Articles on Family
Do You Know God?
Do you know God? Do I know God? Let’s each stop and personally ponder this question. At my place of employment, I have the privilege of working with a group of brethren from my local congregation. We spend hundreds of hours together processing meat in a local butcher shop. Our conversations are many and varied. We have spent many an hour discussing matters of church,…
A Wee Little Prayer
My new job had more things for me to learn than I could count. I absorbed directions and techniques as fast as my co-workers gave them, but I still couldn’t catch up. My brain was overloaded. One day my actions betrayed my bursting brain. It was early evening at the bulk food store, and we had almost an hour until closing time. The store was filled with the usual…
Opening Our Doors
This article is compiled from notes I took at a Sisters’ Meeting. One of the earliest recorded examples of hospitality took place under a tree. Abraham urged three strangers to stay with him and graciously prepared a labor-intensive meal for them. With no travel plazas or fast food options near Mamre, these probably weren’t the first strangers Abraham hosted. Hospitality…
The Security of Submission
Submission to a higher authority is a concept that is found throughout Scripture. So much so, that we could say it is foundational to the Christian faith. Faith believes what God has said to the point of doing what He requires without questioning His authority. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were given the freedom to choose between submission and rebellion. They…
The Blessing of Obedience
“Matthew, I want you to weed the two potato rows in the garden,” said Mother. “I don’t have time and it is a job you can do.” Eight-year-old Matthew was playing with his toys in the sandbox under the pine tree. He would have much rather made roads and built sand houses, but he knew better than arguing with his mother. Slowly he headed to the garden. The rows looked long,…
The Poor in Spirit
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven –Mat 5:3. Jesus says the poor in spirit are blessed! This is where the blessing of God begins. To be poor in spirit is the gateway to a blessing that leads to all the other blessings. Without this, no other blessings from God are within our reach. Did you notice that Jesus speaks about heaven in the…
Sharing Snowflake
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9 “Mom, the neighbor girl is here. May I show her my kitten?” Cole asked. Mom nodded. Cole trotted back to the yard. “Abbie! I want to show you what I found under the shed. It’s a kitten that I tamed all by myself.” Cole flopped on his stomach, pushing his head flat against the dirt to…
Joy in the Crevices
A few years ago, I was wallowing in emotional and physical burn out, trying to adjust to life outside of the African village we had called home for eight years. Depression and fear were a regular part of my life. As I slowly crawled out of the hole I was in (a hole I never realized I had fallen into until it was too late for an easy remedy), I began to notice beauty. In…
Building Up Relationships
Friendship is a beautiful thing. Meaningful, heart-to-heart friendships influence us greatly and bring stability into our lives, especially if they are grounded in Christ. True friends encourage us when we’re hurting or discouraged, and they rebuke us when we sin, yet they always care for us. Building relationships is hard. It takes a lot of time to build meaningful…
When Mothers Concede
“What are plain mothers of today telling their daughters about the carousel of cosmetics proffered for women?” This is a question I have pondered many times as I observe the girls in the church benches grow into womanhood. My wonder is weighted with concern. Listen in with me as two sisters talk about this topic. “What do you do about things like a touch of acne cover-up…