Today, I have a special guest post by my friend and fellow BLAST participant Robin Patchen. Be sure to check out her blog! I have a confession to make: I have three teenagers, and all of them have rebelled to one degree or another. In fact, one rebelled so thoroughly, he spent what should…
Have I told you about my son’s pigs? For the second year, my son has chosen as an extra-curricular activity pigs. Yes, live, eating, drinking, pooping, smelly pigs. Cole decided to join Future Farmers of America (FFA) last year, and he is absolutely excelling! He shows pigs. He judges livestock. And he is surrounded by…
Have you ever wondered how God defines a super hero? As I was reading through Judges recently, I found a passage in which God refers to Gideon as a hero. The angel of the Lord appeared to [Gideon] and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Judges 6:12 The story of Gideon has always…
Labels. We all wear labels. Some labels are good; some not so good. Some have a negative impact on the way we view ourselves, on the way we think others see us. Others give us the confidence to walk forward, believing we are worthy of the good things in life. Some tell us we have…
Jacob and Esau. The twins who fought, even in the womb. Animosity ran thick as they battled for their parents’ affection. Esau was loved by his father, and Jacob was his mother’s favorite. It started with the birthright, when Jacob convinced his starving brother to sell it for a bowl of soup. Then, with his…
When Cassie was about two years old, everyone was gathered around the dinner table. As I sat the food on the table, Cassie looked at me and innocently said, “Mom, you did d–n good.” I’m sure the shock on my face must have been priceless. I looked quizzically at her dad, his face as confused…
“For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. Malachi 2:16 I’ve heard it quoted by so many people. It’s been thrown in my face, reminding me what a sinful person I am for walking away from my marriage. I’ve been told I am required to live a celibate life until my death,…
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America… The presidential election is less than one week away, and I feel as if we should change the name of our country to the Divided States of America. It’s a very sad statement, but one I see more each day. Race pitted against…
Oklahoma is known for tornadoes. But, did you know that Oklahoma now leads the nation in the number of earthquakes? Most of the earthquakes we have are small. I’ve missed most of them simply because they have been undetectable to the normal person. Several weeks ago, however, we had one that was impossible to miss!…
Grief. Grief accompanies all kinds of losses. Some grief is short-lived. Other times, it lasts a lifetime. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. Other times, it seems to be fading. Maybe it’s grief from divorce. Or sickness. Or death. Or, maybe like us, you are overwhelmed by grief from all of these losses. Last week was the six…
Life is funny sometimes. I’ve been waiting for years for God to give me permission to enter the dating scene, and—at what seems the most inopportune and unlikely time of my life—I have found myself tip-toeing into a relationship. As I enter this new season of life, I am asking many questions: What am I…
Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. Joshua 6:1 The Israelites had spent 40 years wandering in the desert. Now, it was time to possess the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. God had…