I love after-Christmas sales! Wrapping paper, ornaments, and Christmas cards are available at greatly-reduced prices. One year while buying groceries in a super-store, I steered my cart to the Christmas aisle—just out of curiosity. And there it was—a beautiful, hand-painted ceramic nativity set on display at seventy-five percent off! Several boxed sets were on a shelf, so I took one and placed it on the bottom rack of my cart. When I got home, I left the box intact and slid it in my Christmas closet. The winter months came and went, as did spring, summer, and fall. Soon it…
Category: Devotional
This is our archive pageFor Things Important to a Writer
Bob Hostetler here, offering another prayer for writers: Abba, Father, Lord God, thank you that I can type so fast, that the internet makes research relatively easy (if dangerous), that I can work at home or in a coffee shop. Thank you that I can send manuscripts and galleys via email, that I can quickly search a document, that I can access, order, and download books online.
Creating and Connecting
Creating and Connecting By Susan G Mathis Why is our desire to connect with others so important to our human experience, whether in person or through story? While there may be a few hermits and others who are anti-social, most of us long for human interaction. We were, indeed, made for relationship. We are created in His image, the God who longs to be in relationship—with us! Moreover, God wants us to speak into His creation, so He allows us to be a part of His work on this earth. How cool is that? We don’t have to have a…
Moulding Glass
Molding glass Devotional by Mary Tatem The blob of molten glass was fiery orange from the hot furnace. As spectators, we stood at a respectful distance from the glassblowers who worked to create beautiful, useful items from a scorching globule. Before our eyes, the twisting, stretching, and blowing formed colorful bird feeders, glass ornaments, and multicolored handles. We were awed by the speed necessary to perform the quick work before the glass hardened. We were impressed by the skill to know just when to reheat the work for further molding, when to cut, when and how to press the heated…
Living a Ten-Talents-Plus Life
Living a Ten-Talents-Plus Life — Dianne Barker here with encouragement for your day. Recently I wrote about the parable of the talents—such a familiar story that I sometimes trivialize its impact. Reading the story again (Matthew 25:14-30) gave me fresh inspiration to live a ten-talents-plus life.
The Gargoyles of Life
The Gargoyles of Life by Mary Tatem We parked in a mall parking garage that overlooked a cathedral. From this viewpoint we could see that the decorative curlicues on the tall towers were not shaped like the gargoyles of European Cathedrals. Gargoyles are an architectural term for decorations of long-necked animal heads or ugly human ones built into a structure to ward off evil spirits or, more practically, drain the water running off the roof away from the mortar of the building to ward off deterioration. The name sounds as strange as these appendages to the churches look. The concrete…
We Met Because I Was Lost
Hello from Kathy Collard Miller in the desert of Southern California where we are enjoying the most perfect time of year, besides the beautiful Fall. Enjoy my latest story. My husband, Larry, and I met because I was lost. Now we’ve been married 46 years. It was my senior year of high school. The water polo team for my school, Downey High School in Downey, California, was going to be playing in the state championship. I’d never been to a water polo game but my friend and neighbor, Margie Tweedie, thought it would be fun to see one. Margie and…
How Do You View Spiritual Growth?
Hello from Kathy Collard Miller in the Southern California desert near Palm Springs where our perfect weather has begun. How do you envision spiritual growth? Most of us think of it visually like a linear time line. On the left side of the line we make a step of progress and the temptation seems to be behind us and we won’t address it again. We have moved along that line to the right and we’ll only encounter new challenges—not old ones. But that’s not an accurate visual of change. Change is more like a spiral. Let’s call it a whirlpool. We’re…
Lily Pads
Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement — Lily Pads The lake teamed with life, both plant and animal life. The interesting view of varied grasses punctuated with groups of lily pads called for us to sit and enjoy the scene. We spotted a crane land and watched him fish for his breakfast. We heard his rasping call. Every morning the large white lily blooms opened to greet me when I slipped past sleeping family and out the door to enjoy the scene. Every evening they closed their petals into a ball resting upon its wide green leaf. The lilies on…
Where is my Valentine?
Sunday Devotion, Where is my Valentine by Angela Breidenbach Valentine’s Day creates a lot of stress and pain in those who don’t have the expected “valentine”, no one to give a gift to or get a gift from can often become a polarizing situation in a culture that pushes the holiday commercially. It’s sometimes embarrassing to get asked what you’re doing for Valentine’s Day. Some people cringe or go to great lengths to avoid that topic from past hurts but secretly ask, where is my valentine? We believe the myth that romantic, true love makes everyone happy. Romantic love, then, becomes an…