Like toddlers in a toy store, new years come bounding in, bursting with possibility for all that lies ahead. Some years, I’ve shown up at January’s door eager to plan the year ahead. Yet when prayerfully assessing my path, I’ve realized that somewhere along life’s way, I stepped off God’s path for me and began running in my own direction….
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Trading Constant Concern for Quiet Relief
I wonder how these same palms I lift in praise can grip so tightly to a thousand concerns. Tears laced with fear mark my face as I concede once again to overthinking and angst—habits I’ve grown all too casual with. Soon I’m believing the misguided notion that the clutching of my cares somehow secures the well-being of my world. Long…
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Help for the Weary Woman
Rise before dawn for an hour of Bible study and a five-mile run: Check! Fold laundry and order groceries while attending an online meeting : No worries! Cook supper and load the dishwasher while helping with homework : Easy-peasy! Said no woman ever. Many are the seasons of a woman’s life, but I’ve yet to hear anyone say life is…
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The Confidence to Believe You Belong
It was my first day at a new school—midyear, where everyone knew each other and no one knew me. Nine years old and naive, I had yet to understand the insecurity that clothed my spirit. From my first timid step off the school bus that day, till the final bell rang after class, I wore a long red coat; total…
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When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough
I’m a woman of habit, so every morning, like a playlist on repeat, I make the bed, shower and dash downstairs to the automated grace that brews my cup of caffeine. One morning, as the water ran low in my single-serve brewer, I thought, Oh, how my weary spirit can relate. I, too, felt like I was running low—low on…
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Peace by Piece
The relentless heat of a late southern summer hung in the air as I cheered from the sidelines of my son’s football game. At half-time, while stretching beneath the searing sun, a curious wonder caught my eye. High above the field, like a vivid smile in the sky, I noticed an upside-down rainbow! Puzzled by this unusual sight, I did…
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