King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were infamous for numerous terrible actions, as I was once reminded when God showed me something was not my vineyard. Ahab looked out of his palace, noticed Naboth’s vineyard, and wanted it for himself. Naboth, desiring to keep his father’s vineyard, refused the king’s request, even though the king promised him another vineyard in the kingdom. So, what did Ahab do? He went home, threw himself on his bed, and pouted. He had a royal … Continue reading →
“Mama, come over here,” my oldest beckoned from the playground. “I’m in the middle of something, what do you need?” I yelled across the yard. “You’ve gotta’ come over here and touch this mud. It feels so good.” The Real Mud “Mud? Seriously. I have touched mud my whole life, Carter. I think I’m caught up, but you enjoy it for me, okay?” “But, Mama, you haven’t touched THIS mud before. It’s different,” he persuasively continued. Needless to say, I … Continue reading →
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. ~Genesis 1:31 NKJV Initially, God made the Garden good. He looked upon each day of His creation and pronounced it good. But when He got to humanity, He called them “very good.” These facts are so basic to our Christian worldview that we might overlook their significance. Losing Our Way Genesis is the foundation. When life … Continue reading →
Hearing Things Listening to the wrong voices can be dangerous. However, listening to the right ones can be healthy. My husband and I tackled the three stacks of laundry together while the boys got ready for bed. We talked about the next day’s plans as we folded, commenting about all that needed to be done around the house before calling it a day. Just as David finished a sentence, I heard a sound like a child’s chuckle come from the … Continue reading →
Nothing means no thing. “What if I fail my science test?” one of my daughters asked. “I will still love you,” I said. “What if I get in a fight at school?” “I will still love you.” My daughters enjoyed a made-up game we played on car rides or during downtimes at home. The idea of the game was not to promote misbehavior but to affirm their mother’s unending love and to drive the point home: Nothing you do or … Continue reading →
Hurricanes Ian and Nicole hit the Florida coast forty-three days apart in 2022. Since I experienced both, I quickly learned the importance of being prepped and ready with multiple backup plans. Pre-prepping for a hurricane requires collecting shelf-stable groceries, buying a large supply of safe water, fueling vehicles, and stashing some cash. Additionally, we needed all life’s important paperwork gathered and near us. As an actual hurricane approaches, we move the outside furniture in. Dining umbrellas can become javelins. We … Continue reading →
I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. ~Philippians 3:13-14 NLT To work on forgetting the past, I carried sentimental gifts, collections, and other accumulations to my garage for a garage sale. My dark and threatening path through divorce brought me a God-appointed mentor. I had joked with … Continue reading →
You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, but you are not the one to do it. -1 Kings 8:18-19 NLT We almost made it . . . but then had to engineer a different plan. My wife and I and my brother and sister-in-law were headed to Sassafras Mountain—South Carolina’s highest point. My brother and I had visited numerous times as we hiked portions … Continue reading →
I took a small break and a deep breath as I looked at the mall map, searching for that circled star that would clarify my location, but I was lost. I had walked in circles, looking for the one store that was the purpose of my trip. Somehow, I had become twisted and distracted, and before realizing it, my quick stop at the mall ticked toward a second hour. Nagging questions swirled in my mind: “Had the store moved? … Continue reading →
Little did I know I was living a yellow-pen life. “Aww, these are nice.” One daughter had gifted me my favorite journaling pens, and my oldest presented a full set of eight Bible marking pens. I held up a yellow one from each set and said, “Interesting.” They both knew I enjoyed a lot of color in my life, and, quite honestly, yellow is one of my favorites. But, yellow pens? It only took one trial run to realize … Continue reading →
