Author Archives: Guest Contributor

Be The Boss of Your Brain

The vacant field was a popular shortcut to school. Dividing the weed-covered square into two triangles, a path was rutted with evidence of bikes riding through the mud. Hardened by the sun, the deep grooves became permanent ruts from one corner of the field to the other.

I picture that rutted path now when I catch myself slipping into my mind’s default place of fearful thinking. Worry used to be my bedtime routine. Closing my eyes at night, I would meditate on the latest problem, looking at every side and angle in order to find the solution. Did I wake up refreshed?

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Why Are You So Afraid?

It’s not always easy to keep the faith. Even when we know better, fear rears its ugly head, controlling our thoughts, our words, and our actions. It’s particularly difficult when one crisis after another seems to become the story of our life.

What are you afraid of?

I often feel like I can’t handle any more troubles. Over the past decade my husband and I have faced multiple tests of faith.

The scariest was a case of mistaken identity that threatened to put the love of my life in state prison for four years. An innocent and good man raised up in the ways of the Lord, prosecutors portrayed my husband as a menace to society.

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Pickled

Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD. (Psalm 107:43)

Sometimes God takes drastic measures to get our attention. Other times he just uses the ordinary daily things. This time, in my case he used a pickle to remind me that He loves me, is merciful and prefers I learn to yield to Him. Always.

It was close to ten in the evening. I remembered that there was supposed to be a “Super-moon“. Actually my dear hub reminded me. Of course, I wanted to run right down to the beach. Even though it was a bit cloudy.

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The Beauty and Truth of Motherhood

It is a Sunday morning during church.

I watch my little girl coloring a page from her coloring book on the floor in my living room. We have a little house church so it is very casual and as I watch her I notice she colors the grass green, the sky blue, and the sun yellow.

I can’t help but wonder why she didn’t color the grass pink or purple, the sky red, or the sun green?

Because, she knows that is not the reality of nature.

She consistently sees grass green, the sky blue, and the sun yellow. She colors from what she sees and knows to be true, from the beauty and truth that surrounds her.

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Raising Lovers of Jesus In the Midst Of The Chaos

We as moms wear so many different hats! I recently read that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the market value of the work of a mom is worth $60,182. We cook, clean, taxi, nurse minor wounds, change diapers, educate, manage household finances, and much more. Sometimes in the midst of all these tasks we just get tired!

In all of our demanding jobs and our sleep deprived exhaustion, let us not lose vision for the most important job of being a mom: raising our children to be lovers of Jesus.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.

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Surviving Unfriendly Waters

It happens suddenly without anticipation or it could have been planned. Change. You find yourself in an uncharted area or time of life, navigating waters that seem unfriendly and dangerous. Cold. You consider your journey. Perhaps you have moved to a new community, or switched jobs, churches, schools or states. Perhaps you have been in a painful divorce or other negative experience. You find yourself among people often, yet your closest friends and fellowship are far off. Difficult days these can be. So how can you maneuver these waters, safely and emerge on friendlier shores? Here are some tips to stay afloat when the raft you are on is a lonely one due to difficult, specific or seasonal circumstances in life.

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Hold On Tight

A Proper GripThey were my favorite phy-ed days. No climbing ropes required. No relays necessary. I didn’t have to sweat. I simply had to hold on.

And I was good at it. I could hold that wooden rung with the best of them.

My teacher explained it was to encourage hand strength. I thought it was more of a mind game. For I learned if I didn’t focus on that wooden dowel and how my hands were wrapped around it, I always fell too soon.

Now that I’m older, somewhat wiser, and less physically fit, I know holding on tight takes tremendous strength.

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When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

There are a lot of things that happen in life that don’t make sense. Friends have marriages collapse and are left to sort through the broken pieces. Loved ones go through the heartache of losing expected life and are left with questions and a hole where there was supposed to be anticipation. A family member gets sick and battles diseases like the “c” word with great faith and courage, only to be left without the testimony of beating it. Hard working husbands lose jobs and the financial security we thought we had is gone just as quickly as it came in the first place.

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