by Anika Ryan Ortiz The serrated knife in my shaking hand cuts through the heart of the pear while a ringing trumpet blasts downstairs, singing songs of Christmas. Hope. Joy. Peace. Love. I can't help but feel as if the knife is piercing deep into the recesses of my heart. My hero, Grandpa Ted, should be downstairs playing a duet with my dad on the piano’s ivory keys. Seven months have passed since Grandpa exhaled one last breath on earth and ... Read More about Diligent Faith Amidst Loss
Understanding Miscarriage and Infant Loss
by Pam Vredevelt Miscarriage. Stillbirth. Infant death. They all rock your world. I'll never forget hearing these words from my doctor: "I'm not picking up a heartbeat, Pam. There doesn't appear to be any fetal movement. I think the baby is dead." In disbelief, my emotions began to run wild and unchecked. Engulfed in a jumble of scrambled thoughts I wanted desperately to hear the doctor say, "Wait a minute – I'm wrong. I've made ... Read More about Understanding Miscarriage and Infant Loss
3 Truths for the Mom Who Has Had a Miscarriage
by Ashleigh Slater Our fourth baby was due in late October. By the time this fall due date arrived, though, my husband Ted and I had already said goodbye to our preborn child, without ever saying hello first. It happened in my tenth week of pregnancy. After a Doppler failed to detect a heartbeat, an ultrasound was ordered. There, we were met with the black-and-white image of a tiny, yet fearfully and wonderfully made form, which measured ... Read More about 3 Truths for the Mom Who Has Had a Miscarriage
My Own Kitchen Window
by Celeste Engell My kitchen window isn’t very big and it’s nothing fancy. Just a little kitchen window above my sink with some pretty fabric draped across the top. But it is my kitchen window. The one my dear husband put in just for me. When we first got married I became homesick for everything familiar that I had left behind, and for the view from my mom’s kitchen window. I had a lot to learn about life and love, along with some growing up ... Read More about My Own Kitchen Window
My Kitchen: A Place of Hope, Help, and Healing
by Lindsay Lea It took me 26 years to get into the kitchen, and when I finally did it was not by choice, but rather necessity. I was raised on Bisquick, Top Ramen, and “homemade” meals that mostly came from a box or a can. My mother was a product of her generation, and the daughter of an absent single mother, so she was doing the best she could with what little she’d been taught. My parents divorced when I turned 12 and I spent the remainder ... Read More about My Kitchen: A Place of Hope, Help, and Healing
A Letter to the Undocumented Mother
by Charlotte Gray Hey you, Yes, you, the one who is a mother without documentation to prove it. The one who has given mother-love to those who didn't come from your body. The one who wipes snotty noses at a daycare. The one who dries tears at the playground. The one who babysits for free so a child can experience a stable home. The one who cares for younger siblings full-time. The one who prays for the teenager racing down the street ... Read More about A Letter to the Undocumented Mother
5 Reasons Why Every Serious Writer Should Read Classic Literature
by Denise J. Hughes My grandma’s TV sat on the floor, with me right in front of it. As a kid, I flipped channels for hours. And every so often, an old movie channel would show a stiff-legged monster with outstretched arms, staggering toward a screaming woman. Flip. Not interested. For whatever reason, the story of Frankenstein has never held much allure for me, even as an adult. The same is true for most Gothic literature. Stormy ... Read More about 5 Reasons Why Every Serious Writer Should Read Classic Literature
3 Reasons to Read Old Books
by Mystie Winckler Have you ever taken one of those online quizzes that will supposedly prove how educated or well-read you are based on how many books on their list you’ve read? Often we want to be able to check off those classic titles simply to be able to say we read them, to have them on our reading resume, proving we are sophisticated readers or educated individuals. But the real reason to read classics is not so that we can prove ... Read More about 3 Reasons to Read Old Books
What if we lived our whole lives as worship?
by Teri Lynne Underwood I'm a wife, a mom, a friend, a Bible teacher, a laundry-doer, a kitchen-cleaner, and a Basset hound wrangler. My life isn't full of big experiences. It's full of car lines and to-do lists. I'm guessing you can relate. Some days when I finally lie down in my bed, I wonder if I did anything that matters. I question if I'm making a difference for eternity. I look back at the hours spent cleaning and cooking and ask ... Read More about What if we lived our whole lives as worship?
on finding a church family
by Rachel Zupke I got kicked out of church at age 17. Our new youth pastor wanted to talk to me about what was coming up for the fall after I'd spent the summer traveling around the country playing basketball for college scouts. I had missed most Sundays and Wednesdays due to tournaments and practices, but that was the only way I was going to afford tuition at a four year institution, plus, I loved basketball almost as much as I loved Jesus. ... Read More about on finding a church family
How Facebook Can Help Your Devotional Life
by Jennifer M. Lucas It’s 5:45 on a typical Monday morning. I’m behind on my Bible study. Three days behind actually, but who’s counting. The baby woke up early the first morning and I didn’t even have a chance to get started. Then, the next morning I hit the snooze button a few too many times. On that last morning my husband made me coffee so I sat and visited with him for the few minutes before he had to leave for work. It’s baffling how ... Read More about How Facebook Can Help Your Devotional Life
Whole Scripture Memorization (in 5 minutes a day)
by Sarah Mackenzie When I was ten, I won a big round of applause and a picture book about Dorcas at our church’s Bible study club. I was beaming with pride that day. I don’t remember how many memory verses I had mastered, but it was a lot, and I had outdone everyone else -- even the “big” kids. I wish I had kept that book about Dorcas. I also wish I could remember a single verse I had memorized. Apparently, I had lodged every one of those ... Read More about Whole Scripture Memorization (in 5 minutes a day)
