hope
-
“One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as… Read more
-
We share our home with two vocal, demanding dogs: Harper, a fourteen-year-old lab mix who belonged to my momma, and Sadie, a three-year-old from the Jackson County Humane Society. Their presence keeps our house from feeling empty after years of family bustle. Harper and Sadie have strong, distinct personalities. Harper, though slow with arthritis, is… Read more
-
Several years ago, Bobby and I were driving home with our two grandchildren when he asked, “What are you thinking?” I laughed and replied, “Oh, I don’t know, wishing I was 26 and skinny again!” But as I looked at our grandchildren, I turned to Bobby and said, “But I wouldn’t trade being young for… Read more
-
If you live here in the South, I am sure you have heard the phrase “like a deer in headlights.” The phrase describes someone who freezes up, unable to move or think in unexpected situations. In my early twenties, one night after work, I was driving home when a deer suddenly crashed into my windshield.… Read more
-
We adopted our youngest dog from a shelter, where she had come from an abusive background on the streets. Her distinctive long white hair and spotted face stood out to me. I asked her, “Do you want to come home with Nannie?” She placed both of her front paws on me and looked me square… Read more
-
There is freedom in letting go of past mistakes and hurts. The Apostle Paul moved past the fact that he had been a torturer who tried to destroy the church by murdering and imprisoning Christians. After Paul’s conversion through his incredible encounter with Jesus, he later said, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies… Read more
-
Yes you! It doesn’t matter if your past is more sordid than the woman at the well who had five failed marriages and was living with a man who wasn’t her husband. Jesus knew all of this, and He still used her to make a difference. If you have been abused and used like David’s… Read more
-
Even when we are doing what Jesus tells us to do, it is sometimes very difficult and hard work. There are times when I feel ‘agitated (troubled and filled with fear and dread)’ (v.50, AMP). Today, while reading Mark chapter 6, I noticed the disciples were ‘straining at the oars, because the wind was against… Read more
-
Sometimes life’s disappointing cuts have caused me unbearable pain. I have cried out in agony, begging for relief. But the hurt lingers on sometimes for days, months, even years. We have all felt the pain of betrayal, rejection or disappointment. The hurt is real, the pain intense. We wonder, why? How? But even if we… Read more
For Real, Elaine?! 