I was in my early thirties, established in my career and comfortable in my skin, but I was still nervous when the time came to meet my future mother-in-law. Would she like me as a person, approve...
When our kids were little, Easter morning meant baskets full of chocolate bunnies and bright plastic eggs hidden between the sofa cushions. But the first Easter morning? Another story entirely. A...
So, how about we memorize the Bible? Not all of it, of course. We can start with some of the verses you love most. I know, I know. You don’t have time. Your memory isn’t what it used to be. ...
So, I took my daughter and daughter-in-love, both in their late twenties, to an elegant museum exhibit. Dressed in our summer best, we strolled through the gilded doors, ready for a fun afternoon...
A bright Sunday morning in south Georgia. The children’s choir stood on the carpeted platform in two fidgety rows, while their parents beamed. Anticipation hung in the air like dust motes. When...
Why do we always remember the things we’d most like to forget? My husband and son were still sleeping while my pre-teen daughter, Lilly, and I busied ourselves getting ready for a day of sights...
Lord Jesus, every day is Yours. Especially this one. We’ve been holding our breath for weeks. Watching our calendars. Waiting. Listening for the sound of Your voice amid the noise. Now all is s...
We could look at the first real Thanksgiving, when Native Americans and English Puritans ate venison, corn, and shellfish for three days. Nice. Instead, we’re talking about your various first ...
A misty, moist morning in late October. I woke early, too preoccupied to sleep. By nightfall, our son would be married. I slipped outside with my camera, hoping to settle my nerves. As the mother...
My best friend goes to weddings the way some people go to movies. She attended eight last year, with seven more on this year’s calendar. I know, right? Fifteen weddings. All I can say is, every...
“Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon” {1 Kings 10:10}. Rare and precious in any kingdom, the spices from the land of Sheba were the mos...
This journey of faith? It isn’t meant to be a solo trip. I didn’t get that at first. I was too excited about my salvation, my Jesus, my new life in Him. It really was all about me (how embar...
When I was a young single woman searching for a job, Kentucky wasn’t even on my radar. I figured it was mostly rural. Horse farms. Fried chicken in a red-and-white bucket. Hillbillies. Clearly ...
I love the look of sheep. They’re wooly and round and perfectly content to nibble on grass for hours. Adorable, really. But when the Bible says, “We are His people, the sheep of His pasture�...
A sunny Friday morning. My husband and I were traveling to an event in North Carolina, where I was scheduled to speak. When our plane landed in Charlotte, two voicemail messages appeared on Bill�...
The IF:Gathering in Austin. I know how I got there — a car, a plane, and an airport shuttle — but I wasn’t sure how I got there. How I ended up at a weekend event with two thousand women yo...