“You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees” (Ps. 119:68 NIV). Nearly two and a half decades ago, I returned home from the hospital without my daughter. Devon Mara-Leigh was to be
Read moreMockery to Melody–Purpose from Pain
Tag: Fire starter
The Present of Presence
The Presence of a Father My daddy was sitting in his garden alone talking to someone. I was too far away to hear the words, but I noted variance in his voice. I heard softness
Read more“One Anothering”. . . Again
“I can worship God in the deer woods just as good as I can at church.” “There is nothing more peaceful than being on my hands and knees in my flowerbed. I can sense God’s
Read moreLeave the Corners, Don’t Cut Them
In my day job, I am the newest salesperson in a highly competitive environment. In addition to being new, I am also the only woman on this large, successful team. In my first few weeks
Read moreThe Shift to Gratefulness
She sat in the front row, a small-framed girl, no more than eleven or twelve. Already in middle school, many girls her age were concerned with make-up and hair. But not this one. A tear
Read moreWho Will Teach Them?
How can I teach them what’s right? The worship leader spoke, “Let us all stand and sing.” I had worked a fifty-five-hour week that week, and the soles of my feet cried to be let
Read moreSet My Spirit Free
As a Kid Mama always told me the story of a kid who loved to swing. She said he got so high he flipped over the top bar of the swing set, got wrapped around
Read moreHe Set the Bar High
Dating was hard. I remember trying to navigate those hormonally charged waters as a teenager and young adult. Back then, we left notes in lockers or passed them to each other in the hallway between
Read moreThe Gentleness of Religion
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27 NLT One phone call, and
Read moreBorrowing from Tomorrow
Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5b NLT “When your outgo is greater than your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.” The first time I heard the
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