“And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.”Philippians 1:12 NLThttps://www.bible.com/116/php.1.12.nlt I love to give gifts but I’m terrible at surprises! I put off shopping too far in advance because even if I find the perfect thing, (especially …
Intercede
Have you ever been guilty of saying, “I’ll pray for you,” but then letting it slip your mind or simply not taking the time to actually pray? I know I have. I also grow weary of repeating myself when a prayer seems to go unanswered for a long period of time. Sometimes I simply don’t …
Parched
Patches of brown grass crunch beneath my feet. The sunsets I love are harshest on my backyard. The soil was prepared for bermuda sod this time last year but a heavy rain the night before washed ruts down the gentle slope, leaving the ground underneath uneven. I walk the two hundred feet from fence to …
Desire
I have to be careful about saying I want something now because if it is in my husband’s power to give it, he will! He has such a generous nature. Once he decides on a thing, he follows through swiftly. I’m the one who deliberates for days and then decides I really don’t need anything …
Beautiful
Sunsets are my favorite. I haven’t been awake to see very many sunrises, but I’ve collected photos over the past few years of spectacular sunsets. I’ve even watched the sun set from the airport and then again after takeoff. While we were in the building process, it’s fair to say I have as many pictures …
First
My husband and I are both firstborn of three children, so we share certain characteristics that make us good leaders but also lead to tension at times. We’re both “take charge” types who prefer to be in control of a situation. We both struggle with needing help or direction. We’re both avid protectors, zealously guarding …
Teacher
My daughter taught 5th grade through the pandemic, both virtually and in person, making her third year of teaching even more of a challenge. She has always been very conscientious, both as a student and as a teacher. She often sets unrealistic expectations for herself and judges herself more harshly than necessary, but she takes …
Light
Each of our three children made a trip to Camp Saint Christopher on Seabrook Island for the Barrier Island program during 5th grade. My husband and I took turns chaperoning these trips; he with our two boys and I with our girl. Many things stand out in my memory about my year, but the Nighttime …
Trust
It’s sometimes difficult to know who to trust. Credibility is established within relationship where trust grows over time. When I tell you that I will do something and I follow through repeatedly, I become trustworthy. My husband and I made very specific promises to each other thirty years ago, and three decades of keeping those …
Reach
How is your reach? Our 160 pound Great Dane, Jake, is so tall that he can reach pretty much anything he wants from the kitchen counter, yet when he’s alone with his sister, Ella, while we’re out, he’s never attempted to grab a snack. He’s eaten through several rugs and his bed, but he leaves …
A Fitting Reply 