The Blog

of  grace  &  gumption

BFFs – Talk your talk (Part 2)

Last week, we looked at the friendship of David and Jonathan and discussed the importance that BFFs (biblical friends forever) walk your walk and are spiritually in sync with you. But just as important is that BFFs also talk your talk. For this, we're going to, once...

Hey Moms – How does $112,000 sound?

Here's a little something for you in honor of Mother's Day. Sure, we all know we're worth far more than rubies, but just for fun, let's do the math anyway! [All info compliments of salary.com] Are you a working mom? Have no fear; you can find your paycheck here! Happy...

BFFs – Walk your walk (Part 1)

It may seem odd, but when talking with women about BFFs (biblical friends forever), one of the best places to start is by looking at a timeless example of friendship between two men. David and Jonathon. Snapshots of their relationship spring up in the pages of 1 and 2...

3 things your mother wants for Mother’s Day

3 things your mother wants for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is coming up, and if you’re like me, sometimes it can be downright stressful trying to think of a Mother’s Day gift that truly reflects the worth of the recipient. Moms are invaluable. And as you age and become a mom yourself, you begin to appreciate even...

BFFs – A new series about friendship

Did you ever have one of these when you were younger? One necklace for you, and one for your BFF! But while you may have outgrown the desire to wear friendship jewelry sometime around the time you graduated elementary school, I'll bet you never outgrew the desire to...

The Spiritual Art of Encouragement – Part 2

On Tuesday, we talked about what biblical encouragement looks like. Remember Heb. 10:24-25? Biblical encouragement is: Intentional Interactive In person, and Increasing But what does that look like on a practical, day-to-day basis? How can you be an encourager to...

The Spiritual Art of Encouragement – Part 1

$11.1 Billion Dollars That is how much the self-improvement market was worth in 2011. Whether it is through books, infomercials, motivational speakers, personal coaching, or seminars, people are yearning to improve themselves, their situations and their futures, and...

Are your children tuning you out (when you talk about God)?

Do you ever feel like your kids (or grand kids or students) tune you out when you talk about God? Several years ago, I told my boys I wanted to talk about the last supper because it was the Thursday before Easter. My oldest, Gideon, rolled his eyes and said, "And I'm...

Footnotes: The Woman Who Sewed a Hem

[1Footnotes: one that is relatively subordinate or minor For every big name and big story in the Bible, there are hundreds of players whose contributions to the stories of God are less noticeable. Barely worth footnotes, really, but significant and inspiring...

The Shadow of the Cross

The Shadow of the Cross

The first time I saw my husband was on Easter Sunday 2003, and he was standing on the stage at church in the shadow of a large, 30-foot cross. Since then, living “in the shadow of the cross” has had special meaning to us, and God has shown me what it looks like to...

Going to the Mountains 8: Finding Mountains in the Plains

This is the last post in my series on Going to the Mountains. Let's spend today looking back on what we've discovered and seeing how we can apply it to our everyday lives. You may wonder, does going to the mountains mean that we have to call up our travel agent this...

Going to the Mountains 7: Place of Perspective

Another thing I’ve noticed in my travels is that it’s not just mountains that people want to climb.  There is always a race to get to the top of something. To the top of the mountains in Colorado.  To the top of a volcano in Hawaii.  To the top of the Empire State...