I had read many papers, but the crushing she described stood out among the rest. Unfortunately, teachers don’t always know or get involved in the details of their students’ lives. And I hadn’t in hers.
Read moreThe Crushing
Author: Martin Wiles
Martin is the Managing Editor for Christian Devotions and the Directing Editor for Vinewords.net. He is an author, English teacher, minister, freelance editor, and founder of Love Lines from God (www.lovelinesfromgod.com). His most recent book is Don't Just Live...Really Live. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of six.
The Forming of Patience
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. -Psalm 40:1 NLT I didn’t enjoy the experience, but then again, the
Read moreGiving Thanks During the Holidays
Giving thanks during the holidays might seem easy, but thanking God in every circumstance challenges the best of us. Some claim it’s impossible. I’m a nostalgic kind of guy. In my mind’s eye, I can
Read moreA Work of Art
The human body is a work of art. The doctor said, “His heart has grown its own bypass, so we left it alone.” After being transported to the hospital because he gasped for breath, my
Read moreRemembering When with Family
I tried remembering “when” with family, but it didn’t work too well. When I asked my son, “Don’t you remember?” he didn’t. My son and his family hadn’t visited our home in two years. His
Read moreDon’t Sniff Temptation
Stop. Sniff. Stop again. Sniff again. Caught. We call our little Chihuahua-terrier mix our cordless dust buster. Wherever we happen to sit to eat, she positions herself underneath our feet so she can retrieve any
Read moreLove Shows Mercy
The time for the annual adventure had arrived—and I dreaded it. In my younger years, Dad’s present of choice for my mom on Christmas and her birthday was a dress. I’m not quite sure what
Read moreLoving the Boundaries
The letters lay in my box—the folds showing evidence of students who had never written letters by hand, never inserted them in envelopes, and never used snail mail. The day was a typical one.
Read moreGod Moments
“We invite you to sit down and play…” I had visited quite a few hospitals that had pianos in a great room or in the lobby. But never had I seen one with a sign
Read moreA Heart-to-Heart Talk
I remember it hung on a doorknob. My parents believed in corporal punishment. They thought the Bible taught it, and they believed and practiced the Bible’s teachings as they understood them. They never abused me,
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