard, painful, joyful, gritty work of womanhood. We're so ...
She scurried over to the rice cooker and opened it. Using a rice paddle to scoop out a few grains of day-old rice with her right hand, she then picked them off of the paddle with her left, squishing them together between her slender thumb and forefinger. I watched her move quickly and silently, her dark eyes focused and on task. I am the ...
I am incredibly blessed to live in my literal Promised Land. I prayed and waited six years for the vision God whispered to my heart to materialize in what is now our small farm. It's been quite the Jesus-led adventure so far. In other areas of my life, I am approaching the Jordan River, asking the Lord to go before me and part the waters for my ...
Seventy-four years after it was gifted to her, I have my great-grandmother's Bible in my dining room. The leather binding is cracked, but the red letters still stand out bold on the pages. I'm named for the woman who owned this Bible. She raised my precious grandma, who then raised my mom, who in turn brought me (and my siblings) up in the faith ...
My deathbed didn’t scare me. At fifteen, I was told I had a month to live. Four weeks. Thirty days. Yet dying didn’t scare me. (And not just because no one had told me.) After two years of misdiagnosis, I wasn’t able to feed, bathe, or dress myself — basically, all I could do was roll over. I lost my home, my health, and my friends. Dying didn’t ...
"Hysterical |-----------------------------| Historical" That's what Carol, my counselor, writes on the big whiteboard that is to the right of me. I'm in the loveseat and she's sitting in the swivel chair opposite me, but she gets up and is standing and pointing with the dry-erase marker and saying to me, "You are on the hysterical end right ...
She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle. Her children rise up and call her blessed . . . Proverbs 31:27-28 (CSB) Whether you're a mom or not, all women mother. We hold things together — things like homes, hearts, schedules, and families. We work from sun up to sun down, pouring out of ourselves until we're empty, only ...
Lord, Thank You for the gift of HOPE You gave us on Easter morning. Because of You we know That no problem is too difficult And even death does not have power over us. Thank You for the gift of JOY You gave us when You were resurrected. Because of You we know That no matter how challenging life may be, In the end we will rejoice ...
Today is Easter Eve, though I've never heard it called such a thing, and I'm finding myself on a sweet stroll down memory lane. Won't you join me? What characterized the Easters of your childhood? What made this cherished church holiday special for you? A brand new outfit? Waking up to an Easter basket brimming with goodies? A sunrise service or ...
