A Cake Story: Too Much and Not Enough

Truer words were never spoken than when Stasi Eldredge penned in her book Captivating the feeling with which we women most struggle—we feel like we’re “too much” and “not enough.” We feel torn to bits among perfection, failure and just plain giving up.  We cannot decide if Martha Stewart is attainable, because every time we try to make the perfect meal and keep the perfect home with a perfect centerpiece on the table, it would seem, we fail.  There’s nothing to see here—no pictures of perfection. I’m just a woman, who wants to be more like Martha in the Bible, when she …

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Speaking a Good Word

Have you ever had someone speak a good word over you? I have, and it changed me. At least it led to changing me. I have pictured it to the left. When I was 20 years old, I married my Chris. I was a junior in college and transferred from University of Texas in Austin to Texas A&M. I found that at UT, Campus Crusade for Christ was a life-source to me and led me to know Jesus in a way I never had before known. He became my Friend there. I learned to pray there, too. It literally changed …

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You Are Not Forgotten!

Not long ago, I was up early sitting on my back porch with my hot cup of coffee, my Bible and some praise music. I sat there that morning with great purpose. I needed to hear clearly from my Heavenly Father. I needed to feel His tender but firm embrace. The first song on my praise list began to play … Why should I feel discouraged, Why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely and long for Heav’n and home, When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He; His eye is on the sparrow, and …

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It Hurts Because I Love You

  I dreaded this appointment for weeks. On the surface it was a routine wellness visit—height, weight, heartbeat, pick a sticker from the bucket. My kids have been through the doctor drill before. But this was a special rite of passage—the five-year checkup. Which meant kindergarten immunizations. Heaven help me. Shots are never fun. It’s hard enough to spring them on my babes when they’re tiny and oblivious, but dragging a 5-year-old to the doctor’s office for pre-K vaccines felt like walking the plank. She knew what was coming. And I was a conspirator in her misery. Whether you’re an …

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2 Tips for a Great Valentine’s Day

  Have you ever hoped to have a perfectly wonderful day, date, or evening; then ruined it by something you did or said? It’s a sickening feeling. You wish you could have a do-over. But that’s just in movies. We canNOT go back. We canNOT not see things we’ve seen or heard words we’ve heard.  So today, make plans to not ruin your day.  Take seriously the following two tips: 1. DO Remember how much Jesus loves you & what real love is. Love is patient, love is kind  and is not jealous; love does not brag  and is not arrogant,  does not act unbecomingly; it does …

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Never-Failing Accountability

When my son became a tweenager over eight short years ago, a whole new world of temptation opened to him as he discovered (thanks to another peer) certain inappropriate behaviors online that would entice him in a way he’d never experienced before. Because he was our firstborn, a whole new world of fears opened to us too. We were thankful for many parents who had gone before us to give us wisdom and suggestions, as well as a gobload of information on the world wide web. As we talked and prayed him through it, we put boundaries in place with …

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Dear friend

Dear friend: a letter for the end of a year

  By now you know I didn’t get Christmas cards sent this year. Though I couldn’t squeeze out the time to get them done, I feel compelled to carve out this time to write you a letter.  A real letter. There’s something I want you to know before tomorrow comes and we stand on the first step of 2014 and wave goodbye to the year that was 2013.  There’s something I need to tell you. I looked back over our Facebook messages to remember that thing you said to me, but I got distracted, scrolling through all the things that …

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