In 2006 I attended a “Girlfriends Night Out” fellowship at my church. The speaker asked us to rewrite Mary’s conversation with Gabriel beginning in Luke 1:29, but using our names and making it personal. During that period in my life, my children were slowly drifting into their own lives. I knew being a full-time mom…
March brings with it several things: March Madness (I’m more of a football girl, myself). The start of springtime. And good ol’ St. Paddy’s Day. Now, there’s a really neat Christian backstory in the life of St. Patrick the man, but when I think of St. Patrick’s Day, it floods me with fond memories from…
C.S. Lewis writes in his essay on Historicism, ‘pre-historic poetry has perished because words before writing are winged.’ The oral tradition of storytelling is in hibernation. Sitting on the porch watching the fireflies’ nightly dance creates time for reflection. Today, who has time to sit quietly and listen to the family lore dished up with…
Valentine’s Day may be over, but it’s still the month of love. The holiday itself can be stressful for many of us. Did we buy the perfect gift? Can we still get a reservation somewhere? We see other people receiving extravagant bouquets, but our special someone seems to have forgotten all about the big day.…
Have you ever felt the way King David did here? In these very difficult and challenging times, with every person on the planet grappling with grief, fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, have you cried out to God and received only silence in response? We all feel that way sometimes—maybe a lot of times. And David shows…
Every Christian says we should do this, but many of us struggle to follow through with the fourth commandment: remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. I remember how at my Christian college they would encourage students to rest and take time to pull away from the hustle and bustle … but they also had…
Does Christmas make you nostalgic? If so, you’re far from alone. This time of year, many of us long, almost painfully, for the traditions we grew up with. My husband and I got married days before Christmas. It came as a rude surprise to discover he expected a star atop the tree, and my family…
At Christmas, I’m always drawn to the story of Mary. Imagine being fourteen or fifteen, the age most historians think Mary was, betrothed to a man arranged by your parents, and suddenly an angelic being appears in front of you. Said angel tells you are going to be a mother! What would you do? I’d…
And above all these things put on love, Which binds everything together In perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14 ESV Hanging on our bedroom wall is our advent calendar. Tucked in pockets are beautiful words of God’s love. The first folded paper has a quote from Robert Browning. “How do I love thee? Let me count the…
[Dana McNeely] A Special Delivery
Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.” ~ 1 Kings 17:8-9 New Living Translation God often works His will in unusual ways. If you’ve known Him a while, you may have your own list…
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