It has been 12 years since one of Elaine’s students disappeared on a class field trip and her life went spiraling down in shame and lost confidence. One day, she and her detective husband were discussing her upcoming birthday over breakfast when she discovered a clue to the unsolved case while skimming the newspaper. There…
Burned out light bulbs, broken toilet seats, dead dryers, broken door locks, broken water heaters, and electrical outages remind me that reasons to be thankful abound in our daily lives. We can also look to other daily examples of beauty in nature and services for our family. Yes, we don’t need to look far to…
In August 1999, I made a brave and life changing decision. I started homeschooling my children. My eldest was in second grade, my second born was a preschooler, and my baby was a toddler. It has been 18 years. When I first began, there were several families in my area who homeschooled, so there was…
Our two pear trees blessed us abundantly with excellent fruit this year. Since pears spoil quickly after they ripen, I was feeling a bit stressed and overwhelmed by our blessing. (I hate to waste anything.) We can only eat so many pears, and there is only a small window in which to eat them fresh…
Curiosity led me to Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts. A moving podcast interview with her left me in tears. I just wanted to know more about this God seeker and immerse myself into the amazing descriptions of settings and moods which she paints upon the page. I wondered if I might be able to…
Shoving my brother forward and shouting, “No, take him!” and watching as the vampire dragged him into the coffin, the lid creaking shut, and the scary haunted house sounds echoing around me was seared into my memory one Halloween during my elementary years. I’m sure my dad thought we would have fun being scared silly.…
During my recent devotional study of Ecclesiastes, all the depressing talk of how meaningless life is caused me to evaluate how I spend my time. Some highlights of the first chapter include the following: The forces of nature continue the same year after year. No one remembers us when we are gone. Nothing we do…
Life in the slower lane makes me feel more secure. I believe it is healthy for us to slow the pace in our lives physically and emotionally at regular intervals. Why slow down? Who slows down? We’re all so busy, busy. Yet Jesus praises Mary for sitting at his feet and enjoying his company while…
While new experiences may be scary, they offer opportunities for growth. Stepping out in faith can bring blessings through the stretching. Life in the fast lane stretches me. The speed limit was 70, but vehicles of all sizes zoomed past me on the multi-lane interstate as if I were in the slower lane. Perhaps I should…
Tamera Alexander is another favorite author I discovered this year. Her second novel in the Belle Meade Plantation series, To Win Her Favor, kept my mind contemplating what was happening with Maggie and Cullen as I worked throughout the day. Once when walking with my husband, I was tempted to discuss their troubles when I…