One Thousand (or more) Gifts
Why Is Kindness Considered a Fruit? [Fruit of the Spirit Series]
Exercising kindness isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes it’s downright hard. When busy, sick, or tired, being kind doesn’t come second nature. Yet kindness is a standard the Lord calls Christians to. I’ve occasionally wondered why God would mention kindness, specifically, as a fruit of the spirit. As an oft use synonym of “gentle” and…
Necessary Thorns: Patience (Fruit of the Spirit Series)
When younger, I didn’t think much about acquiring patience. It never seemed that important. Yet this virtue is perhaps one that is most tested—and needed—during our adult lives. Name one adult who hasn’t faced trials or times of discomfort. We all do … to some extent. Scripture is filled with account after account of incredible…
The Truth About Peace (Fruit of the Spirit Series)
World peace sounds like just the thing. It’s politically correct. It’s a lofty goal. And who would argue against it? But it is impossible. Since that fateful day when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, we haven’t had peace among men. And we won’t have peace again until our Savior returns. In our humanness,…
How To Secure Joy [Fruit of the Spirit Series]
Who doesn’t want joy—that feeling of well-being and delight? I venture to suggest we all want it. But if you’re like me, you find joy somewhat elusive. It slips quietly into my day, only to leap away before I can fully harness it. Yet I keep trying. I buy nice things for myself and others.…
Real Love: Drop the “But” (Fruit of the Spirit Series)
Love. Our culture has it wrong. It is not about how we feel or what we get … or even about what we give. It is about how we give. True love is demonstrated by affectionately giving to others while freely giving up self. Absorb what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13: 4–5: “Love is…
15 Things You Must Introduce To Your Children Early
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase before. It is one of the oldest proverbial sayings in the English language. And if my attempt at learning to play the piano is any indication, those words have some validity (although I’d rather not be lumped in with a dog).…
How To Believe When There is No Hope
Some days I get tired of the digging. I get tired of digging out of the many holes I find myself in. Financial. Marital. Parental. Physical. Mental. Emotional. And worse, some days those “-al” holes cave in, burying me in mounds of dirt. Stifling and suffocating, the situation appears helpless … hopeless. I know you’ve…
A New Definition of Special Needs [that includes you]
My Facebook post began with “Rachel, my 14-year-old daughter with special needs … “, and I cringed. Something about the term “special needs” bugs me, but most people know that it means she has issues that require more assistance and monitoring than normal. So in the interest of time and space, I chose to use…
Five Benefits of Waiting [and one reason]
I just booked a room for our trip to my niece’s wedding in Idaho this summer. Our first stop will be 13 1/2 hours from home (just over half way to our destination). I’m already anticipating the questions that always accompany such a drive, like the one every parent hears, “Are we there yet?” After spending hours…
Three Life Applications for Messing Up Less
We set out at a brisk pace, this time armed with a metal detector, a fresh set of eyes, and cautious optimism. We were searching for my youngest son’s lost iPod. And we had no doubt where it should be. It was somewhere under the log he had crawled over, stuck in the ravine wall he…
Hello, I'm Julie, an imperfect wife and mother of four. Life in this broken world is not always easy. Yet, joy can be found in each day through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I find it's easy for our day's blessings to get lost in its happenings. But God's "mercies never end" (Lamentations 3:22) and His "grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
May the posts and pages on this site offer you a measure of peace and encouragement.
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