Friend to Friend 

So we did sort of a crazy thing recently. You know though when sometimes the crazy thing somehow feels like it just might be the most right and necessary thing?

In our home we have been in the thick of some intentional and hard parenting lately. We had to clear a bedroom of all its contents twice in a week. One of our boys in particular has thrown some pretty nuclear fits here lately, and this momma is slap worn out! And even though my husband and I have thankfully been on the same page with it all, it can still be so easy to get worn out and defeated.

We have sought wise counsel, begun reading some good books, and

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Friend to Friend
My curiosity begs to understand life. My mind longs for logic. I am not overly fond of ungraspable concepts. When I was a child I asked a million questions. Why is the sky blue? Are angels all men? Why do bad things happen? Why can’t we send my brussel sprouts to the starving children in Africa? Who created God?

I wanted answer.

I still do.

Give me a story that grabs my attention at the beginning. Fill it with intrigue. Throw in some high conflict and drama in the middle and then catch the bad guys, tie up the loose ends and call it done. Cue the applause. Bring down the curtain. But don’t even think about leaving me hanging… and

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Friend to Friend

Faith is the quiet certainty that God keeps His promises. If you are like me, you don’t like to wait on God with “quiet certainty.” We see a need, and instead of seeking God’s wisdom and timing, we make a plan we think will meet that need and then, with earthly resources, make sure the plan is executed. As a result, we often settle for so much less than God had in mind.

Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope (Ephesians 3:20, NLT).

Many children seem to possess the “quiet certainty” that God is able. The prayer life

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When my three children were young, it was a challenge to keep track of where they were at all times. My husband and I baby proofed the house as best we could, used gates and did our best. I’ll never forget the day that Preston and Kennedy were accounted for in the playroom, but Hunter had wandered off. I called for him, but got no response.

Curious, I headed for the front staircase and listened for his little two-year-old voice. I checked his bedroom – no Hunter. I checked Preston’s room – no Hunter. I checked Kennedy’s room – no Hunter. By now, my heart was racing and I was growing concerned. As I headed into my bedroom, I

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Getting along is so hard. One of the things that makes it so difficult is our tendency to project our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs onto to others. Our default is to think:

What annoys me also annoys everyone else.
What doesn’t bother me shouldn’t bother anyone else.
If I need time to process things, so does everyone else.
If I don’t need time to process, then you shouldn’t either.
When I know the right way, I should keep pushing until everyone acknowledges that my way is right.

You get the idea.

How can we step outside our own way of feeling and thinking and see other’s points of view? Yet in the midst of trying to understand others, how do we still be true

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Friend to Friend

Sometimes it is easy to read about Adam and Eve’s failure in the garden and think, “How could they disobey like that!” But the reality is that this is not Adam and Eve’s story alone. It is our story as well. We make decisions on a daily basis that dishonor God. We disobey His commands, take charge of our own lives, and become Lord of our own ring. Then like Eve, we try to cover up our shame and even attempt to hide from God.

Do you know the first question God asked in the Bible? After Adam and Eve hid from God, He asked – Where are you? God knew exactly where they were, what they had done,

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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

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Friend to Friend
I admit, I’m a sucker for the makeover shows. It doesn’t matter what kind… home makeovers, fashion makeovers… or even the shows that take a person from drab to fab. I just love to see an amazing transformation! Don’t you?

A few years ago we “transformed” our family a bit when we added a bouncy little puppy to the mix. Fun, right? Mostly, yes, but there is a bit more to the story…

Let’s just say that it took a good while for our precious new barky addition to get the hang of potty training and healthy chewing patterns. Our little, little dog caused us big, big problems when he chewed up and stained our family room carpet.

It. Looked. Awful.

And

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I recently read the story of a young family who went out to eat at a local restaurant. They were the only family with children eating. The mom sat their little boy, Erik, in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, “Hi!” He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin as he wriggled and giggled with joy.

The mother looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man wearing baggy pants and shoes so worn that his toes poked out. His shirt was dirty and his

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Friend to Friend

Anna grew up in the church. It wasn’t a church that used the word “salvation” or “saved” very often and there was never a decisive moment she could recall “giving her life to Jesus,” as she heard her more evangelical friends recount. There was no “born again” experience that she could recall. But she did love Jesus. She’d loved Him for as long as she could remember. But, she was not sure if she was actually saved.

Beth remembers walking down the red carpeted aisle of her church when she was twelve-years-old. She filled out a membership card, signed up for the next baptism service and attended the catechism class for new believers. She still remembers the feeling when

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