When I was in grade school, I hated gym class. Dreaded it, in fact. While most of the kids probably longed to get out of their seats and play a game in the gym, I would have much rather stayed behind in the classroom. Or…
-
-
The Secret to Unfading Beauty
“Hey mom, can I buy this mascara?” “Can I get this lip gloss? I’ll use my own money. Pleeeease?” “Will you ever let me wear makeup? When I was thirteen, these were the questions I pestered my mother with constantly. After reading teen magazines, I…
-
The Trouble With Living For Applause
We cannot live for applause. I came to this conclusion when I finished a slow tour through the book of Mark. As I read, I reflected and slowly contemplated God’s message to me in these words. The stories of the week leading up to Jesus’…
-
Learning to Delight in the Gift
A while back I met a friend for lunch that I hadn’t seen in months. She met me with a hug and a beautiful bunch of pale pink tulips. My first thought was: They are so lovely! My second thought was: I didn’t get…
-
When You Struggle to Find Success
How do you define success? The other day I was reading Genesis 39 and a verse about success jumped out at me. The Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. (Genesis 39:23 NIV 1984) Out of context this verse…
-
Base Your Identity On This
An identity is a fragile thing. A memory from my college days confirms this. I stared at my first college report card. Most of the grades were As and Bs. Not bad. But there was one grade that stuck out. Aural Music Theory: C. Not…
-
Why Giving Up Control Isn’t Always a Bad Thing
“Sharla, you most certainly would be classified as a Field Marshal.” My sister-in-law’s words caught me off guard. I was sitting at the dinner table enjoying a relaxed meal with my extended family. We were passing potatoes and sharing stories when my sister-in-law began talking…
-
Why You Need to Change Your Focus
I love movies. The story-telling. The cinematography. The sense that you are entering another world for a short period of time. One of my favorite “special effects” in movies is when the camera focuses on a person in the foreground while the background is blurry. Then…
-
When You Feel Like You’re Straining Against the Wind
“He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them.” Mark 6:48 Do you ever feel like you’re straining against the wind? This month, I’m reading through the Gospel of Mark and when I got to chapter six, I immediately identified…