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A little girl, not even two, was sitting with her mother in church. It was a new church for them, they had only attended there a couple of times. The little girl sat patiently through the hymns. She quietly listened to the Bible readings. But…
Do you need a place to rest your heart? We all live busy, stressful lives. Our souls feel like they are being pulled in a hundred different directions. We are desperately soul-tired, but not sure how to find the rest our spirits need. When our…
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…
“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…
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’…
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…
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…
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…
“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…