Flecks of pink and orange winked at us between the needles of shortleaf pine. Turning off the Blue Ridge Parkway, my husband geared down our car to ascend into a higher elevation. The December sun descended quickly, and by the time we located our last turn, darkness enveloped our Honda CRV. Night falls rapidly in the Smokies. Parking on the gravel drive, we …
I remember the first day He spoke to me, so clearly, I can see the house as if it were still standing and its windows still streamed with light through bubbled windowpanes. I can envision sitting cross-legged on the “good” sofa and a red Open Bible on my knees. I was 16-years-old and recently home from youth camp in the …
O Jesus, Thank You that our relationship deepens as You and I walk through shadows together. Ours is no longer a simple stroll along a grassy riverbank but a fusion of spirit and soul. H.D.M. Spence once testified, “Divine shepherding means more than green pastures and still waters; it sometimes means ‘the valley of the shadow of death.’” During our …
Holy Father, I stumble into Your Presence with a wounded heart. Pierced to the core, my anguished heart evidences the heartbrokenness of betrayal. My suffering is magnified knowing this was someone I trusted, someone to whom I gave one of my most precious masterpieces. The more the story unfolds, the more I am shocked by the deceit and manipulation. How …
O Tender Father, I am so thankful that You do not avoid the crushed and brokenhearted but come near us in our agony (Psalm 34:18). Compassion sends You to those who’ve been battered with abuse and trauma. Although You are exalted on high, You willingly descend to be with all who are contrite and lowly of spirit (Isaiah 57:15). I …
