When Grace & Truth Collide – A Christian’s Response to the LGBT Community

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a war going on. In fact, there are many wars going on. Cultural wars, racial wars, political wars, religious wars… it’s a crazy, mixed up world we live in. The war is about so much more than which bathroom people should use. The war is real, but it’s really a war that is being fought in the heavenliness for the minds and souls of mankind. It’s a different kind of war… For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness …

Share

Trusting God with Our Kids by Amy McDonell

In the midst of Christmas feasts and wrapping paper and “Jingle Bells,” a word broke into our world, a nightmare for any parent: tumor. A CT scan and MRI confirmed that our 8-year-old son had a mass on his collar bone. But the doctor could tell us nothing more. There was no peace on earth for us. We waited. And in the waiting, I wrestled with a familiar fear that had morphed from a small monster hidden under my son’s bed to a horrid kind of superhero who threatened my world. It was the spiritual elephant in my life that …

Share

Vacation, Rest, and Life: Making Rest a Priority

“I need a vacation!” We utter these words in frustration and fatigue. Yet after we get back from vacation we say, “I need a vacation from my vacation.” Perhaps it isn’t a vacation we really need. Maybe what we need is to work rest into our natural rhythm of life. And I already hear your excuses. “But I am a mom and I have these crazy kids who keep me busy.” “But I can’t rest or my house will be a wreck and I will never get the promotion.” Our culture equates busy-ness with success. If we are not running …

Share

Remembering Why We Are Free This Memorial Day

Silent echoes whisper with each whip of the wind beckoning another wave of the American flag. In almost whimsical fashion, she sashays proudly above the world, standing for truth, standing for freedom, standing for peace. Each star and each stripe a symbol of victory, a symbol of war, a symbol of lives lost fighting for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom is never free. It always costs someone something. Often it costs someone everything. On Memorial Day we celebrate, we honor, we remember those who gave everything so that we could live in a country, free from tyranny, …

Share

5 Tips for Potty Training Your Toddler

Potty training can be a mom’s worst nightmare or become the best thing since sliced bread for your family. I’ve found five keys to potty training my kids which are patience, practice, readiness, reward, and positive reinforcement. Here are five tips to help you potty train your toddler. Patience Don’t pray for patience because if you do, God will give you a child to potty train. I’m kidding. (Sort of!). When I was potty training my twin girls, it took us almost a year to master going #1 and #2 in the potty. Even though the girls are twins, we still had …

Share

How Being “Good” Crippled My Parenting

I’ve always been a rule-following “good” girl.  As the sensitive, youngest child in a loving, but dysfunctional Christian home, I quickly slipped into the role of peacemaker and people pleaser. My mother suffered from an untreated mental illness. On top of that, extended family issues were complicated and nightmarish at times. More than anything else, I longed for validation and stability. I stuffed my own opinions and feelings. I worked hard to earn my worth. The most “rebellious” thing I ever did was get my ears double pierced. Crazy times. But my “good girl” persona came at a high cost. I …

Share

A Peculiar People

There is something entirely intriguing about a show like Antiques Roadshow. People bring trinkets to very large items of furniture to have them evaluated by a professional, who will attribute a value to it. The best part is when someone comes in, unsuspecting–but you can tell they are hopeful–to find that the item they brought was very valuable indeed. Oh the joy of finding value in what we own! The biggest challenge with the value is its restorative qualities. Has it been refinished? Were the original craftsman’s techniques used? The type of glue or fabric will even contribute to value …

Share

One Tired Mom

Crazy days, sleepless nights! We all have them from time to time. We become overwhelmed and tired! Even the makers of the Snickers ™ candy bar understand. They now sell ones with wrappers that say: cranky, ornery, snippy, impatient and whiny. Sinks full of dishes, unmade beds, bustling toddlers, self-conscious teens and overloaded calendars. How does a busy mom make sense of all this – clutter and confusion? BEGIN WITH GOD! You’re my place of quiet retreat; I wait for Your Word to renew me. Psalm 119:114 I often lose sight of God and my purpose when life is constantly …

Share

Is Your Prayer Life in the Winter or Spring Season? By Lillian Penner

In the Northwest of the United States where we have four seasons, the beautiful tulips are in full bloom reminding us of the new life that spring brings. The cherry trees are loaded with blossoms also. It is a beautiful time of the year with the trees and plants that have lain dormant during the cold winter months are getting new life almost over night.    During the winter months, many of our areas experience harsh cold snowy weather. However, as spring approaches it gives us the hope of warmth, beautiful gardens and landscapes. As it warms our spirit, we become …

Share