When we don’t understand God’s ways. by Marlo Schalesky “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. . . .” It’s such a simple song. I learned it as a child and sang it probably a thousand times. I never thought to doubt it, until a few short years ago….
Read moreTag: Home and Family
Childless on Mother’s Day
by Marlo M. Schalesky This was the day I dreaded most of the year. I almost stayed home. I almost pleaded sickness. I almost rolled over in bed and pulled the covers over my head in tight denial. But I didn’t. Now, though, I wished I had. With trembling hands, I clutched my Bible…
Read moreDreams That Grow Bigger After They’re Broken
by Mary Dunham She had nothing that was exclusively hers. She shared her husband with another woman: his name, his love, his bed. She had no children of her own to keep her company during the long nights when he was with her, no one to take her side during the days of sizzling…
Read moreIdentity Theft
Getting to know ourselves and God in times of crisis. by Joyce Hoey Through the icy pane of my kitchen window, I gazed. The poplars stood rigid, their bare, brittle limbs thrust against the chill winter air. Within my weary soul the ice was slowly melting. I began to come alive again. My sorrow…
Read moreUnexpected Rejection
The subject no one wants to talk about. by Sherrie Eldridge I always knew I was adopted. My parents broke the news when I was just old enough to understand: “We chose you out of all the babies in the world to be ours.” Though my adoptive parents tried to make me feel special,…
Read moreConfessions of a Lost Lamb
Wandering away, but ever in the sight of God. by Marcy Zipf I was at fault for losing our home. I spent our mortgage money on frivolous things or on items to spoil my kids, then lied to my husband as to where the money had gone. I couldn’t make the payments on my…
Read moreFinding God After Failure
Choosing to go God’s way and staying there. by Eileen Key I lay on the sofa in my parent’s den on July 4, 1976, a heap of misery. While the television newscasters showed videos and celebrated our nation’s two-hundredth birthday, I wallowed and cried over the demise of my marriage. Dating Terry and I…
Read moreA Gift of Peace
A father’s trust in his time of trial. by Paul White I had no idea such a beautiful weekend could have such horrible consequences. I had been looking forward to the Fourth of July holiday because four-year-old Kristi and I were going camping with my parents. Though Kristi’s mom, Victoria, and I were separated,…
Read moreA Promise Kept
The reward of young faith. by Sarah R. Dace* “Sarah, come with me, please.” Mrs. Grant’s face bore the strain I heard in her voice. As I followed her down the row of desk cubicles in our modern day, one-room schoolhouse, she stopped to tap my ten-year-old brother’s shoulder and whisper in his ear….
Read moreWhat to Do When the Nest is Empty
Finding fulfillment when the kids are gone. by Sharlene MacLaren For many, the transition from a full nest to an empty one is difficult. After all, you have spent some twenty years in this business of parenting. You have changed diapers, wiped noses, and cooled fevered bodies. You have read children’s books until you…
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