What Women Need to Know About Love

by Gwen Smith | | 6 comments

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I am the middle child of five born to my parents in eight short years. Our house buzzed with activity, sibling rivalry, and noise. Stadiums full of noise. I was one girl among a handful of kids who wanted to catch the eye of my busy, work-a-holic daddy. While I knew he loved me, I wanted so much more from him. I wanted to hear his love, to feel his love, to be sheltered by his love, and to be adored.

One of my favorite childhood memories is of the times in summer when my big, strong dad would take both of my hands in his and then begin to spin. Running in circles around

Standing Up to the Bullies in Your Life

by Sharon Jaynes | | no comments

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Being from North Carolina, I love the old black-and-white Andy Griffith television programs. In one episode, the neighborhood bully is picking on Opie. This blond-headed newcomer taunts and makes fun of Opie until he feels as if he’s a total loser among the buddies he once enjoyed.

After Andy, the wise father, figures out what is disturbing his moping son, he gives him a little lesson in standing up to bullies. The next day, when the bully threatens Opie, the little freckle-faced boy looks his opponent in the eye and refuses to crumble under his threats.

“Do you want to fight?” the bully taunts.

Opie doesn’t say a word, just puts up his fists.

“Oh yeah, well knock this rock off my

Joy in the Triathlon

by Arlene Pellicane | | 2 comments

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Oh friend, please don’t misunderstand. I didn’t participate in a triathlon. I watched it.

A few years ago, my family was on vacation and just happened upon an Ironman 70.3 triathlon in progress. We had never seen anything like it before. The Ironman 70.3 races include a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run, which adds up to 70.3 miles of total racing. We watched in amazement as numerous forty and fifty somethings crossed the finish line and even a 69-year-old, but we were most inspired by the man we saw biking using a racing wheelchair.

He had no legs and was motoring through those hot, rigorous miles using his upper body alone.

When Temptations Are Hard to Resist

by Gwen Smith | | 2 comments

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It was a windy winter day. Our three dogs needed to stretch their legs and get a bit of outside playtime, so I let them out to roam freely in our fenced-in back yard. An hour later, my husband asked me where the dogs were.

“Out back,” I replied.

“Honey, the wind blew that gate wide open and only Rocky is on the deck! How long ago did you let them out?” He asked.

“An hour ago!” I exclaimed, as feelings of unease crept into my heart.Grabbing our jackets and our shoes, Brad and I bolted outside and began to scour the neighborhood looking for our two little runaway dogs.

“Roman! Steeler! Come!” We yelled endlessly into the biting wind.

After covering several

We Need Each Other

by Mary Southerland | | 2 comments

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A certain expert guide lived in the deserts of Arabia. He was known for his tracking skills and the fact that he never lost his way. The secret of his success could be found in the fact that he carried with him a homing pigeon that had 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, the man was known as “The Dove Man.”

We always need connections to those who will point us in

Leaving Home

by Lisa Morrone | | 6 comments

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Abraham, or Abram, as he was first named, was called by God to leave home…and to go. Where to, you ask? Great question. I’m sure Abram asked the very same one. The answer? “…to the land I will show you.”

Huh, so that’s it? Just leave? Follow you, Lord, with blind trust?

Yes, Abram. Just leave…and go. I will show you where to make each turn along the way, but on a “need to know” basis.

A former pastor of mine once said, “Just as it’s easier to steer a car that’s already rolling forward, it’s easier for the Lord to move a person who’s already in motion.” I guess this is as true for you and me today as it

How Reckless Is Your Love?

by Gwen Smith | | 1 comment

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You would think she had just won the lottery the way she was screaming and jumping up in down. In fact, to her she practically had! She’d found her lovey and wanted everyone within hearing distance to celebrate with her.

Gabriella had lost her lovey a few weeks prior. This was a very big deal to a four-and-a-half-year old, especially since she’d had the little white and tan bear blanket from the time she was four months old. Lovey comforted her when she was sad or hurting, rode with her in car trips, slept with her during nap and nighttime, and was her most treasured possession.

When her comfy blanket friend went missing, Gabriella was understandably upset. She mentioned it

The Songs We Sing

by Wendy Speake | | 2 comments

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When my boys were young, I drove them up into the mountains for a long weekend of family camp. We were heading to the same Christian conference center where I grew up and grew in faith. Long before I was born, my grandparents had a cabin on that mountain, just down the road from the main camp. My dad would regularly drive us up the same winding roads we were now traversing. I also took our church’s big yellow bus for camp and went for long, wonderful weeks in the summertime. I spent so many happy days singing and hiking under blue skies and evergreen trees.

The boys were singing along with me as I played some of my

A Heart That Listens

by Mary Southerland | | 4 comments

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I was in a hurry. It was Wednesday, and I had several errands to run before heading to the church where I teach a monthly Bible study for women. My last stop was the grocery store. I wanted to pick up snacks and drinks for many of the women who came straight from work to the study. It didn’t take long to fill my cart with drinks, chips, fruit and a few bags of the oh-so-necessary chocolate treats. Mission accomplished, I headed to the checkout lane.

I suddenly had the thought that I should check out the Christmas decorations. Huh? Where had that thought come from? True, it was only a few weeks until Christmas, but I didn’t even

Deep Cleaning

by Lisa Morrone | | 5 comments

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As far back as I can recall, I was a trouble maker. Born into a home where my parents modeled disrespect, I learned how to buck authority figures with great competence. I was made to sit alongside my teacher’s desk, placed outside the door of my elementary school classrooms, and sent to the principal’s office more times than I care to recount.

As I grew, so did my propensity to sin. It got to the point where I could say with certainty, having been raised in a Bible-teaching church, that “Shame” was my middle name. I knew I was guilty of breaking the laws of God. He was holy, and my actions were most certainly not.

Few things are as