Our guest speaker, the Rev. Jimmie Bratcher, shared a moving story today at church that blessed my heart.  It focused on “giving your gift.”  His message was based on Proverbs 18:16 and offered the original definition of “gift”: that which you presently have to give away. I share the story ...

Jesus made it very clear that a tree is known by its fruit. He says in Matthew chapter 7:  “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”  Now He was specifically speaking of false prophets in this passage. However, it is also true ...

In yesterday’s article, I brought up the topic of quality time and how the culture we live in seems to distract and justify the limited amount of quality time we spend with our kiddos. Before I continue with the additional distractions I faced, I want to clarify the difference between ...

She has captured the hearts and minds of readers for decades. Francine Rivers, the author of more than 20 Christian fiction novels, received the Lifetime Achievement Award on September 19 at the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Awards Gala. “Few people have had the kind of impact that Francine Rivers ...

I have often asked myself why I believe, why I have faith in Jesus Christ. What is it that makes me believe and why? I’ve read the Scriptures and a lot of theology. I’ve spent many hours over the years wrestling with the deepest questions and looking into the mysteries ...

One of my epic failures in motherhood has been to successfully teach my youngest to ride her bike. I guess I should clarify. The concept has been grasped, it is the execution she finds daunting. She gets the whole idea of pedaling; it is just controlling the bike that is an issue. ...

In a previous post, passive aggressive behavior was explored and some examples given of what it can look like. Passive-aggression is a dysfunctional means of communicating anger or resentment through procrastination, sullenness, pouting, obstructing, feigned forgetfulness, and other methods that avoid direct confrontation. Passive aggressive people may be seething with ...

What are children desiring these days besides a piece of technology? Time. Quality time spent with their parents. Like a doctor on call 24/7 we are reachable by our family, friends, and neighbors anytime, anywhere. Although there are many positives to having a revolving door of connection, there are also ...

If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard the phrase “Jesus is coming soon,” I’d be a couple thousand dollars richer. I bet many others will agree. For years Christians from all over have been declaring that Jesus is coming back very soon, but He is yet to ...

The hour and day of Salvation is now. When you hear His voice today, don’t harden your hearts. Throughout history God has invited mankind to His side to accept His gracious gift of free salvation. Genesis records the war over man’s soul between God and Satan; before the foundation of ...