Have you ever felt terrified? Not just afraid, but really, truly terrified? Perhaps you thought you were going to die, or perhaps you came face-to-face with your greatest fear? For me, one of these moments happened when I experienced my first anaphylactic reaction. I was in my early thirties when my palms and the bottoms…
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” (Eccl. 3:1 NLT) I have to confess that I’ve spent most of my life waiting for the next season of life. When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to start college. Once at university, I started looking for Mr. Right,…
We all want peace, from our homes and workplaces to the halls of state and national governments around the world. We want to live in harmony with others. We want the absence of conflict. We want to end fighting and destruction. What does it take to have peace? In our homes, a short-term peace might…
With tears streaming down her face, my client said, “I don’t know if I’ll ever be free of this way of being, of feeling like no one cares about me.” I sat still as she shared her despair, listening with compassion and deep faith. She talked about how, as she was growing up, her parents…
As we walked past the beautifully manicured yard, I couldn’t help but admire out loud the gorgeous multicolored impatiens in full bloom. No sooner were the word out of my mouth, when my four-year-old grandson questioned my praise for the flowers. “But Nonie,” he said, “isn’t impatience a bad thing?” Yes, sweet boy, it is….
“If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.” (Rom. 12:18 HCSB) I grew up believing that this verse, paired with talk of dying to self, meant my opinions and preferences were of little to no consideration. By giving in, I would demonstrate the love of Jesus to others. My job as a Christian,…