By Karen Swank I can’t dance. Well, that’s not exactly true. I can’t dance in front of people. Umm… that’s not exactly it, either. Long ago, far away and several pounds ago I was on the high school pom pon squad and I used to do the kind of dancing where you count 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, moving … Continue reading Seduction and Dancing: For show or for the King?
By Karen Swank Bah, humbug. My relationship with Christmas has come through many stages over the years. It was my favorite holiday when I was a kid. I loved everything about the season, from the cookies to the tree and decorations to carols to family gatherings to Santa Claus himself. I liked the church Christmas … Continue reading Bah Humbug: Not all Scrooges are bad
By Melissa Sandel Its Christmas… again. People are putting up their Christmas trees… again. Americans are scrambling to buy gifts that will probably end up stashed in the back corner of a closet… again. For many years now, Christmas has come and gone, leaving me with the sense that Ive missed something important. This year, … Continue reading A Different Kind of Christmas
By Karen Swank I am a mom. This has been one of the most important essential truths about me since just before 4 a.m. on the last day in January of 1985, when my daughter was born. Lying on the delivery table, I held her, studying her face and her fingers. I was eighteen and … Continue reading Motherly Thoughts on Living and Dying
By Karen Swank Handwritten in the front of my Bible is the following: I commit myself to build the Kingdom through reliance upon You as manifested through a life of prayer. I will turn down opportunity when I have too little time for prayer. I ask for grace to fulfill my covenant to believe You … Continue reading When Housework Is More Than It Seems
By Mariah Secrest “I hate my hair. I wish it were long. My hair’s ugly!” Emily was crying uncontrollably, voice tremulous, body shaking in contempt of the game of dress-up the other two were playing. “You can’t hate your hair. You’re seven.” Meanwhile, I was reminding myself to double up on birth control when appropriate … Continue reading Girls: Hurt over your hurts
By Cricket Criscione-Kimbrell We were encouraged to fast before going on a mission trip, which left our team with some questions: What is a fast ? Why should we fast? Which fast should we do? How long is it good to fast? Our ministry team had focused on these queries in preparation for our upcoming … Continue reading Daniel Fast: Not Just a Diet
By Katie Mumper From England. Yesterday morning, I was challenged to spend three hours in silence and solitude with God. During that time I reflected on a number of Scripture passages, taking time to truly meditate on each of them. But the most rewarding part of this time was when I sat and just listened … Continue reading A Solitary Experience
By Karen Swank I woke this morning the first time around 3:30 a.m. I had left the window above my bed open; the room was deliciously cold, and my pillows and covers luxuriously soft. One of the things I love about waking at that hour is that it somehow makes rising at five seem like … Continue reading Awake at 3am: Musings in the morning
By Casey Milleson This past summer, I traveled to Kenya and had the best month of my life. I loved everyone I saw. I didnt worry about anyones past, but simply loved them for being who God created them to be. I was the most tired Ive ever been, but I had an overwhelming amount … Continue reading Back to the Person I Didn’t Want to Be