One of my favorite childhood activities was playing in the backyard with my brothers. We climbed trees, jumped out of swings, ran through water sprinklers, chased the dog, and gathered …
The One Who Adored Jesus
No one will ever accuse me of being a Martha—just one look at my house and you’d know that peeling paint and dusty shelves aren’t the focus of my attention. …
The Faces of Please
“Mommy, can I have some Skittles, pleeeease?” My toddler begged in the grocery store line as she looked up at me with pleading eyes. Through the years, the requests involved …
Smile
A lot of things in life make me smile—falling leaves, football, and dark chocolate, for starters. I also get a kick out of watching my kids watch movies—they giggle and …
Secret Places of the Heart
Psalm 51 is the universal Christian cry of confession, thanks to a wayward king who also possessed a “heart after God.” David’s choice to stay home from battle was his …
Struggle Well
Doctors embrace an oath to “first do no harm.” When they can’t figure out what’s wrong or find the correct treatment, doctors fall back on this foundational principle. As Christians, …
The Forever Mom
Life was good. I had a mom and a dad, two pretty okay brothers, and a pet beagle. Frizzy hair in a spaghetti-straight world was bearable as long as my …
A Gentle Drizzle
Somewhere past Toad Suck Park and Pickle Gap, a cabin nestles in the foothills of the Ozarks—the cabin I called home last week. I spent the Fourth of July in …
Just Dust
Job description for believers: bearer of the cross, guardian of the gospel message, conveyor of eternal riches, giver of grace, ambassador of Christ, lover of the unlovable, washer of feet, …
Be Glad
Thank you for the flowers and the green grass, thank you for the trees, thank you for the birds, thank you for my house, thank you, thank you, thank you, …