Teaching Young Children Not to Lie

If I could have a superpower, it might be omnipresence. I would love to be at all places at all times, especially where it concerns my kids. I’d love to keep them from falling down, to make sure they didn’t eat crayons, to stop them from throwing sand at each other. And I would love to be able to witness all infractions of the house rules, so I’d never have to ask who colored all over the table… In these cases, omnipotence could be helpful, too. Since... Read More

April 25 – Psalm 118:5

Psalm 118:5 NIV In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free. God showed me this verse one time when I’d had a couple of big people-disappointments. But He has used the same principle in several areas. My situation doesn’t change, but He sets me free of —– whatever. My need for people to live up to my plans or expectations, my need to be admired or to get recognition, my need to look as good as the next guy. Isn’t His way... Read More

I Heart Faces: Pet Week Photo Challenge

I hope everyone celebrated a happy Easter this morning! He is risen! I have been looking for a friendly photography community to join for inspiration. This past week I joined the weekly photo challenges at iheartfaces. Anyone of any level can join. To enter, photos can be posted to a flickr account, a blog, or the iheartfaces community web site. Usually a human face must be visible in each entry. But I happen to be starting on Pet Week. Today, a pet face must be visible. The photo... Read More

April 24 – John 20:31

John 20:31 NIV Jesus said to her, “Mary.” How many times have I read this, and, still, today, I sobbed. Her love, her life, was gone. Dead. Everyone else had gone home, but she just wanted to be near His body. She was weeping. And then a man she thought was the gardener spoke to her, she replied to him, and then He– back from the dead– said, “Mary.” Hear Him call your name, Annie. He is risen indeed! To catch up on previous days, click here.... Read More

April 23 – Matthew 27:46

Matthew 27:46 NIV About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” —which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Like I said yesterday, we’ll probably never really understand what He went through, but this might have been some of the worst. His Father had abandoned (another translation of the Greek work)Him. Turned His back, hid His face from Sin. Jesus, who hated sin, became sin. Because... Read More

April 22 – Matthew 26:42

Matthew 26:42 NIV He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” How can we ever know what He really went through for us? Even if we could imagine the physical (and Mel Gibson tried), I think the spiritual is totally beyond us. We say, “When I get to heaven, I’m going to ask God_______,” but most of those things won’t even matter then. But I... Read More

April 21 – Matthew 26:40

Matthew 26:40 NIV Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. Oh, me, too, Jesus. I fall asleep. Or I choose other things. Why is it that my special time with You is always the first to go, on a busy day? But You asked them again to watch with You. Ask me again. Be first. Be the center. Draw me to You. Again. To catch up on previous days, click here. For the story behind Three... Read More

In the Meantime…

I’m trying to see how many times I can say “in the meantime” today. Anybody counting? In the meantime, while you’re counting, I thought I’d put up some quick links to posts that have encouraged me lately: About being a hostess: Homemaking, Hospitality, and Tea I’ve never been on that site before, but this post was timely for me. It certainly challenged my way of thinking! (And yes, she is giving away a tea cozy, and no, that wasn’t why... Read More

April 20 – Matthew 26:38

Matthew 26:38 NIV Then He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” The humanity of Jesus seems so real here, doesn’t it? What was His sorrow? For us, for what He was about to go through, because He had to “become sin”? And then He asks them to stay with Him. Could it possibly have been for HIS sake? Does He still long for that — does He ask for us to be with Him NOW? To... Read More

Another Blogging Break

A few months back, I took a blogging break when all six of my immediate family members got sick with a stomach virus. My sisters rose to the occasion and filled in for me. Wonderful things happened as a result, and now I’m ecstatic to be sharing this blog with three other family members! So I’ve decided to take another break, just to see what wonderful things might happen again! 🙂 Actually, that’s not the real reason. The real reason is that my husband has... Read More