The Power of Your Story

by Sharon Jaynes | | 2 comments

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When Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, there was one who was absent from the motley crew: Thomas. When he came back to the group, they were all abuzz talking about Jesus’ surprise appearance. But Thomas didn’t believe a word of it.

“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it,” he declared.

A week later his disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus suddenly appeared and stood among them.

“Peace be with you!” he said.

Then Jesus turned to a stunned Thomas and said, “Put your finger here; see

Celebrate Your Weaknesses!

by Mary Southerland | | 4 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 bad news … just in case. The doctor’s stoic face revealed nothing, but his diagnosis

An Uncommon Calling

by Michele Cushatt | | 7 comments

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I imagine it was an ordinary day, not all that different from most of our days.

Up before dawn. Stumble around getting dressed in the dark. Make a beeline for the programmable coffee pot.

Stop. Let’s just take a moment to thank the Lord in heaven for programmable coffee pots. Yes, and amen.

So maybe Simon Peter didn’t have a programmable coffee pot. But he must’ve grabbed something to eat and drink before he headed out the door for another long day of fishing.

That was his occupation. No college degree required. It was hard, smelly work. But it paid the bills. And one can’t be choosy when it comes to paying the bills.

I can’t help but wonder if Simon ever

It’s Not How You Start. It’s How You Finish

by Sharon Jaynes | | 4 comments

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I sat by her bed.

Her hand swollen…full…unmoving.

Feet that danced just a few weeks ago now stilled. Arms that lifted just a short time ago now limp. Words that spilled easily just a moment ago now halted. How could life seep away so quickly, right before my eyes?

Mom was ready. But I wasn’t.

Mom called to tell me she was going to the emergency room. She had abdominal pain and couldn’t stop throwing up. I had just been at her house four days before, and this was something new.

“She has an ileus,” the doctor explained. “Part of her intestines have stopped working. But her heart isn’t strong enough to survive surgery. If her intestines don’t start working on their own,

Are You in the Right Spot?

by Mary Southerland | | 5 comments

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We all want to be successful in our work. Your office may be downtown or just inside your front door. Your work clothes may be an elegant suit or ragged jeans and a stained t-shirt. You may be paid in cash or with crayon drawings and sticky kisses. It doesn’t really matter because none of these things alone makes us successful in the work place.

Many people never experience success in their work because they are in the wrong work to begin with. Not me. As a high school student, I knew exactly what I wanted to be – a nurse. My mother was a nurse, and I wanted to be just like her. So I signed up to

Leaving the Land of Disappointment

by Sharon Jaynes | | 22 comments

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Sometimes you expect you’re getting a Rachel and you wake up with a Leah. Okay, I know that example might connect better with a guy, but you get the point.

Let me try that again. What do you do after you’ve crossed the Red Sea of obstacles, only to be dying of thirst at Marah three days later? How do you keep your dancing from turning into disappointment? One thing is for sure; you don’t drive down your tent pegs by the disappointing waters of Marah and camp out there. You move on.

I think of the women on Jesus’s ministry team. They had committed their lives to the Messiah and believed that He would restore Israel. Mary Magdalene and

Do Your Words Pass the KUT Test?

by Gwen Smith | | 7 comments

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Jesus said that the words we speak reflect the true condition of our hearts.

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For

3 Ways to Wreck Anxiety and Fear

by Kelly Balarie | | 8 comments

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I looked down at the empty box of cookies stashed in the trash. I just devoured them. The more I started at the box, the more it reminded me, if I left it there, I’d likely be caught red-handed. So, I did what any smart sweet-toothed woman would do – I dug deep into the yuck and hid the “evidence.” However, as I stepped back, to catch a glimpse of the trash bin from various angles, all I could see, taste and feel was guilt:
What if my husband hid “evidence” like I do?

What if I continue to eat and eat and eat?
What if I start to hide in other ways?

Anxiety feels not only like sweat, but also

When I Am Afraid

by Mary Southerland | | 6 comments

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As I was putting our seven-year-old grandson Justus to bed one night, he started talking about fear. “I don’t like to be scared, Mimi. It makes my tummy feel funny and my heart gets kind of jumpy.” I thought that was an excellent description of fear. But knowing Justus and his pure heart that goes hard after God, I should have known he was not through. “But the most awful thing about fear is that I don’t think Jesus likes it, do you, Mimi? I mean, it doesn’t make Him smile, and I want to make Him smile. What do you do when you get scared, Mimi?” I soaked up the wisdom of his words and then whispered

Jesus, Take The Whole Car

by Gwen Smith | | 1 comment

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One of the things we do at dinnertime as a family is a daily recap. Simple stuff: we talk through the things that happened that day. When my kids were in elementary school, one of the first things they talked about was who got to be the line leader that day. It was a pretty big deal, especially to young Smiths who really, really loved being the line leader. (I don’t know where they get that . . .)

Okay, I need to be honest here. Following is not necessarily my strong suit. I like to be in charge and in control. Especially on the road. If you and I have somewhere to go together, you might just want