November has arrived, and here in Massachusetts, that means the air is getting colder, the nights longer, and the pace of life somehow even faster. As the days grow shorter, it feels like they’re slipping through our fingers. Once Halloween is behind us, it’s a whirlwind—go, go, go—straight through to New Year’s. For me, with…
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG) As summer shadows stretch long and lean, we feel the anticipation of September with its…
In Michigan this year, it’s forgotten how to winter. So on yet another unseasonably warm day I spent some time cleaning up the yard. Flowers don’t have buds yet and the grass is still half yellow, but guess what is flourishing in all it’s glory? A WEED! Of course. Aren’t they a beautiful joy? Looking…
January 16th marked the ten-year anniversary of losing my son Josh, my middle child, three weeks before his 24th birthday. He would have been 34 this year in February. How do I cope with the loss? I focus on the blessings the Lord has given me that I still have: my other son, my daughter,…
The hot wind of summer brushed across the grasses as we hiked among the rocks. The Isle of Skye proved to be a place of reflection as the twisting roadways opened to sheep-strewn Scottish hillsides.
Have you ever felt “not ready” for a situation? Today, Kristen Hogrefe Parnell shares from her son’s birth story and how she’s learned to trust God when she doesn’t feel “ready.”
Like many, our income dipped this year, so we were careful and sparing with gifts. At least with physical gifts. Yet this Christmas was peaceful, pleasant, and a time of sweet memory-making.
First bath. First smile. First laugh. As a new mom, I celebrate all my baby boy’s firsts. First Christmas? Time for a trip to Hobby Lobby to get him a stocking! But the truth is, firsts can be hard too. First boo-boo. First break-up. First accident. The challenge with firsts is that depending on our…
Giving Myself Over [Henry O. Arnold]
If I as a writer am to tell a story, I must give myself over to its peculiar flow. As the power of the story begins to rise up within me, I must sit down and write. I yield. I isolate. I watch and listen. I resist the temptation to manipulate, and I allow the…
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