No wounds hurt like wounds from a friend or family member. The heart aches when people we shared deep joys with harm us. Several years ago, a man in whom I had invested deeply turned
Read moreForgiving your Friend
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The Friendship Pie
Evening approached, and as if on cue, a neighbor rang the doorbell. I careened into the kitchen, knowing I’d finally get a slice of Mother’s creation. After supper I got a second piece—of the cherry pie she’d sliced for the neighbor—the apple and berry remained on the counter, reserved for any other neighbor that might show up…
Read moreRizpah’s Motherly Love
Next Sunday is the day in the States we’ve set aside to honor mothers. While there are many stories of mothers in the Bible, both good and bad, today I’d like to talk about Rizpah’s
Read moreGetting Clean
COVID ran rampant, and I was scared to get clean. Only once before had I gone more than three days without a shower—when my daughter and I had backpacked for five days and had no
Read moreA New Creation
“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” French novelist Alphonse Karr quoted this proverb two hundred years ago, and it’s still true today. In 1899, Charles Duell, the U.S. Commissioner of Patents
Read moreA Chinese Haircut
I cut my teeth on stories about Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong. They were heroes of the Southern Baptist missionary world. My fifth-grade Sunday school teacher was a missionary in Nigeria for thirty years. Missionary
Read moreDiscover 6 Compelling Benefits of Prayer
Sometimes we miss the most compelling benefits to pray. “Prayer works.” Perhaps, we hear it. Maybe, we say it. Because prayer achieves many benefits in our lives. And it performs a mighty work in the
Read moreTwelve Ways to Stay Afloat in a Sea of Responsibility
“You can’t care for others if you don’t take care of yourself.” I often heard and said this during my social work career. Little did I realize how relevant that information would eventually become in
Read moreWhen the Promise Land Leaves You Homesick
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I am forty-seven years old, I’ve been a Christian for most of my life, and I’ve just now read Deuteronomy in its entirety. I don’t know why I missed
Read moreLook at the Birds . . .
Watching the black-eyed chickadees, cardinals, and sparrows brings peace and reassurance to my heart. I gather courage from them when I feel afraid, when I face yet another decision, and when my faith falters. Each time I pause at the window, I remember the words of Jesus.
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