“Excuse me, ma’am? I wonder if you could help me,” she said softly. On my way to the checkout line with a few grocery items, I stopped and turned to the young woman, expecting a request for help in locating an elusive item needed for a new dish she was making for dinner. “I need formula for my baby,” she said. A ... read more
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Guest Post: LITTLE RED (by Ellen Rose Beason)
“Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone” (Ps. 71:9). Meet “Little Red.” She’s not really red anymore. She’s more of a brownish, rusty color. She came to live on our farm in the 70s. My dad bought her from a logging operation, and she had been used and abused. He thought she’d ... read more
Holy is His Name
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him unpunished who takes his name in vain,” (Exodus 20:7 (ESV)). God’s third commandment tells us not to take God’s name in vain. Most of us understand this means not using the Lord’s name as a swear word. But it’s more than that. ... read more
Only God Can Make a Tree
“The word I picked was God,” B. said quietly. “I apologize if this offends anyone.” It was the second week of the semester in my beginning composition class when the former high school football captain and current ROTC student volunteered to read his writing. But it wasn’t merely a matter of reading: B. bared his soul to a ... read more
GOOD NEWS MAGAZINE
“Following Our Spiritual Light” is a devotion appearing in Good News Christian Magazine July 2019. ... read more
How to Avoid the Fear of Missing Out
FOMO, the acronym for a current cultural trend, made its way into the Oxford Dictionary in 2013. Origin: Early 21st century abbreviation of fear of missing out. Anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social ... read more
Five Tips to Inspire Your Writing
Along with the warmer days of spring come wonderful writing conferences. And like springtime, they inspire, teach, and renew the writer in us. I’m still processing a load of new learning, and it’ll be months before I implement much of it. But I did walk away with a handful of conference tips and advice I put to use ... read more
How to Reclaim the Joy Jesus Intends For Us
"Wanna come fishing with us, Grami?" asked my grandson, Deacon, as I sat on the veranda enjoying my book, coffee, and the cool morning quiet of the surrounding mountains. He was up early. I'm not a fan of fishing, but I am a fan of my grandkids. Laying aside my book, I followed Deacon and his sister Eden to the dock where ... read more
Our Hands Were Made to Create
"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands" Ps. 90:17. “Mama, you have a young face but your hands are old,” piped my observant four-year-old. I glanced at my bony hands guiding the ... read more
Following Our Spiritual Light
The sunflower is one of the world’s most familiar flowers. Replicating the pattern and colors of the sun, it resembles its namesake. The flower grows tall and proud and symbolizes vitality, devotion, and adoration. Who can resist a smile of delight when looking at one of these beauties? No wonder it’s recognized by so ... read more
