What is Your Label?

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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Have you ever wondered if God even knows your name? Have you doubted His awareness or even His concern about what you are going through? Have there been times when you felt totally alone and worthless? I have. I can really relate to the woman described in Luke 13. Oh, our problems may not be exactly the same, but the feelings and emotions are – and so is the answer.  

Jesus knew this woman. He knew she had been sick for 18 long years and that she had tried everything to be healed. He knew – but He looked past her pain and saw who she really was, and all she was created to be. And just as He

How Much Faith Does It Take?

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

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I am not a quitter! What some might call stubbornness, I prefer to call perseverance – especially when it comes to growing flowers and plants.

We recently downsized and moved to a house with a small wooden deck in the backyard. I took one look at that deck and could almost hear it crying out for beautiful plants spilling over the edges of brightly colored ceramic planters. My stubbornness … uh, perseverance … kicked in, and I thought, “I can do this!”

I headed to the local nursery where they know me. And by “know me” I mean they understand that I can kill just about any living plant known to mankind.

Linda greeted me with a smile. Linda and I

When I am Weak – I am Strong!

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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For many years, I did everything I could to hide any weakness in my life. When that didn’t work, I simply pretended those weak areas didn’t exist. Why? Because if I was weak, how could Jesus love me? How could anyone love me? How could I love myself?  

When our son, Jered, began to walk, I immediately noticed that his feet turned inward. Our pediatrician recommended a specialist who examined Jered thoroughly, then ordered several x-rays. The more he examined Jered, the more concerned we became. When the specialist finally called us in for a consultation, we braced ourselves for bad news. 

The doctor’s stoic face revealed nothing, but his diagnosis was a gift. “There is nothing wrong with Jered’s

Dealing With People Who Rub You the Wrong Way

by Mary Southerland | | no comments

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Sandpaper people, the people who rub us the wrong way, are not only a reality of life but also a gift from God. God has used these difficult relationships as catalysts in my life through which He has lovingly upset my comfortable plans and purposefully redirected my self-ordered steps. The results have often been chaotic and unsettling, but always life-changing.

As a junior in high school, our son Jered experienced his first surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot. The orthopedic surgeon explained what he would do during surgery. “I’ll remove the scar tissue that has formed around the break. I will then insert a metal screw to connect the broken bones.” As he spoke, I was

The Manufacturer’s Guarantee

by Mary Southerland | | 1 comment

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In the early days of the automobile, a man’s Model – T Ford stalled in the middle of the road. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t get it started. A chauffeured limousine pulled up behind the stalled car and a wiry, energetic man stepped from the back seat to offer his assistance.

After tinkering with the engine for a few moments, the stranger said, “Now try it!” Immediately, the engine leaped to life. The well-dressed man then identified himself as Henry Ford. “I designed and built these cars,” he said, “So I know what to do when something goes wrong.”

When our lives are broken, when the plan falls apart and everything goes wrong, we need to wait on

Out of the Darkness and Into the Light

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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Children are wonderfully different.

When our son Jered was nine months old, he began to pull up on every piece of furniture he could find. He maneuvered his way around our home until the day he took his first step … alone. It was a step of inches, but we celebrated as if he had run a marathon.

Our daughter Danna had a different plan. When she was ten months old, Danna stood up, looked around, and trotted across the room. Jered and Danna both walk extremely well today as young adults, but they both began with tiny steps … and in their own way.

Nobody gets depressed overnight, and nobody overcomes depression overnight. The journey out of the pit is

In Search of the Wounded Ones

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

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Hamburgers are a regular item on the Southerland summer menu … for several reasons. Hamburgers are inexpensive, easy to prepare, and scrumptious.

On one particularly hot summer night, I was craving hamburgers. So, I fired up the grill on our deck and began to prepare the hamburger patties.

I didn’t want to be in the scorching heat one minute longer than I had to be, so I quickly seasoned the hamburger patties, slapped them on the grill, and headed back inside.

Our daughter met me at the door with our grandson who was looking for his Mimi. That’s me.

When Justus saw me, he smiled and stretched out his chubby little arms for me to hold him. I grabbed him and promptly

Finding a Holy Balance

by Mary Southerland | | 10 comments

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I had a list of things to get done – even though my back was killing me. When my husband walked in from work, I gave him a quick hug and resumed my almost frantic pace.

“What are you doing, honey?” Dan asked.

With one of my famous sighs, I responded, “I just need to get a few things done.”

“How’s your back?” Dan persisted.

With growing irritation, I answered, “It hurts!”

Dan quietly watched me for a few minutes. “You don’t know how to sit down, do you?” he finally said.

My first response was irritation – which quickly escalated into anger – until I heard the unmistakable prompting of the Holy Spirit affirming the truth Dan had spoken. I needed to learn

This World is Not My Home

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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Heaven is on my mind these days. The holidays have a way of bringing to mind the family and friends waiting for me there.

Christmas vividly reminds me that this world is not my home. Heaven is. When I came to Christ in a personal relationship, my citizenship was changed from Earth to Heaven. And what a sweet exchange it was for me!

Heaven is where Jesus is.

“LORD, look down from the heavens and see; look at us from your wonderful and holy home in heaven” (Isaiah 63:15a NCV).

Heaven is a real place, a beautiful city of light.

“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God is its light, and

Keeping My Eyes on Him

by Mary Southerland | | 7 comments

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The story is told of a shepherd who tried to persuade his sheep to cross a swiftly flowing stream. Since sheep are naturally afraid of rapidly running water, the shepherd couldn’t get them to cross. Then he had an idea.

Picking up a lamb, the shepherd stepped into the river and carried the lamb to the opposite shore. When the mother saw that the shepherd had safely led her lamb across the stream, she forgot her fear and stepped out in faith and into the rushing current. Soon, she was safely on the other side. The rest of the flock followed.

Valleys are lined with disappointment and discouragement and sometimes streams of rapidly running water. Some people seem to thrive

It Doesn’t Take a Lot of Faith – Right?

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

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I am not a quitter! What some might call stubbornness, I prefer to call perseverance – especially when it comes to growing flowers and plants.

We recently downsized and moved to a house with a small wooden deck in the backyard. I took one look at that deck and could almost hear it crying out for beautiful plants spilling over the edges of brightly colored ceramic planters. My stubbornness … uh, perseverance … kicked in, and I thought, “I can do this!”

I headed to the local nursery where they know me. And by “know me” I mean they understand that I can kill just about any living plant known to mankind.

Linda greeted me with a smile. She and I

Because He Said So

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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How many times were the words, “Because I said so!” spoken to you by a parent? I was determined to never say those words to our children. Of course, I failed to keep that commitment.

But I do remember the first time those words slipped out of my mouth! I was shocked. My next thought was how many times has God spoken those words to me?

Hearing the truth is only half the battle. Obeying the truth is where the real battle begins.

Jesus taught about this very thing in the parable of the soils. He compares those who hear the truth but do not act on it as follows:

“When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand

Is Normal a Good Thing?

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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Normal can be a good thing.

Like when the doctor’s office calls to say that the test results are normal or when the mechanic tells you that the funny noise your car is making will not cost you hundreds of dollars to repair – it is just a normal part of wear and tear.

But when it comes to our spiritual lives – normal may not always be a good thing.

I am a pastor’s wife and love the fact that God has called me to serve beside my husband in that role. But some people think a pastor’s wife should look, act, speak, and dress a certain way. I tend to think God called me to be Mary … and

Today I Will Be Strong and Courageous

by Mary Southerland | | 8 comments

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I thought I was so godly … until we decided to move. If you want to measure your faith, just decide to pack up everything you own, put it in cardboard boxes, and move.

And if you really want to test the strength of your faith, decide to basically gut the house into which you are moving. Yep! That ought to do it!

Paint. I know a fresh coat of paint can make old walls dance with new life, but painting is also messy, time consuming, and the source of total chaos. Cans of paint lugged from room-to-room along with paint trays that are guaranteed not to spill … until they do. And don’t get me started on the whole

Help! I’m Exhausted!

by Mary Southerland | | 1 comment

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The alarm went off. Surely there was some kind of mistake. Nope! Time to get up and face another day of appointments, writing deadlines, piles of laundry … and you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I fell back in bed, exhausted. I need a vacation! Right? But I need more than a physical timeout. My soul needs rest. My heart needs solitude. My mind turned to a man in the Bible who probably felt the same way – Elijah.

Elijah is a great example of a man in need of rest. One day he was the conquering hero, the next we find him sitting under a Juniper tree, wallowing in self-pity – and begging God to let him die.

Are You Talking to Me, God?

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

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I was born to be an elementary school teacher – period. So, when a total stranger tapped me on the shoulder and said, “While you were singing, God told me that you are supposed to be my Music and Youth Assistant this summer,” I felt sorry for him. He obviously needed to have his hearing checked.

I had just graduated from college with an elementary education teaching degree. A good friend was leading worship for a local church and asked me to sing a solo in the evening service. That’s all – or so I thought.

When the service ended, my good friend introduced me to his good friend, the hard-of-hearing stranger, and said, “You should at least pray about

Sometimes It’s Hard to Trust God

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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I could not tear my eyes away from the television screen as the 33 miners began to emerge from the depths of what could have been their mass grave. The men had been trapped for more than two months in the collapsed Chilean copper mines nearly half a mile underground. Everything I have read or heard about the tragedy is extraordinary.

The miners survived the early days by rationing food and working together as a team. Each man was assigned a job, one of which was to maintain peace and harmony until they were rescued. The selfless mining supervisor who insisted on being the last to leave his underground prison showed the world what it really means to put

Get Your Praise On!

by Mary Southerland | | 16 comments

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When we lived in South Florida, the grass in our yard grew year-round. So did the weeds. We soon learned that the best way to deal with weeds was simply to take really good care of the grass. When the grass was healthy, it was thick and lush – leaving little room for weeds to grow.

When our hearts and lives are filled with praise, worry is a weed that will die from lack of attention. When we choose to continually give God thanks, there will be little room in our hearts for fear.

Why?

Because praise acknowledges the very character of God, while thanksgiving recognizes the work of His hand. Together, praise and thanksgiving are powerful weapons against worry and

Escape the Stress Trap!

by Mary Southerland | | 1 comment

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Stress happens … a lot. In fact, stress seems to be a constant companion in many of our lives. Yes, we live in a world filled with people and circumstances that seem to feed our stress. But I believe much of our stress is the result of an innate quest to love and be loved. The problems come when we look for that love in all the wrong places.

There is only one right place where we can find true love – in a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

It is really very simple. When we know God, we will know love. When we experience His unconditional love, we are then free to love ourselves and

Can You Really Count on God?

by Mary Southerland | | 7 comments

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We do a lot of laundry at the Southerland house. There always seems to be a load in the washer that needs to go in the dryer, a load in the dryer that needs to be folded and a load of dirty laundry waiting to begin the process all over again.

Our washer and dryer have numerous settings for everything from hand washables and fine delicates to cotton and permanent press. After a few loads that yielded pink male underwear and sweaters shrunk to fit Barbie dolls, we decided to wash everything on one setting. Heaven help anyone who dares to change that setting.

When a life crisis comes, we generally have an automatic setting of fear and anxiety. The

Lord, I Don’t Understand!

by Mary Southerland | | 8 comments

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Life rarely turns out the way we want it to, does it? I grew up in a shack on the edge of a little town in Texas. In the winter, we stuffed newspaper between the boards in our walls to keep the cold air out. I always volunteered to sweep the floors because you could simply sweep the dirt through the cracks in the floor.

I can remember Mama saying, “We may be poor, but we can always afford a bar of soap.” Our house was always clean and so were we. I didn’t understand why my mother had to battle cancer for 20 years. It was her greatest fear, and it took her life.

Over the years, there are

The Power of Praying Continually

by Mary Southerland | | 13 comments

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Three ministers were talking about prayer and the most effective positions for prayer. As they were talking, a telephone repairman worked silently in the background.

One minister shared that he felt the key to powerful prayer was all in the hands. “I always hold my hands together and point them upward as a sign of worship,” he explained.

The second minister suggested that real prayer should always be conducted on the knees.

The third minister shook his head and said, “I’m afraid you both have it wrong. The only position worth its salt is to pray while stretched out flat on your face.”

As the three ministers solemnly contemplated the wisdom they had shared, the phone man put down his tools, approached

A Budget for Time

by Mary Southerland | | 12 comments

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I once read an African proverb, “Lord Jesus, make my heart sit down.” The first time I read those words, I immediately thought of my husband who often says, “Honey, it really is okay for you to sit down and rest.” I tend to work myself into what my mama called a “tizzy.”

I have back problems … but sometimes pride myself on how much pain I can handle … instead of doing what I need to do. Rest.

I struggle with clinical depression every single day … but have been known to ignore the warning signs that it is time for me to stop, be still, and rest.

I have to admit I struggle with the idea of rest. For

I Need a Friend!

by Mary Southerland | | 11 comments

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The emotional demands on women are immense. One of the ways God replenishes us emotionally is through friendships. Many women are convinced that the risk of having close friends outweighs the rewards. I disagree.

There is no love without risk. Friendships make us stronger. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says that “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” If you add a strand to a single cord, you double its strength. But if you add a third strand to the cord, it becomes ten times stronger.

Ruth was willing to risk her future for the sake of her friendship with her mother-in-law, Naomi.

John 15:13 says it well: “Greater love has no one than this; that one lay down his life for

My Safe Place in the Storm

by Mary Southerland | | 11 comments

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I enjoy movies that have a happy ending. My family constantly teases me about my surreal perspective of movie entertainment. But honestly, life holds enough reality. Why would I want to pay good money to see more reality made bigger and more frightening on a gigantic movie screen?

When the movie, “The Perfect Storm” was first released, the previews suggested it had a happy ending. I should have known better. Seriously, how bad could it be?

We bought tickets, popcorn, and drinks, found the best seats in the theater, and prepared to be entertained. Wrong!

Every scene showed tiny boats caught in the grip of frightening waves and fierce winds. I kept waiting for the storm to die down so everyone

Making Space to Breathe

by Mary Southerland | | 8 comments

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I have learned many lessons from my husband about how to do ministry. Dan is a people person and views strangers as friends he simply hasn’t met yet. But his heart beats for the lost man who seems to be running from God with every ounce of energy he has. Dan’s passion gave birth to the Fireside Ministry.

Every Sunday night men from all walks of life gather in our driveway around a fire pit to share what God is doing in their lives as well as the struggles they are experiencing. They ask for help. They pray for each other. Fireside time is a holy time where God shows up and works in amazing ways.

One Sunday night I

God’s Love Always Shows Up!

by Mary Southerland | | 7 comments

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I heard the doorbell ring, but I had absolutely no desire to answer it. I was desperately trying to withdraw from my world. It was too dark and too painful. I just wanted to be left alone.

Clinical depression was sucking the life out of me. I was seeing a counselor. I was also under the care of a psychiatrist who discovered I had a chemical imbalance that required medication. But it would be a long, hard road.

The doorbell rang again. I pulled the covers over my head, determined to outlast whoever was trying to work their way into my pain. It was easier to just surrender to the darkness than it was to struggle my way to the

Destined to Be a Builder

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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Our son was born to be a builder. From the time he could hold a red plastic hammer in his toddler-sized hands, Jered began hammering imaginary nails into the coffee table, fixing everything that was broken in our house. No wooden surface in our home was safe from Jered’s scrutiny or design.

Since my husband enjoyed woodworking, he built Jered a miniature workbench beside his own. Several nights each week, Dan and Jered headed to the garage to pound and hammer and do what they called “man stuff.” I thought it was cute – a philosophy that would drastically change in the years to come.

When he was in middle school, Jered built a clubhouse inside our garage. He scrounged

The Squeeze is On!

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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What is really inside will come spilling out for all to see when life puts the squeeze on us. My Mama used to say, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.” In other words, a crisis will usually reveal what is really in our hearts. What is down in the well of your heart will come up in the bucket of your words.

It is easy to do and say the right things when life is calm and everything is going right, but what we say and do when chaos hits and the pressure is on tends to paint a more accurate picture of who we really are. It is kind of like sponge theology.

Suppose you

Sitting at His Feet

by Mary Southerland | | 12 comments

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Every moment of every day is focused on someone or something. We either set the focus through which we live, or we allow it to be set for us. A balanced life is focused on God as a result of sitting at His feet.

What does it mean to “sit at the feet of Jesus”? First, we must stop. The lives of Mary and Martha are great examples of this truth. Mary stopped helping Martha in the kitchen to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha complained that she had been left to do all of the work while her sister was wasting time. There will always be someone who misunderstands or complains when you choose to do what

Don’t Settle!

by Mary Southerland | | 10 comments

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I often settle for so much less than God’s very best for my life. I tend to invest time in good things and miss the highest things God has planned for me because I do not pray in faith.

A small country town was in desperate need of rain. One Sunday morning, the pastor of the local church called for a special prayer meeting to be held that night. “It’s time to pray for rain,” he said.

The people gathered with a sense of purpose and excitement, but when the pastor stood to lead the prayer time, his words stunned the waiting crowd. “Only one of you came in faith,” he announced.

Looking down at the first row, the pastor pointed

A Happy Ending, Please!

by Mary Southerland | | 10 comments

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I love a great movie! To me, a movie is great when good wins over evil, nobody gets hurt and everyone lives happily ever after. A bit naive, I know. But I have decided there is enough harsh reality ripping through daily life without paying to see more on a movie screen.

With these criteria in mind, I went to see the movie “Sea Biscuit.” So, there I was, popcorn in hand, minding my own business and enjoying my brief respite, when his words slammed into my soul, yanking me back to the relentless power of truth.

“You don’t throw a whole life away just because it’s a little banged up.”

I was done.

Although I enjoyed the rest of the movie,

Want to Trade Grace for Guilt?

by Mary Southerland | | 8 comments

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Ah guilt! The gift that keeps on giving. Right?

Guilt is a powerful emotion that can overwhelm and paralyze us. We all struggle with something we have done or not done in our past. We have several ways to deal with past sin. We try to ignore it, explain it away, or do enough good works to cover that sin. Unfortunately, none of those methods will work.

When we ignore sin, it allows condemnation and guilt to build up in our lives, draining us and keeping us from moving forward. There is no explanation for our sin. We simply made the wrong choice. And we could never do enough good works to pay for our sin. But then Jesus came,

Trust and Obey

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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When Dan and I first married, I knew almost nothing about football. In fact, I would often ask, “Honey, who has the ball now?” He was so patient, answering every question without bursting into laughter.

Dan’s favorite football team was the Dallas Cowboys, and his favorite player was Emmitt Smith, their star running back at the time.

During one particular game, Emmitt was playing on grass instead of the artificial turf he preferred. The grass was wet, and Emmett was not playing his best game, falling down two plays out of three. Frustrated with his performance, Emmitt took himself out of the game to change cleats. It didn’t help. In fact, it took three more cleat changes before he found

The Slippery Slope of Pride

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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A famous explorer in South America was once forced to abandon his journey by an almost invisible enemy. He was equipped to meet leopards, serpents, and crocodiles. They proved to be no threat, but what he had failed to consider were the tiny insects called chiggers. Someone composed this poem about these tiny invaders:

Here’s to the chigger, the bug that’s no bigger

Than the end of a very small pin.

But the itch that he raises simply amazes,

And that’s where the rub comes in!

Pride and chiggers have a lot in common. Pride comes in little ways, unseen actions, subtle thoughts, or inconspicuous comments. Unguarded attitudes and random thoughts are prime breeding grounds for pride. We must take charge of those

Check Your Spiritual Radar

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

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I recently received an email from a friend who told me the story of a private school in Washington that faced an unusual problem. Some of the 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would gather around the mirrors in the bathroom to compare shades.

The girls thought it was cute to press their lips to the bathroom mirrors, leaving dozens of lip prints. The maintenance man did not think it was cute because he had to clean the mirrors – and you know how icky lipstick on a mirror can be.

Every night the maintenance man would remove the lipstick prints only to find that the girls put them back the next day.

The principal finally decided that something

Let Your Prisoners Go!

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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Sometimes the hardest thing to say is “I’m sorry” or to admit it when we have hurt someone! The only thing that can be harder is to forgive those who have hurt us!

We cannot really forgive until we have really been forgiven. Forgiveness was born on a cross where Jesus Christ loved us enough to die for our sin.

“But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NCV).

He didn’t wait until we shaped up or got cleaned up. He didn’t wait until we asked for forgiveness or even knew that we needed forgiveness. God is serious about forgiveness. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew

Time for a U-turn

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Music has always been an important part of my life. I attended college on a music scholarship. The piano was my main instrument, but I also wanted to be a guitarist.

The musical challenge of playing the guitar was not my problem. It was my fingers.

A friend gave me guitar lessons, but after a few hours of practice, my fingertips were sore and raw to the point of bleeding. When I asked him what I was doing wrong, he just laughed and held out his hands, showing me the rough calluses on his own fingers. “When I began playing the guitar, my fingers were just as sore and raw as yours are now. Just keep playing, and your fingers

Just Do it Now!

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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Procrastination is one of the greatest sources of stress in life. I once heard a preacher tell the old story of three demons who were arguing over the best way to destroy the Christian movement.

The first demon had it all figured out. “Let’s tell all the Christians that there is no heaven. If we take away the reward incentive, their movement will collapse,” he said.

The second demon responded with, “Let’s tell all the Christians that there really is no hell. If we take away their fear of punishment, their movement will collapse.”

The third demon offered, “There is a better way. Let’s tell all the Christians there is no hurry.” The other demons applauded in delight! “That’s it!” they

Choose to Live an Abundant Life

by Mary Southerland | | 30 comments

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I have discovered some wonderful advantages of growing older. Honestly, I can get away with so much more than I could when I was younger – and I love it!

Like many of you, I have paid some heavy life dues. I am enjoying a refreshing freedom in what I say and do – as long as I say and do it in love and with integrity before God.

I am flat-out amazed by the fact that people value my advice. They actually think I know what I am doing. Hilarious! I know!

But I am thrilled to share some of the God-truths I have learned along the way. I’m also free to occasionally respond with a hearty “I don’t have

Treasures in Darkness

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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God doesn’t waste any experience in our lives. Some experiences come by His design while others come as consequences of our actions, but they all come with His permission and are filtered through His fingers of love.

While vacationing in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, our family developed several traditions. One of those traditions was mining for gold.

The routine was always the same. After buying a bucket of muddy rocks, we were handed a mesh-bottomed tray and seated on a mud-covered stool in front of a wooden trough. Cold water rushed down from the mountain above, spilling over the trough’s sides all over us and our clothes.

Lovely!

We slowly filtered the bucket’s contents into the tray, placed the tray

The Power of His Blood

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

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I grew up in a small country church that loved to sing hymns. One of my favorite hymns was “Power in the Blood.” When that hymn was sung, it seemed like the whole auditorium was filled with God’s power and His presence became more evident.

Blood is mentioned 460 times in the Bible. Fourteen times in the New Testament Jesus spoke of His own blood. Why? Because by the shedding of His blood, He made the possibility of our salvation a reality. He paid the penalty for our sin and redeemed us.

The penalty for our sin and rebellion is death, but Jesus stepped out and said, “I’ll take that death.” He voluntarily laid down His life and took the

The Power of God’s Grace

by Mary Southerland | | 7 comments

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I recently read the story of a man who died and went to heaven. St. Peter met him at the Pearly Gates and said, “Here’s how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me the good things you have done, and I will give you a certain number of points for each deed, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points you get to come into Heaven.”

“Okay,” the man replied. “I was married to the same woman for fifty years and never cheated on her, not even in my heart.”

“That’s wonderful,” St. Peter responded. “That is worth two points.” The man was shocked and said, “Only two points?” The

Give Up Your Rights

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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When it comes to the resources that we need for life, this promise from the 23rd Psalm is staggeringly important to remember, because it holds the promise of contentment in our lives. The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. Wow!

A famous actor was once the guest of honor at a social gathering where he was asked to recite favorite excerpts from various literary works. An old preacher who happened to be there asked the actor to recite the twenty-third Psalm. The actor agreed – on the condition that the preacher would also recite it.

The actor’s recitation was beautifully intoned with great dramatic emphasis for which he received lengthy applause. The preacher’s voice was rough and broken

The Art of Confrontation

by Mary Southerland | | 4 comments

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One of the basic needs of every healthy relationship is confrontation. To confront someone is to meet them head-on in the quest for compromise. Just as God separates us from our sin, He calls us to do the same in our relationships. We must disconnect who they are from what they do, loving the sinner but hating the sin, looking beyond their weaknesses, searching for their strengths.

Sometimes silence is agreement. Confrontation is a gift we bring to every healthy relationship and the unhealthy relationships with which we struggle. Unfortunately, confrontation is a spiritual surgery that tends to be painful. But without it, the cancer of contention and discord will remain free to grow and spread its deadly poison.

When

What Can We Learn from a Bee?

by Mary Southerland | | 1 comment

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A beekeeper once told author F.B. Meyer how some young bees are nurtured to ensure their healthy development. The queen lays each egg in a six-sided cell filled with enough pollen and honey to nourish the egg until it reaches a particular stage of maturity. The top is then sealed with a capsule of wax.

When the food is gone, it is time for the tiny creature to be released. The wax is so hard to penetrate that the bee can make only a very narrow opening. It is so thin that in the agony of exit, the bee rubs off the membrane that encases its wings. When it finally does emerge, it can fly.

The man telling the story

God’s Got You

by Mary Southerland | | 11 comments

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The promise that “God’s Got You” is the basic theme of Easter. A crisis knocks us to our knees. Panic grips our hearts. No hope, no solution, and no deliverance. But when we cry out to God, His response changes everything. “I’ve got you, child!” Then everything that seemed to be falling apart begins falling into place. We realize that the crisis we thought came to destroy us came to cleanse us. And through it all, we hear the promise from our Father, “I’ve got you!”

That is precisely what the women learned when they went to the tomb that first Easter morning. The women knew Jesus was dead. And they were sure His body was in the tomb;

Oh My Words!

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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Fruit is one of my favorite foods. However, when I go grocery shopping, it takes me longer to get through the fruit section than any other storage area. Experience has taught me to quickly discard any piece of fruit bruised, mushy, or discolored.

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I carefully made my fruit selections when I thought that I spent more time choosing fruit than I spent choosing my words.

Words are power tools that can build and encourage. But unfortunately, words can also destroy and confuse. We have all been hurt and even defeated by words spoken in anger or words rising out of a wounded and bitter heart. I have been guilty of speaking damaging

Thankful for Fleas

by Mary Southerland | | 21 comments

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While in Ravensbrück, Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsy dealt with appalling conditions. The women’s labor camp dorms were crammed into three high trough-like sleeping barracks with rancid hay as their bed.

The cramped conditions and lack of basic sanitation led to a lice and massive infestation of fleas. Corrie wondered how they could endure such a dreadful place.

Betsy prayed and told her sister they must “give thanks in all circumstances.”

Corrie wondered how she could possibly ever be thankful for the lice and the fleas?

Several weeks later, one of the supervisors was called in their barracks to view something Betsy was working on. The supervisor refused because the place was crawling with fleas.

Betsy then reminded her sister that it

Tending the Hedge of Accountability

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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A certain expert guide lived in the deserts of Arabia. He was known for his tracking skills and never lost his way. The secret of his success could be found in the fact that he carried with him a homing pigeon with a very fine cord attached to one of its legs. When he had doubts as to which path to take, he threw the bird into the air. The pigeon quickly strained at the cord to fly in the direction of home, leading the guide accurately to his goal. Because of this unique practice, he was known as “the dove man.”

We always need connections to those who will point us in the right direction. We will take

I Love My Job!

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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I have had many jobs over the years. I started babysitting when I was twelve years old. In high school, I worked in a clothing store, as an aid for my choral director, and as a recruiter for an employment agency. In college, I was a secretary for the president of our social science honors program and often gave tours to visiting dignitaries. Some jobs I liked more than others but working in an insurance office when my husband attended seminary was my least favorite of all.

Our attitude about our work will determine the success of our work. No job is perfect, and no workplace is always wonderful, but we can learn to choose our inner attitude about

The Circle of Encouragement

by Mary Southerland | | 11 comments

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You have heard the old saying, “What goes around, comes around.” Truer words were never spoken than when we are talking about encouragement. We all need encouragement – especially during the tough times. Those “tough” times can come in all shapes, sizes and forms and can vary from person to person.

We have one child who has been known to run an extremely high fever, walk around on a broken foot, and have a headache that would put me in bed … all without a word of complaint. The doctors have always been amazed at this child’s high level of pain tolerance.

We have another child who has been known to dissolve into hysterics at the sight of a splinter

When You Feel You’ve Got to Do Something About It

by Mary Southerland | | 4 comments

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I love the story of a man who came home from work, picked up the paper and settled into his favorite chair for a few precious moments of solitude. He had just begun to relax when his son burst into the room. Spotting his dad, the little boy flung himself against his father’s knees and said, “Daddy, I love you!” The father patted the boy on the head and said rather absentmindedly, “Yes, Son, I love you, too.”

Picking up his paper, the father continued reading, but the boy was not satisfied. He leaned a little further into the newspaper barricade and said, “But Daddy, I really, really love you!” The man took a deep breath, put the paper

Patience Pays Off

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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Patience is not one of my greatest strengths. In fact, I tend to live each day with a schedule in mind – an agenda by which to live that day.

God does have a sense of humor.

I can’t tell you how many times my schedule has fallen apart, or my carefully planned agenda has unraveled before my very eyes. I am learning that when God wants to build a certain quality in my life, He puts me in the opposite circumstance. For example, if God wants me to be more patient, He arranges the hours and minutes of my day in ways that demand patience.

What is patience? Patience is the ability to endure, but it doesn’t stop there. Patience

God’s Love Is a Forever Thing!

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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I heard the doorbell ring, but I had absolutely no desire to answer it. I was desperately trying to withdraw from my world. It was too dark and too painful. I just wanted to be left alone.

Clinical depression was sucking the life out of me. I was seeing a counselor. I was also under the care of a psychiatrist who discovered I had a chemical imbalance that required medication. But it would be a long, hard road.

The doorbell rang again. I pulled the covers over my head, determined to outlast whoever was trying to work their way into my pain. It was easier to just surrender to the darkness than it was to struggle my way to the

Ready to Give It Up?

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

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To excel at any sport requires each competitor to learn the true meaning of abandonment. Becoming a champion demands the commitment to live every part of life straining toward that objective.

Excellence always requires sacrifice, discipline, and a willingness to pay an enormous price. Our son, Jered, was a college football player who learned that to be the best player he could be meant he had to throw himself into weight training, personal discipline, and mental readiness. It takes a cavernous commitment and a willing abandonment to reach that goal of excellence.

Jered had a great role model in his friend, Russell, a young man who really did not have the physical size to execute the position he played on

The Chosen Word

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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Fruit is one of my favorite foods. When I go grocery shopping, it always takes me longer to get through the fruit section than any other area of the store. I spend what some might consider a ridiculously long time picking out what I hope will be the juiciest apples, the plumpest grapes, and the sweetest bananas.

Experience has taught me to quickly discard any piece of fruit that is bruised, mushy or discolored. I shake cantaloupe and thump watermelons. Ripe strawberries have a unique sweet scent and only the reddest cherries will do. Plums and tomatoes must be firm to the touch, bright in color and wrinkle-free while the more wrinkles the better when it comes to choosing passion

Right Thinking Leads to Right Living

by Mary Southerland | | 4 comments

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I was pathetic as I moaned my way up the stairs. My back was killing me! I had just spent four long hours taking down Christmas decorations, packing them in boxes, and hauling each box down three flights of stairs to the basement.

I was working up a stellar case of self-pity when my husband came home from work and asked what I had been doing all day. “I did two loads of laundry, wrote two devotions, took care of Justus (our grandson), answered email and then it took me four hours to take down all of the Christmas decorations,” I declared in my best “poor me” voice.

Dan did not seem impressed. “Your problem is not in your back,

Listen to Me!

by Mary Southerland | | 11 comments

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President Franklin D. Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big smile of his and saying all the usual things at the White House receptions he was required to attend. One evening he decided to find out if anybody was really listening to what he was saying.

As each person came through the reception line to shake his hand, President Roosevelt flashed his big smile and said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” People automatically responded with comments such as “How lovely” or “Keep up the great work, Mr. President.”

Nobody really listened to what he was saying except for one foreign diplomat. When the president said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning,” the diplomat responded softly, “I’m sure she had

Just Stick to the Plan

by Mary Southerland | | 11 comments

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Every year, many people set new life goals in January. I believe Christians should be goal oriented.

Setting goals is not about what I want to do with my life as much as it is about what God wants to do in and through my life. Someone once said that goals are the “rudder of our lives, and God’s wisdom is the wind filling the sails.”

God has always had plans and set goals according to those plans.

God created the world with a plan in mind. Can you imagine the bedlam creation would have caused if God had not had a set plan and goal?

God does not ordain chaos. He is a God of order and peace – not confusion and turmoil.

Why Didn’t Someone Stop Me?

by Mary Southerland | | 9 comments

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I promised myself that I would never buy a house that could be described as a “fixer-upper.” I don’t like fixing things. I want everything to be fixed before I move in. But there I was — buying a townhouse that needed so much work even the realtor couldn’t believe my husband and I wanted to buy it.

Why didn’t someone stop me? No one did, so the sale was made, and we went to work. Actually, my son and husband went to work while I went crazy.

I had no idea how horrible the process of remodeling could be. We gutted the whole place and rebuilt it – while living in it. I was not happy!

Honestly, I often wondered

Never Alone!

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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I do not have a green thumb. However, I once planted some flowers in our front yard. Actually, I just kind of stuck them in the ground, quickly prayed over them and hoped for a miracle.

Then a summer storm came through. I ventured outside to check on my flowers and discovered them lying on the ground, beaten to a pulp!

I lived next door to Martha Stewart’s twin sister, who had planted the very same flowers which had gone through the very same storm … but were still standing tall and proud, mocking my sad, wilted floral remnants.

“You didn’t plant your flowers deeply enough,” my neighbor sweetly explained. Evidently, the flowers were not rooted and had been easily extracted

The Secret Santa List

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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Every year, I make a Christmas list comprised of every person for whom I am buying a gift. Beside each name, I write a dollar amount – a limit for how much money I will spend on that gift – and whole-heartedly declare not to spend one penny more.

Somehow, the amount I actually spend rarely coincides with the amount I intended to spend, but I digress.

With every purchase, I then draw a beautiful red line through that name.

Done!

I carry that list everywhere I go because evil people are lurking in my home who will go to any lengths to find that list. Why? Because I am the Queen of Christmas Surprise! I have to guard the Secret Santa

Turning Christmas Chaos Into Christmas Joy

by Mary Southerland | | 7 comments

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While I am not a big fan of television, I do enjoy watching home improvement shows. On a recent program, an interior decorator and homeowner discussed a list of changes that needed to be made to update the home.

“First, we have to do something about those windows,” the decorator announced. I was surprised that she listed this task first – until I saw the house.

The existing glass was not only an ugly shade of gold, but it was also thick and chunky. The windows let in no light and made it virtually impossible to see in or out. The result was a dark, isolated home. The distressed homeowner protested, “But I like my privacy. And if I thought

Winning the War With Temptation

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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I am constantly amazed by the arrogance of which I am capable, daring to think I have the power within myself to intimidate Satan or thwart his efforts. I have no power apart from God.

I am weak without His strength, vulnerable to sin and a prime target for temptation. I can easily get caught up in human affirmation, my own sense of self-importance or the flattery of others. The result is always spiritual arrogance. The solution is always Godly discipline.

Godly discipline is not only a hedge of protection in our lives; it is a catalyst for spiritual growth and necessary to win the war with temptation. I know the very word, “discipline,” evokes distasteful images of pain, deprivation,

Problems and Trials and Pits! Oh My!

by Mary Southerland | | 9 comments

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Have you ever received a gift that you wanted to return but couldn’t? I certainly felt that way about the pit of depression when I first experienced it. I wanted to take that nasty black hole to the nearest “Pit Store” and exchange it for a tall mountain of victory. But I have come to the place where I thank God for what He has done in my life through the pit of depression. Anything that makes me cry out to God can be counted as a blessing.

We all have a pit of some kind in our lives. Your pit may not be depression. It may be an addiction you find hard to conquer. Your pit may be

Messes and Miracles

by Mary Southerland | | 8 comments

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Life can be so irritating. It’s usually the little things that annoy me the most. The lost set of keys or misplaced cell phone. The ice-maker that quits working before a party … the little things.

But there are times when people are the problem, showing up unexpectedly or calling when I’m running late. Been there?

I’m convinced God uses these tiny irritations as “heavenly sandpaper” to rub off our rough edges.

I was invited to speak for a women’s conference based on the theme, “Pearls of Wisdom.” When I arrived, every woman was wearing pearl necklaces, bracelets, or pins. Treasure chests overflowing with pearls decorated each table.

Everyone was excited and ready to go – except for one problem. I didn’t

When Hope is Gone

by Mary Southerland | | 7 comments

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In the 1950s, Curt Richter, a Harvard graduate, and Johns Hopkins scientist, did a series of experiments that tested how long rats could swim in high-sided buckets of circulating water before drowning. Dr. Richter found that, under normal conditions, a rat could swim for an average of 15 minutes before giving up and sinking. However, if he rescued the rats just before drowning, dried them off, and let them rest briefly before putting them back into the same buckets of circulating water, the rats could swim an average of 60 hours.

Conclusion: If a rat were saved – even temporarily, it would survive 240 times longer than if it were not saved at all.

Interesting!

How could these rats swim so

Is Peace Really Possible?

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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I read the story of a young reporter who approached an older gentleman on his 100th birthday.

“I want to wish you a happy birthday, Sir. I have just one question for you. What would you say is your greatest accomplishment in life?”

“Well,” said the man, “I don’t have a single enemy in the world.”

“Really? That’s incredible!” responded the reporter. “What is your secret?”

The centenarian smiled and proudly replied, “I have outlived every single one of them.”

Let’s be honest. Some people are harder to get along with than others. I call them “sandpaper people” because they are irritating and rub me the wrong way. When it comes to handling those difficult relationships, God does not want or expect us

Good Bones Are Important

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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Bones are important. Bones are the framework of our body. I was recently reminded just how important good bones are to our overall health when I had to have shoulder replacement surgery. Bone spurs caused by arthritis were pushing the shoulder bone out of its socket. I know. It is as painful as it sounds.

The surgery was successful and it was time for my two-week follow-up appointment. The doctor came in, followed by his assistant and an intern who were excitedly talking about great bones. I didn’t pay much attention until the assistant put my x-rays up and said, “This is the patient we were all talking about. Her bones are amazing!” Seeing the look of surprise on

From a Storm to a Whisper

by Mary Southerland | | 16 comments

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Movies with happy endings are my favorite movies. My family constantly teases me about my surreal perspective of movie entertainment, but honestly, life holds enough reality. Why would I want to pay good money to see even more reality made bigger and more frightening on a gigantic movie screen?

When the movie, “The Perfect Storm,” was first released, the previews suggested it had a happy ending. I should have known better, but we love the water and really, how bad could it be?

We bought tickets, popcorn, and drinks, found the best seats in the theater, and prepared to be entertained. Wrong! Just about every scene showed tiny boats caught in the grip of frightening waves and fierce winds. I

The Solid Ground of Faith

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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When Dan and I first married, I knew almost nothing about football. In fact, during a game I would often ask, “Honey, who has the ball now?” He was so patient, answering every question without bursting into laughter. Dan’s favorite team was the Dallas Cowboys, and his favorite player was Emmett Smith, their star running back at the time.

During one game, Emmitt was playing on grass instead of the artificial turf he preferred. The grass was wet, and Emmett was not playing his best game, falling down two plays out of three. Frustrated with his performance, Emmett realized he was not on solid ground and took himself out of the game to change cleats. It didn’t help. In

When Love Showed Up!

by Mary Southerland | | 15 comments

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The doorbell rang, but I had absolutely no desire to answer it. I was desperately trying to withdraw from my world. It was too dark and too painful. I just wanted to be left alone.

Clinical depression was sucking the life out of me. I was seeing a counselor. I was also under the care of a psychiatrist who discovered I had a chemical imbalance that required medication. But it would be a long, hard road.

The doorbell rang again. I pulled the covers over my head, determined to outlast whoever was trying to work their way into my pain. It was easier to just surrender to the darkness than it was to struggle my way to the light.

The doorbell

My Safe Place

by Mary Southerland | | 8 comments

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No one would call George Smith a coward. Smith was a daring jet test pilot in the 1950’s when the sound barrier was first being broken. He could face anything – until he had to bail out of a jet going 805 miles per hour. Smith survived, but he was hospitalized for weeks.

Smith shared his fear of ever flying again with one of the nurses who had become a friend. The nurse smiled and said, “I have an antidote to fear. It is courage. To have courage is to know the worst, and to discover that in God’s economy, the very worst can’t really hurt you.”

George Smith reminds me of Job.

Job was an extraordinary man, husband, father, and

I’m Desperate for You!

by Mary Southerland | | 4 comments

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Allan Emery, who served for many years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, shared an experience that made a deep impression on him. His father received a call saying a well-known Christian had been found drunk on the sidewalk in front of a local bar.

Emery’s father immediately went to pick up the man while his mother prepared the best guest room. Emery watched wide-eyed, as the beautiful coverlets were turned down on the exquisite, old, four poster bed – revealing the monogrammed sheets.

“But, mother,” Emery protested, “he’s drunk. He might even get sick.”

“I know,” his mother replied kindly, “but this man has slipped and fallen. When he comes to, he will be so ashamed. He will need all

Time Management 101

by Mary Southerland | | 7 comments

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I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle with time management. I don’t even like the word management! What about you?

Time management is a dreaded and often ignored spiritual discipline. We choose where to invest our time, carefully planning everything from work-related meetings and lunch appointments to play dates and trips to the grocery store – but fail to schedule the most important activity of all, spending time with God. Discipline carves out time to sit at His feet.

Sin thrives in a life without godly discipline. Temptation happily dances across overcrowded schedules. Our minutes, hours, and days are precious commodities, gifts from God that can be unwrapped only once.

The apostle Paul says we are to make the

The Gift of Confrontation

by Mary Southerland | | 7 comments

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Before Dan and I were married, I noticed several rough edges that needed to be sanded away and felt like I was just the one who could do it. After all, that’s what wives are for, right?

After a few months of marital bliss, during which I was fine-tuning my “Fix Dan Plan,” a seed of discontent took root and began to grow.

The strength I had so admired in Dan now seemed like stubbornness.

His ability to take a complicated issue, dissect it, and boil it down to a three-step-plan now seemed patronizing and sometimes even meddlesome.

What I had once embraced as his devotion to me now seemed like his need to control me.

It was time for the execution of

The Beauty of Crooked Feet

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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For many years, I did everything I possibly could to hide or erase any weakness in my life. When that didn’t work, I simply pretended that those weak areas didn’t exist. Why? Because if I was weak, how could Jesus love me? How could anyone love me? How could I love myself?

When our son, Jered, began to walk, I immediately noticed that his feet turned inward. Our pediatrician recommended a specialist who examined Jered thoroughly, then ordered several x-rays. The more he examined Jered, the more concerned we became. When the specialist finally called us in for a consultation, we braced ourselves for the bad news.

The doctor’s stoic face revealed nothing, but his diagnosis was a gift. “There

Tearing Down the Footholds of Pride

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

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I hate cancer! I have lost many loved ones to this dreaded disease and have come to despise its very existence. If only I felt the same way about spiritual cancer.

C.S. Lewis called pride a “spiritual cancer” that devours love and contentment. Pride is a sign of our own insecurity and feelings of inferiority. Pride and inferiority are actually opposite sides of the same coin, and both are sin, a preoccupation with self that leaves little room for God’s spirit of humility.

We all struggle with pride, and must constantly battle the tendency to measure every circumstance against the narcissistic viewpoint of “What’s in it for me?” Pride has no place in the life of a Christian. Pride steps

Time for a Makeover

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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I promised myself that I would never buy a house that was a “fixer-upper.” I wanted everything fixed before I moved in. But there we were – buying a town house that needed a makeover. Why didn’t someone stop me? No one did, so the sale was made, and we went to work. Actually, my son and husband went to work while I went crazy.

I had no idea how horrible the process of remodeling could be. Layer after layer of dirt, grime, stains and ugliness was stripped away. We basically gutted the whole place and rebuilt it – while living in it. I was not happy!

I often wondered why God didn’t just demolish the old me and build

Just How Strong is Your Faith?

by Mary Southerland | | 12 comments

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I thought I was so Godly, so courageous and strong … until we decided to move. If you want to measure your faith, just decide to pack up everything you own … and move.

And if you really want to test the strength of your faith, decide to basically gut the house into which you are moving. Yep! That ought to do it!

Paint. I know a fresh coat of paint can make old walls dance with new life, but painting is also messy, time-consuming, and the source of total chaos. Icky drop cloths are sprawled everywhere, paint trays that are guaranteed not to spill … until they do … must be lugged from room to room. And don’t get me started

When We Cry Out – He comes

by Mary Southerland | | no comments

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The story is told of Will Rogers who came to his comedian friend, Eddie Cantor, for advice. Will wanted to make some important changes in his act but was worried about the danger of such changes, explaining that he wasn’t sure if they would work. Eddie Cantor’s response was, “Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is!” The same is true of faith.

Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see. Faith is willing to take risks, embrace the unseen and step away from the safety of the shore.

We fear the outcome or don’t understand the step God has asked us to take. We are afraid to fail and are more concerned about

Embracing Weakness

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

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For many years, I did everything I possibly could to hide or erase any weakness in my life. When that didn’t work, I simply pretended that those weak areas didn’t exist. Why? Because if I was weak, how could Jesus love me? How could anyone love me? How could I love myself?

When our son, Jered, began to walk, I immediately noticed that his feet turned inward. Our pediatrician recommended a specialist who examined Jered thoroughly, then ordered several x-rays. The more he examined Jered, the more concerned we became. When the specialist finally called us in for a consultation, we braced ourselves for the bad news.

The doctor’s stoic face revealed nothing, but his diagnosis was a gift. “There

What Does Love Really Mean?

by Mary Southerland | | 11 comments

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A group of four through eight-year-olds was asked: “What does love mean?” Their answers vary from the amusing to the profound.

Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne, and they go out and smell each other.

Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.

Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.

When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis, too. That’s love.

When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you’re scared they won’t

Mark My Words!

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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I recently received an email from a friend who told me the story of a private school in Washington that faced an unusual problem. Some of the12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would gather around the mirrors in the bathroom to compare shades and apply their lipstick.

The girls thought it was cute to then press their lips to the bathroom mirrors, leaving dozens of lip prints. The maintenance man did not think it was cute because he had to clean the mirrors – and you know how icky lipstick on a mirror can be.

Every night the maintenance man would remove the lipstick prints only to find that the girls put them back the next day.

The principal

Embracing the Power of Our Past

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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When some of us think of the past, we remember the good old days when everything was better, simpler, cheaper and easier. Some people would like to erase their past while others long to revisit it.

If we want victory today and hope for tomorrow, we must learn how to deal with our past, because it is unchangeable. While we cannot go back and change our past, we can change our response to our past.

When our daughter, Danna, was a little girl, she was very much like me in many ways, particularly in her approach to morning. We both hated it! I was always coming up with some way to lure her out of bed each morning. One of

Don’t Be in Such a Hurry!

by Mary Southerland | | 7 comments

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I once heard a preacher tell the story of three demons who were arguing over the best way to destroy the Christian movement.

The first demon had it all figured out. “Let’s tell all the Christians that there is no heaven. If we take away the reward incentive, their movement will collapse,” he said.

The second demon responded with, “No, I have a better idea. Let’s tell all the Christians that there really is no hell. If we take away their fear of punishment, their movement will collapse.”

The third demon offered, “Both of those are great ideas, but there is a better way. Let’s tell all the Christians that there is no hurry.” The other demons applauded in delight! “That’s

A Lesson from Babe Ruth

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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My husband was determined to teach me how to fish … whether I wanted to learn or not. We were on vacation with our two children, and everyone was getting in on Dan’s fishing lessons.

Danna had already announced that she would never – under any circumstances – touch a worm or a fish. Dan and Jered promised to bait her hook and reel in any fish she caught. I knew what they were thinking: the possibility of Danna actually learning how to cast a line or catch a fish was so remote that they had nothing to fear. They could not have been more wrong.

The fish seemed to jump on Danna’s hook. She squealed with excitement as she

Stepping Into Thin Air

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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I have a love-hate relationship with the movie “The Last Crusader.” The hero, Indiana Jones, is constantly hovering above some bottomless pit or dodging sinister enemies who are trying to kill him and prevent him from completing his mission. It is exhausting to watch! One part of the movie stands out above the rest as terrifying moments go.

As usual, Indiana is on the run and comes to a chasm he must cross in order to obtain the Holy Grail. No bridge. No net. Just air, and nothing but air.

The treasure map dictates a ridiculous solution that makes no sense at all but demands a huge step of faith. If Indiana will just step over the edge of that

Looking for the Handprints of God

by Mary Southerland | | 1 comment

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Encouragement is a gift that Paul says we should bring to every relationship. To “encourage” someone is to deposit courage in them. The words “build up” mean “to build a house.”

The idea is to build up other believers like you would build up a house. And that building begins at home.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (I Thessalonians 5:11, NIV).

I remember that night well. It was so many years ago, but it seems like yesterday. And what a crazy day it had been! Probably a day like many of yours.

I was a young mom with two small children. My husband was the youth pastor of a large church. Almost every night was filled with church

I Don’t Have Time to Rest!

by Mary Southerland | | 3 comments

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We once had an Australian cattle dog named Dallas. Australian cattle dogs are extremely loyal to a master of their choice. Dallas chose our son Jered to be his master.

When Jered came home from school each day, Dallas would greet him at the door and follow him wherever he went. When Jered did homework, Dallas curled under the desk. When Jered ran an errand, Dallas rode shotgun. Dallas instinctively knew that the only place he would find genuine rest was at the feet of his master. The same is true in our lives.

But … I am not very good at this rest thing.

Life is so daily and often filled with uncertainty, a reality that can make me very

How to Find Contentment

by Mary Southerland | | 4 comments

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Contentment.

We all long for contentment. People know very little about contentment because they seek it in all the wrong places.

Food

Alcohol

Drugs

Career

Sex

Relationships

Money

The list is daunting … and absolutely useless when it comes to seeking peace and contentment. The heart of contentment is wrapped around the promise found in Psalm 23:1, a truth that is staggeringly important to remember in order to experience a contented life.

“The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1, NIV).

The Lord is my Shepherd, so I will not want. The word “want” means “lack.” In other words, we will lack nothing. Every need in our lives will be met. Our Father, the Good Shepherd, will see to it.

A famous actor was once the guest

The Chosen Baby

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

Friend to Friend

Beginnings are very important. In fact, the place of origin has much to do with the quality of the journey as well as the final destination. My journey – like yours – began in the heart and mind of God. Before I took even one breath, God loved and planned me. That same truth applies to you. You are neither an accident nor a mistake. You and I were created in response to the love and plan of God.

The power of Jeremiah 1:5 has changed my life!

Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you (Jeremiah 1:5, NCV).

God Himself supervised our formation. Wow! That just rocks my world. Think about that truth for a moment. We

Who’s the Boss?

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

Friend to Friend

I have had many jobs over the years. I started babysitting when I was twelve years old. In high school, I worked in a clothing store, as an aid for my choral director, and as a recruiter for an employment agency. In college, I was a secretary for the president of our social science honors program and often gave tours to visiting dignitaries. Some jobs I liked more than others but working in an insurance office when my husband attended seminary was one of my least favorite jobs.

I soon discovered that I was not alone in my lack of enthusiasm as I read the following note posted on the office bulletin board:

“If you don’t believe in the resurrection

Set Your Sails for Joy

by Mary Southerland | | 4 comments

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Jesus lived and died so we can experience abundant life, a life exuding joy, and a life so full that others crave to know the source of that fullness.

Jesus did not come so we can merely survive life. Pagans can survive life. Jesus came to be our joy.

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10, NKJV).

Someone once said, “Joy is the flag that flies above the castle of our hearts indicating that the King reigns within.” If those words are true, why are so many women living lives with little or no joy? Maybe we have bought the lies of the enemy, allowing him to steal our joy.

Discouragement,

I Am Loved

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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Shakespeare described jealousy as a “green-eyed monster.” I once heard it called “the gangrene of the soul.” Jealousy is usually thought of as a negative trait we need to guard against. But with God, jealousy takes on a whole new meaning.

God is a jealous God.

The root idea in the Old Testament word jealous is to become intensely red, referring to the way our face changes color with rising emotion when something or someone very dear to us is threatened. Kind of like fire!

For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4:24, NSAB).

Both the Old and New Testament words for jealousy are translated “zeal.”

In other words, being jealous and being zealous is often the same thing in the Bible. God