A lot of the godly lessons I learned about marriage came with 20/20 hindsight—where I failed in my first marriage. You can learn a lot in 22 years of doing things wrong. I once attended a church where the pastor’s catch phrase was, “You can either live and learn or learn and live.” His point being that we can live …
When I was growing up, my mom made liver on a regular basis because she learned it was a good source of iron. So every month or so (thank God it wasn’t more than that!) I choked down the horrid stuff. Then after my siblings and I grew up and moved out, she discovered that it’s also very high in …
After I shared my struggles in Bible study the other day, one of the women, with whom I’ve fellowshipped for a couple of years, commented that she felt such a sense of relief to see me break down. Because she feels lost so much of the time, it made her feel better to know that I don’t have it all …
My Bible study group is nearing the end of John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life. Some of the chapters left me feeling convicted while others left me feeling condemned, which is never God’s intention—that’s the work of the enemy. And while many in our group has struggled through this study, I believe the positives far outweigh the negatives. A couple …
Five years ago, I had a strong desire to learn to knit. I’d been attending my second year at Mount Hermon’s Writer’s Conference and spent two days in a workshop. The mentor teacher, a young author named Camy Tang, effortlessly lead the class while knitting a pair of thigh-high socks. I was mesmerized by the blending of colors and the …
About five weeks ago, I started a new study with my ladies’ Bible study group. Generally, I can’t wait to share my insights with my readers, yet this time…I’m hesitant. It isn’t that I haven’t seen glimpses of Jesus, because I have. But, I’ve also struggled with finding where I fall on the growth spectrum. You know what I mean. …
I didn’t have to hear the words the young woman tossed at her husband to know they hit their target. The muscles in his jaw clenched while his eyes dropped to the floor, embarrassment etched onto his face as clearly as if it were written in indelible marker. I didn’t have to hear the words, because it wasn’t necessarily what …
Gossip is contagious. Someone will say, “Guess what I just heard…” and many of us won’t think twice about asking, “What?” In fact, we might just delight in the possibility of hearing something juicy or negative. More so if the target of gossip is someone who’s offended us. Payback. That’s exactly what happened the other day. The words, “Guess what …
I have an aversion to needles. And really, who doesn’t? But when faced with a chronic issue, it’s amazing the lengths one’s willing to go in order to achieve relief. I’m not talking shots, I’m talking acupuncture. In the past, the thought of acupuncture was enough to send chills down my spine. Not just one needle, but lots of needles. …
Have you ever taken the time to actually listen to a drug advertisement on television? I’m not one to watch commercials—we DVR the shows we want to watch and fast forward through those pesky advertisements. But I turned the T.V. on the other day for background noise while I was cleaning the house and an ad came on for an …
