Why Did You Adopt
My husband, Tim, and I were recently asked to answer the question, “Why did you adopt?”
Being a Parent is Hard
Being a parent is hard.
Teach the Younger Women
“The aged women…may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:3-5
A Letter to My Single Friends
When I was a little girl, I was convinced that my life would be perfect, and that I would have everything figured out, when I turned sixteen-years-old. Don’t ask me why sixteen was the perfect age, but it was, in my mind. When I actually turned that golden number, I was so disappointed. I did not have life figured out — I didn’t even have tenth grade figured out! So I looked toward the next goal – college! At every stage in life, I found myself discontent and waiting for the next thing. When I was single, I wanted to be dating. When I was dating, I wanted to be married. Now that I’m married, I want children. Do you see how that works?
A Letter to My Married Friends
Think back to when you were single. For some of you, your post-high school single days may have been short. For others of you, your single days may have endured years or even decades into your adult life. Needless to say, you are no longer single, and I imagine marriage has changed you significantly and, hopefully, for the better.
My Wife Won’t Let Me
The scene was a familiar one to me. We had traveled for the weekend to a new church and had met a group of sweet believers that offered us hospitality, kindness, and more food than you could shake a stick at. The kids had sung “Here Am I, Lord” in the service. Mike had shared our pictures and our hearts. He had preached on the need for willing men to surrender their lives, their hands, and their talents to serve the Lord. My job - as always - was to keep the children from behaving like little heathens during the service and to make sure we didn’t leave behind any dirty laundry - or any little heathens.
A Biblical Helper
“Honey, can you help me? I need…” That seems to be the start of one hundred conversations a day at my house. And before the kids were mostly grown, there were one thousand more conversations that began: “Mom! Can you…Will you…Have you…When will you…?” Can you relate?
Do You Take This Man?
On August 12, 1995, my husband and I stood in the presence of God and before our friends and family to pledge our love and commitment to each other. We said our vows, we made our promises, and we sealed it with a kiss. We’ve just celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary! When posed with the question of whether we will ever renew our vows, my husband has the same response: “No, I meant them the first time.” I am glad he did!
Loving That Man of Yours
Although I was saved as a little girl, my personal walk with the Lord did not actualize until I was two years into my marriage and expecting our first child. My desire was to be the kind of parent that taught her children biblical principles and had all the answers from the Bible for their lives.
God’s Design for Marriage
Peter Marshall, the United States Senate Chaplain in the mid-1940s and pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., was known for referring to marriage as “the halls of highest human happiness.” Apparently his Scottish heritage contributed to his poetic use of language. Neither did his bachelorhood - until he was in his 30s - diminish his perspective of the sacred institution.
Do You Believe in the Sanctity of Life?
Growing up in a conservative Christian home, I knew the answer to this question. I passionately BELIEVED the answer to this question. Yes! I am, and have always been, pro-life. The Bible clearly tells us that life begins at conception and that each life is a precious gift from God. However, it is so easy to take the term “sanctity of life” at face value. It is easy to just let these three words affect your political vote and your opinion about certain issues. It is easy to only apply the term “sanctity of life” to a child in the womb. I know how easy it is because, if I'm being honest, this is where I was in my senior year of college. And it was good. I was part of a pro-life club and we advocated for children in the womb. We stood outside Planned Parenthoods and talked with people about resources. I believe that it honored God, and yet, my passion for the “sanctity of life” was so narrow, so compartmentalized.
A Journey Through Infertility
My husband and I are both from large families with six children in each. We married very young in 1987 and looked forward to having a large family of our own someday. Three years into our marriage, we both met Jesus, and my desire to have children flourished.
Great and Mighty Things, Part 4
Although we had been through much, the most important lessons were still to come. Trusting God when things go our way is easy. But will we trust Him in the valleys? Circumstances do not change the truths of God’s Word. He is always faithful and does not change. These were the things we still needed to settle in our hearts.
Great and Mighty Things, Part 3
Sometimes God answers prayers in ways that we cannot foresee and in ways that we do not expect. Such was the case for us. We had assumed that since Rachel had survived her harrowing birth, she would develop and grow as any other baby. But God had other plans - good and perfect plans for our little girl.
Great and Mighty Things, Part 2
Here is the second installment of the story of our twins’ births. Hopefully, you’ve already seen God’s hand in the story, and I trust you will continue to see that today. As God was working out these lessons in our lives, He also was prompting us to share them with others. A vessel can only hold so much before it begins to overflow! What has God done in your life? I pray that you are sharing those truths and lessons with others, too. Testify of God’s greatness and goodness!
Great and Mighty Things, Part 1
The issue of the sanctity of human life is important to me because it is personal to me. God allowed us to have a very unique birth story with our first pregnancy, which reinforced all the lessons I had ever learned about God. He is great. He is good. He is the Creator, and He has a plan for every single life that He creates. Over the next several weeks, I want to share our story with you. May those same lessons be established in your heart and mind as you read of God’s working, and may you, along with me, give God the glory!
Sanctity of Human Life
The Sanctity of Human Life is the theme for our ThinkBible.online blogs in January. If my goal is to help women understand God’s Word and His plan for our lives, then I figure we ought to start with just that - what God’s Word says about His plan for our lives.
Please Keep Your Wits About You
Beads of sweat course down my cheeks, and my pounding heart threatens to reveal my hiding place in the dark recesses of the night. I have run until my lungs can do no more. I feel his deadly presence close in the shadows. This is my chance. I must move now or I will most certainly die. Why do my feet refuse my command? Oh, the end is near; I can feel it. But what is that sound? Please be quiet – he will know I am here. There it is again. The ringing continues until my fearful eyes blink wide open. It is suddenly morning light. I am not fleeing; I am home, safe in my bed! No one is even chasing me. Yet my heart still pounds, and I am coated in the fresh dew of my imaginary morning run.
New Year 2021
My grandpa was a big fan of Murphy’s Law, which states: “Anything that can go wrong, will.”
Christmas in War
I’m tired as I sit down to write this afternoon. My week has been filled with activities to keep little boys occupied and content, as well as preparations for Christmas. Cookies are baked and iced. Pies are awaiting tomorrow’s big dinner. Presents are wrapped. And the house is…well, as clean as it’s going to be for now.