I spent some time with my mom recently. (She lives a few hours away.) She has Alzheimer's. As I approached her, the caregiver leaned toward her and asked, "Do you know who that is?" One more time I was blessed with her frail words, "It's Teresa." And I whisper thanks to God.
At some point in our ...
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The Power of Comfort
When someone we care about hurts or struggles, we want to be a source of comfort. We offer words, hugs, our presence. And we pray. Our thoughtful gestures matter and certainly impact, yet when we pray, we rehearse our trust that God is with this person. We express the depths of how we desire Him to ...
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What I Learned As A Mom About Sharing Two Stories: Savior and Santa
Every year, moms share with me their wrestlings regarding Santa. I had them, too, when our children were little.
The Santa story is an option. It's not a parental command performance. Telling our children about Jesus is a responsibility.
Santa is like Mickey Mouse or Cinderella. He's a ...
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Counsel That Leads Us Forward
"I don't know what to give her."
"I can't decide whether I should let him go to that–or not."
"I don't know how to have this conversation."
"I not sure how to handle this situation."
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given . . . and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, ...
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How To Pray When Our Mind Is Spinning
Sometimes my mind spins in so many directions that I stress my self out. I can't focus or settle inside. Then I get frustrated, which seems to fuel my spin pace . . . and I just wanna scream or cry or run away for the day.
. . . There's that project I need to tackle, but I'm not sure how best to ...
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For When It’s Hard To Be Still
Have you ever noticed how a photograph—of someone you know or a scene of nature—can cause you to be still for a few minutes or longer? It holds a moment in our life or a mesmerizing sample of God's creation. When my computer screen is idle, my photo collection rolls, and if my husband or I are ...
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Finding Rhythm
"When our children were very young, I spent too many hours fretting that I didn’t have balance in my life. My time—which no longer felt like my time—was no where near evenly distributed among categories like exercise, time with friends, time for myself, Bible study, time with my husband, and rest. ...
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When Circumstances Overwhelm Us
I have friends in Houston, Texas, and surrounding towns—you may also—who are experiencing the rains and winds of Hurricane Harvey's lingering effects. For all that can be predicted, they know they have to wait and then live through what actually comes. And that's hard. At the same time, all other ...
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Prayer for New Beginnings
Is a new beginning in front of you?
New beginnings occur daily. We start a new job or gain more responsibilities, move in to a new apartment or house, move to a new city, start dating someone or become single again, get married, or have a baby. If you're a mom, a big part of your heart focuses on ...
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I Guess I’ll Just Pray
“I wish I could do something to help.”
“I’ll just pray . . .”
Have you ever felt frustrated that you can’t do more for someone or that you’re not doing enough? Maybe you can tell that someone is in pain—at your workplace, across the aisle in the grocery store, or living in your home—yet you ...
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The Quickest Way to Slow Down
Have you ever tasted something so delicious that you slow down to savor the flavors mesmerizing your mouth?
I enjoy eating, so I'm pretty expressive when I taste something delicious. I make savoring-type sounds, and say This is so good! over and over again. Even the next day, I might reminisce ...
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Grace for Goodbye
"Can I come by for a few minutes?"
"What is it?" she asked as I entered her house.
Tears brimmed in my eyes, I hugged her, and stepped back. "We're moving."
In our almost 29 years of marriage, Terrell and I have moved six times, each related to a job change. First, God gets our attention to reflect ...
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