Will You Please Give It a Rest?

by Mary Southerland | | 9 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. If Jered did homework in his room, 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

When It’s Time to Stop Moping

by Sharon Jaynes | | 7 comments

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Have you ever been so discouraged that you just wanted to stay in bed and pull the covers up over your head? Maybe that’s where you are right now.

I’ve hidden under the covers a time or two myself. OK, well maybe more than two.

So how do we venture out? How do we get over the discouragement and get going again?

There’s a story in the Bible that helps me when I feel mopey. (You don’t mind if I get in the Bible a little do you? I didn’t think so.)

A few years after the Israelites made it to the Promised Land, they grew tired of being ruled by God through the prophets. They wanted to have a king like

Should You Strive For Greatness?

by Gwen Smith | | 2 comments

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In my spare time I help coach our high school volleyball team. Let me rephrase that, because I do not have spare time. Three months a year I choose to invest daily in the lives of young female athletes who play volleyball at the high school where my children attend.

One of the games we play in practice is called Queen of the Court, the goal of which is simple: gain and keep the lead. Dominate. Be the best and protect your turf at all costs. Serve more aggressively, pass more accurately, set more strategically, and hit harder than your opponents. It is a fast-paced drill of skill where only the strong survive.

My life sometimes feels like a game

Attitude Check

by Mary Southerland | | 4 comments

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On a recent flight, I was thumbing through a magazine someone left behind when the title of an article caught my eye. “Image is everything” the author declared. For a few seconds, I found myself actually agreeing with the author’s statement.

And then the Holy Spirit whispered, “Attitude check!” I knew what that meant. I needed to straighten up and pay attention because something was wrong. And then I saw it – the subtle lie expertly hidden in the seemingly benign words. It was from the pit and smelled like smoke!

As followers of Christ, we sometimes focus on developing and presenting the right image while neglecting the spiritual discipline of integrity. What we wear, how we look, the people

A Joyful Offense

by Michele Cushatt | | 7 comments

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They were surrounded, outnumbered. Anyone could see it was only a matter of time.

A “vast army” closed the distance on God’s people. A cloud of dust swirled, kicked up by the boots of a thousand of angry warriors. White with fear, witnesses ran to King Jehoshaphat with warning.

The news no doubt caused parents to pull children closer and whisper about ways of escape. The Bible said even King Jehoshaphat—a warrior himself—was “alarmed.” Even so, rather than rouse his generals and arm his men, Jehoshaphat turned his face to God and prayed.

“‘O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what

We Win … So Give Thanks!

by Mary Southerland | | 11 comments

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In homes across America, friends and family will soon gather around beautifully decorated tables filled with warm, scrumptious food to give thanks. It’s Thanksgiving Day. However, this day will be nothing like holidays of the past for many people.

Lonely but committed soldiers covered in the dust of battle will patrol foreign borders, fighting for our freedom while their families back home long for word of their safety. The homeless will make their way to the nearest soup kitchen, hoping for a warm meal and a smiling face as so many celebrate this day of abundance. An empty place at the table will be a painful reminder of the loved one lost. A worried husband and dad will sit

You’re Enough as You Are

by Holley Gerth | | 6 comments

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“I am enough because of God.” -Eve, before the fall

“I am not enough.” -Eve, when the serpent tempted her (read Genesis 3)

A cool breeze brushes Eve’s cheek as she walks through the Garden of Eden with her husband and her God. All around her, trees and flowers bloom in brilliant colors. Animals peacefully rest in the shade. She breathes in a deep sigh of contentment. Life is good. She feels no self-consciousness, worry, or fear. Everything is as it should be. She is loved. She is content. She is safe.

The next day she hears an unfamiliar voice as she picks fruit from a group of trees. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in

Speak Lord, I’m Listening

by Arlene Pellicane | | 11 comments

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“I can’t hear you!” I yelled downstairs to my daughter who was apparently trying to tell me something.

No matter how trivial or how urgent her message was, I could not receive it because I was in the bathroom! In order to hear my daughter’s words, either she had to move towards me or I had to move towards her.

I can’t help but think of how many times in the day God may want to speak to me, but I am just not in the right place to hear. Maybe my heart is filled with worry. Maybe I’m running from one activity to the next, filling my spare moments with texts and emails.

Maybe my posture, my heart attitude,

Remember the Ninevites!

by Mary Southerland | | 1 comment

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We will never experience the life God wants us to live until we are ready to honestly face and deal with our sin. I mean the kind of honesty that shines a spotlight in every dark corner of our hearts. Getting real. Getting honest. Going all in with God – like the people of Nineveh did.

God sent Jonah to Nineveh with a message – and it was a doozy! Jonah told the Ninevites they had 40 days to clean up their act and get their lives in order, or God would destroy their city.

When the King of Nineveh heard Jonah’s message, he took it seriously. The King first addressed the sin in his own heart. He then vacated

Don’t Stop Too Soon

by Sharon Jaynes | | 66 comments

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Can I make a confession? Sometimes I quit too soon. I’ve quit when what I really needed to do was to press on and press through. Sometimes I’ve gotten tired of trying. Sometimes I’ve gotten tired of the struggle. And you know what? I’ve missed many blessings because I got tired of the battle. I don’t want to do that any longer. I’m taking my cues from Joshua.

The battle plan to take the Promised Land was as simple as it was strange. March around the city of Jericho with all the armed men. Do this in silence, once a day for six days. Then on the seventh day, walk around seven times with the priests blowing the trumpets.