Respond or React?

By: Linda Merriott Anger. We all have lost our temper at times. But when anger becomes a predominant emotion, we have a problem.  The Bible says ugly, hateful words should never come from our mouths, but if we grew up in angry homes, we learned how easily tempers can flare (Ephesians 4:29-32 The Passion). When we become parents, we tend …

The Gift of Discovery

By: Traci Payne Sitting on my patio one morning writing in my journal, I suddenly found myself in the middle of a vivid daydream, spurred on by the thought: “Social Media is like a party.” I saw myself attending this “party” by “walking in,” “visiting” with different people by making comments or “having conversations” and wanting to know what everyone …

Come and See

By: Magen Thetford Nestled under a canopy of trees strung with an abundance of twinkle lights was an unending, rectangular table. It was dressed with pristine white table cloths, candles arranged in varying heights, a bounty of flowers adorning the middle, and each place purposefully set with the finest of china and flatware. It was a stunning sight to behold. At …

The Gift of Discovery

By: Traci Payne A few years ago, I was struggling with recurring thoughts about a situation that, when dwelled upon, caused me to experience a wide array of negative emotions. The feelings of rejection, sadness, guilt, fear, and not being good enough came out of nowhere. Since I’m not a fan of such a barrage of unpredictable and spontaneous thoughts such as …

The F-5

By: Barbara Mandry Howling winds, horizontal hail, heavy rain, and a husband with genuine fear in his eyes startled me at the front door of our tiny upstairs apartment. We were both already irritated because the power had just literally left us in the dark right before the dramatic conclusion of a suspenseful television program. It was about 9:45 p.m. …

The Preparation of Pain

By: Laura McGrew “I never saw that coming.” Does that statement sound familiar to you? Have you had experiences you never expected – much less wanted or enjoyed? By the time we are adults, most of us have experienced enough heartaches or hair-raising moments to fill a book. The question is: do we recognize the immense value in those rich, …

The Worrisome Slave

By: Carrie Vipperman I’m convicted of something I had let into my life recently, and it wasn’t pretty. It’s a monster that eats away at your joy, your peace, your ability to see all that you have to be thankful for, and so much more.   This monster enslaves you, as all sin does.  Worry.  You probably don’t instantly think of worry as a sin, …