We settled into our seats with the kids for the Wednesday evening chapel service at the orphanage, and a member of our mission team stood to give the message. The theme for the week was all things fish: fishers of men, fishes and loaves, the miraculous catch, and of course, Jonah and the big fish….
Five years ago, my only prayer was for God to use me. I was feeling utterly useless. My husband and I were struggling to make ends meet and keep our marriage together as we waited for the arrival of our second surprise baby. We prayed for God to lead us down a new path, and…
“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” ~ John A. Shedd Brave has become one of my favorite words. My younger daughter introduced our family to the word brave. Growing up, she often processed her feelings out loud and needed a great deal of verbal encouragement. When she…
I used to be a word thrower. Words were my defense, and I could whip them out ninja-style. Like those throwing stars with super sharp corners, I threw them with the intention to hurt and rip and tear. Don’t you dare, and if you do, I’ll throw them at you fast and hard. You’ll learn….
The Christian life is often compared to walking a path. There are places in the Bible that refer to the “path” as the way a person follows God’s guidance and plan for their life. I identified loosely with this comparison until a recent trip to Israel. There I saw real shepherds with real flocks of…
And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3, NIV) The mountain of laundry beckoned to me, begging me to fold each piece and put it away. Sighing, I pushed away my half-eaten breakfast and started in on the pile. The twins flew past me, one pushing the other in an…