“How many of you think conflict is a good thing?” The professor posed this question to our class. Only a few raised their hands. I wasn’t one of them, but he was about to change my mind. He explained some benefits of conflict. For one thing, because of conflict our country was formed, and laws…
One day this past summer, I visited an art camp for teenagers from all over the state. To attend the two-week camp, students must audition in their field of interest (art, dance, orchestra, choir, photography, drama, film). The judges accept only the best, so the level of talent at this camp is high. Once accepted,…
I recently experienced a situation that both broke my heart as a momma and grew me as a daughter of Christ. At my son’s fifth birthday party, one of the kids who was a guest got frustrated, tried to break one of my son’s birthday toys, and then told him he was going to kill…
I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. (2 Tim. 1:12 NIV) For some believers, a particular Bible verse shines with personal meaning. We often call this a “life verse.” My life verse is 2 Timothy 1:12. I learned it…
We sat in our favorite bistro at a table we knew well. This coastal town had been our getaway for eight years. We used to say this was “our place” the same way a couple claimed “their song.” Only this time his hand didn’t reach across the table to hold mine. He couldn’t even…
Note from the Editor: This post has been edited for sensitivity. It originally contained a line that could have been interpreted to suggest that if a woman does not take care of her physical appearance, her husband might be tempted to stray, and that she might be partly responsible because she didn’t make enough effort…