November 08 2011, 10:16 am | Clara Jones
“Mommy, I wanna hold ya!” Dawson would say when his little legs got too tired to walk anymore. It always made me smile as I would reach down and pick up my little toddler and begin to carry him in my arms. He really meant he wanted to be held, of course, and there was no way I could refuse his adorable little plea! I cannot help but feel that our helpless cries must have the same effect on our Heavenly Father. God knows that we are destitute sinners, unable to please Him, and totally...
November 02 2011, 12:37 pm | Mary Lyons
So one night during the five week prayer revival at The Summit, Bill asked people who deal with anger to stand up to receive prayer. I stood up and was immediately surrounded by ten people who, every single one, began their prayer something like this..”Well, I just really can’t believe Mary Lyons is standing up right now..” I giggled on the inside and wept on the inside too. Yes, it’s true. I learned to survive an angry childhood household by using my own anger as a weapon and a tool. God...
October 10 2011, 7:52 am | Clara Jones
Not long ago, when I was talking with some friends about some of the natural disasters that have been taking place around the world and about why God allows such things to happen, I was rather taken back by a statement that one of them made. He said that he didn’t even try to understand the ways of God, that he was afraid to even go there for fear of what he might find out. I have thought much about his comment, and it has...
September 22 2011, 7:42 pm | Shannon Williams
Each morning when you awake what is it you look for? Look for more sleep? Look for that first cup of coffee? Do you look for God? We wake up and we eagerly look for our moment. Can I get 5 more minutes of sleep? Can I get that first cup of coffee before the children are all over the place? I dare say you are like me and looking for My Lord is not my first goal! It is usually something for my comfort (or what I think will be my comfort). Not only is...
September 19 2011, 1:43 pm | Holly Moore
I tend to have attention problems. I’m not “ADHD” as inattentive people are so loosely termed these days. As a matter of fact, I’m usually, very focused. Which, is why, the inattentive thing is such a problem form me. Wait. What? Didn’t you just say you are usually very focused, but you have attention problems? Yes, I did. So let me explain the perceived oxymoron. You see, when things need to get done at work, I do them. When I’m reading something...
September 12 2011, 11:26 am | Holly Elliff
I thought my evening was over. My normal routine is to stumble to the back door, let Abby the schnauzer out one more time and then I’m out like a light. HOWEVER, when I opened the door, Abby walked out and something I will call Micro-Kermit hopped in. This frog was tiny, a little smaller than a dime, and he was wired! He took off across my kitchen like one of those random bouncy balls from a vending machine. I began to contemplate my options: 1. Pretend I never saw him. 2....
August 22 2011, 3:31 pm | Clara Jones
A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud. 2 Peter 2:22b There was once a little pig that desperately longed to be a princess. She looked at herself and was disgusted by the filth that she lived in, but because she so enjoyed wallowing in the mud, she could not seem to keep herself clean, no matter how hard she tried. One day she heard that she had been summoned by the king and that she had better prepare herself to...
June 21 2011, 8:39 am | Clara Jones
How do you rate Christian maturity? Do you believe that it has anything to do with you? I mean, when you are truly honest with yourself, do you find yourself either feeling like you have done something to be farther down the road than other Christians or feeling like other Christians have done something to make themselves more spiritual than you are? Recently I sat down at the computer to help Kristina, our nine-year-old, write a paper. To my dismay, a huge warning flashed up on the screen saying that we had several viruses and that...
June 06 2011, 7:23 am | Holly Moore
I don’t know about you, but I’ve made decisions and then spent hours, days, even years, second-guessing them. I’m not talking about God-driven decisions; I’m talking about those I chose to make “on my own.” It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that God should be involved in all decisions, no matter how small or insignificant we think they are. But the fact of the matter is that I’ve failed in the past and made decisions that I feel are wrong...
June 02 2011, 4:25 am | Rebekah Hollaway
I am a recovering pharisee...there, I said it. You see, I love rules. Remember the offering envelopes? They were for me. Offering? Check. Read Bible Daily? Check. Sunday School Attendance? You betcha! Invite a Friend? Why not? As long as I can check a box! I see most things as black or white; true or false; right or wrong. Sometimes, I force things into these categories so that they fit my paradigm. I’m a math teacher by trade. Efficiency is my idol. Rules...
May 31 2011, 8:26 am | Clara Jones
For years, the Christian life for me was about trying to please God and working very hard to get rid of sin in my life. I thought that what God wanted was for me to pursue holiness and to serve Him. I believed that God created us to glorify Him, and that to do so, I must be like Him. And I truly tried to do so. But I failed. I failed at everything I thought He expected of me. About ten years ago, I realized that I just didn’t know how...
May 26 2011, 5:01 am | Mary Lyons
I’ve been talking with several young moms lately. Wow, I really love young moms because I used to be one and I remember how hard it can be. I miss those days with tears and so watching and loving mommies is a joy to me. One of the struggles I’ve consistently heard from them lately, and that I remember well, is a desire to have a quiet time with God every day. They want to, they try to, they start...