The Light of the Heart
1 Corinthians 4:5b – “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.”
Welcome! Here are some of the topics that we will be covering. See the bottom of the page for the full articles.
Winter 2010-2011: Shining like Stars (Philippians 2:15, NIV)
“So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”
December: Loving Life
January: Building a Home
February: Waiting on God
Fall 2010: Seasoned with Grace (Colossians 3:16, NIV)
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
September: Sisterhood
October: Forgiving
November: Loving
SUMMER 2010: The Fragrance of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15, NIV)
“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”
June: Foot Washing
July: Choosing Joy
August: Telling Others
Stress: Weathering the Storm
My dad is a preacher. I borrowed the following story from one of his bulletins (which was also borrowed from another bulletin by Allen Smith). The following quote comes from Kim Sherer: "One night while my young son, Ryan, was sleeping, a storm began brewing outside. After a loud clap of thunder, I heard him wake up so I headed toward his room to comfort him. He asked me to stay with him until he fell asleep. As I lay there I realized he hadn't asked me to make the storm go away, but to stay...more
Prayer: Still Talking to God, No Matter His Answer.
In C.S. Lewis’ The Magician's Nephew, the Lion, Aslan, sends a young boy, Diggory and his friend, Polly, on a mission. They find themselves hungry and without food when they set up camp for the night. Diggory and Polly discuss their need for food, not grass, with the flying horse, Fledge, that is carrying them through and beyond Narnia. "Wouldn't he know without being asked?' said Polly. 'I've no doubt he would,' said the Horse (still with his mouth full). 'But I've a sort of an idea he likes...more
Waiting on God... Hurry Up Already!
A common expression in military life is “hurry up and wait”. Whether waiting for deployment orders, leave dates, redeployment (home coming from deployment), school or promotion applications, our lives are a constant waiting game. Becoming a wife and mom is something I waited (sometimes not so patiently) to be for a long time. Now that I have those very full roles in my life, I still do a lot of waiting… waiting on my husband to get home, waiting on my child to finally conk out at bedtime,...more
Building A Home: Being a Homemaker
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Many of us can remember being asked. Maybe some of us even became one of the things we answered. The most blessed part of my life is that I became a wife and mother, which is the one occupation I always knew I wanted. One of the best parts about my job, is getting to do so many jobs under the auspice of “homemaker”. I am a partner, consultant, and helpmeet to my husband. I am a teacher, nurse, and playmate to my toddler. I am a maid and chef, a...more
Building a Home in Heaven
We just bought our first house. It was really important to me that our new house felt like a home. I spent hours in Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, and JCPenny trying to find the right curtains. Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Hobby Lobby had to have the picture frames, paintings, and candles I was looking for…if only I looked hard enough, I’d find them. We bought new couches and a buffet to hold all of our dishes. There’re still things I’d like to do at the house, but at least it feels like...more
Building a Home – Learning to Laugh
When I was dating my future husband I took everything seriously. Anything he did or said that wasn’t centered on me was the start of a fight. I was convinced that he was out to hurt me. One day I was particularly upset and couldn’t stop crying. I was ready to end our relationship. Rather than fight or cry, he did the most amazing thing. He turned on a silly song, sat me on his lap, took my arms like a puppeteer and made me dance to the music. In a matter of seconds we were both...more
Loving Life as an Army Wife
“He’s at such a fun age,” everyone told me regarding my toddler as we prepared for the holidays. While I can agree, each joyful experience is also overshadowed by a bit of sadness. This holiday season, we are missing a very important part of our little family: Daddy. You see, my husband is a soldier in the U.S. Army and currently serving his second tour of duty. He watches our little darling grow and learn through pictures and videos posted on Facebook and even (when said toddler is cooperative...more
Life – A Time for Everything
As you may have read in my other articles, I am the mother of two young toddler boys. I spend most of my days working from the moment I get up until the moment I crawl back into bed, which is why I was caught off guard, last week, when someone told me that I had an easy life. A friend of mine has been having a rough time lately. At the moment, her life seems to her, to be nothing but an ever-growing pile of disappointments. I was trying my best to cheer her up and let her know that I understand...more
Loving is a Commandment
LOVING - A COMMANDMENT When electricity was in its infancy, people tried every way possible to make life easier with it. The household iron became a tool that could be heated via a cord plugged into an electrical outlet. Before electricity, this heavy iron with a handle had to be heated by the fire. The new electric iron meant no more ironing, running to the wood stove to heat it, and then iron a little longer, etc. This was a dream for every housewife. Since electricity was in limited...more
Loving God: Submission to His Will
I am the mother of a strong willed child. Or maybe, he’s just a two year old boy. He pushes the limits, challenges the boundaries, and alters the routine as often as possible. Each day, he attempts to get away with each of these, even though he didn’t succeed all the previous days. But how much different am I in my Christian walk? How many times have I pushed the boundaries established by God? How often have I ignored His will for my own? Throughout the Old Testament, we see this same pattern...more
Children of God: Loving our Father
Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV) "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” The “Greatest Commandment” is to love God. It sounds so simple and straight forward. I always have loved God. Why shouldn’t I? ...more
Choosing Forgiveness
Choosing Forgiveness The sunrise recently was beautiful, as it frequently is in Colorado Springs. It started as a brilliant red glow on the eastern horizon making the few clouds look like they were a consuming fire. The color gradually spread westward toward the mountains turning the clouds a range of hues from pink to lavender. This reminded me of our ability to see color as a gift from God. In order to receive this gift we must put forth some effort, such as getting up early and sometimes...more
Forgiveness: Celebrating the Return
Asking for forgiveness involves a lot of trust. Whether you’re asking a person you love or God, you have to trust that the person or God will forgive you. Luke illustrates this through the prodigal son and father. The prodigal son wants his inheritance, so he asks his father for his money. This seems especially disrespectful since inheritances are usually given after someone dies. It seems as though the son is implying that he wishes his father were dead. I’m sure the father must have...more
My Many Sisters
My Many Sisters It is my great fortune to have been born into a family with three sisters. Our mother was a great role model and taught us the importance of family and learning to love and care for each other. These include common goals, interests and trust. My two daughters share the sisterly love we all have for each other. We try to follow Paul's admonition found in Romans 12:9-10. "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil: cling to what is good. Be de- voted to one another in brotherly...more
The Value of Sisterhood
I was blessed to grow up in a loving, Christian family. My parents stressed the importance of family and my dad often told us to stick up for each other. In spite of our differences through the years, the petty squabbles and disagreements, my brothers, sister and I grew and remain close to each other. We added others to the family by birth and marriage and each is a blessing to us all. The value of blood family was fortified when we lost a brother in an accident seven years ago. I am also blessed...more
Being a Graceful Sister
I have four brothers. The relationship between sisters is completely foreign to me. I always look to the story of Ruth and am amazed at the love she shows to her fellow “sister.” Although they aren’t sisters—in fact, they share the often-haphazard mother- and daughter-in-law relationship—Ruth respects Naomi and puts her mother-in-law over her personal needs. Ruth is young, widowed, and living in a foreign land in a time period where dependence on husbands or fathers was necessary...more
Sisterly Love
When I think about my younger sister a million different images run across my mind. We have such a history together. She knows all of my most embarrassing moments but doesn’t share them with anyone else. She knew me as a teenager and yet still speaks to me today. She remembers all of my mistakes, and shares in some of the responsibility for them. And she can make me laugh until my sides hurt. I worry about her when she’s sick or away from home. When her heart breaks so does mine...more
Telling Others
Telling Others Christ tells his disciples in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations. If we are also to be Christ's disciples we must do no less. I suggest we need to start in our own homes with our own children. We are losing a large number of our children to the world, especially when they move away from home. God has commanded His people through the ages to teach their children about Him. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 reads "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your...more
Show, Then Tell
Many of you know that I am a writer—mostly of children’s nonfiction books and articles, with some unpublished fiction. One of the fundamental rules of writing is “show, don’t tell.” If you write, “The girl was happy,” that is telling us what her emotions are. But if you say, “The girl skipped down the sidewalk, singing ‘Happy Birthday,’” you show us her happiness. Showing is more powerful and more active than telling. For this article, I want to twist that writing fundamental...more
Bubbling Over
The three desperados came into the kitchen, bubbling over with the news of a new kitten. Suzanna tells me how cute it is. Daniel tells me what it eats and where it came from. Chloe shows me where it scratched her while she was trying dress it in doll clothes. For the rest of the day, the subject of the kitten keeps returning. The girls get out all the stuffed cats in the toy closet, there are actually quite a few, and the play continues intermittently. It is amazing how...more
