My old Girl Scout leader, Kathy, was in her final season of life. For years she’d nurtured young girls like me, instilling important lessons about life while teaching us to find joy in simple things, like building a campfire, tying knots, baking cookies and watching birds. At her knee I learned how to transform a bar of soap or two small medicine cups into a beautiful ornament for my mother. She was also a longtime, devoted member of the little church I grew up in. She taught Sunday school, baked sweets for Vacation Bible School, and sent words of encouragement to members and missionaries ... Read the Post
Filling Station
One lazy Saturday afternoon as a friend and I strolled through a local gift shop, we came across a sign which read simply: Filling Station. The contrast between the white wash on the distressed wood with the subtle moss green lettering caught my eye, but it was those two simple words which caused my friend to pause. “Look!” she pointed, “Doesn’t that sign remind you of our pastor and his reference to the church as a filling station – a place where Believers go to get filled up and refueled each week?” “Yes,” I agreed and jotted down “filling station” on a paper bag for further ... Read the Post
Great Consoler
After a two month absence from home while participating in a mission trip to Africa, our sixteen year old daughter, Megan, was returning home. She had traveled with thirty-two strangers from the United States and Canada to a remote village in southeast Africa where poverty and life threatening diseases are epidemic, to build an emergency rescue shelter for AIDS orphans and spread the good news about Jesus Christ. Communication from Megan had been sparse. We received a phone call when she arrived for “boot camp” in Florida, a second call before she boarded her flight to Africa, and a ... Read the Post
Writing Friends
For months I had prayed for a new community of Christian women. The small accountability group of women I had met with for almost nine years had dissolved, and I knew I was floundering. Being a new member of of my church, I’d heard a lot about home teams, but I was still clinging to the hope that my little group would somehow be resurrected and all would be well. I knew in my heart, though, that while the group had been a blessing, it was time for me to move on. Deep in my heart I knew if I would allow it, God would lead me to a new community of sisters with whom I could share life and ... Read the Post
Imitators Of Christ
Recently during my drive to work, I spotted a lively bunch of flowers at the entrance of a mobile home park close to my neighborhood. The colorful flowers were so pretty; I slowed down to enjoy the view and realized after a closer look that the flowers weren’t real. They were fake! What a surprise – they were a great imitation of the real thing. That experience got me thinking about countless “imitation” items available at my local grocery store: imitation sweeteners, creamers, and flavored extracts for baking. The name of some items such as I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter even suggests ... Read the Post
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