"He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."Jeremiah 17:8 (NIV)A farmer planted two trees by a stream one beautiful spring day. The man envisioned a swing on the steady branch of one of the trees and could hear his unborn … [Read more...] about The Cost of Roots
suffering
Where I Can Always Go
"Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress."Psalm 71:3 (NIV)I was fifteen years old and did not want to return to Congo (then Zaire). There were going to be some fearful changes in my life when I stepped back on African soil. School had already started a week earlier by the time we arrived in the capital city. The mission … [Read more...] about Where I Can Always Go
Dead Branches
"If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." John 15:6 (NIV)Outside in our front yard is a Bradford Pear tree that had never been pruned since it started growing almost eighteen years ago. Its limbs were growing precariously close to our daughter's second story bedroom window. These trees are … [Read more...] about Dead Branches
The Redeemer of the Shattered Shards
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3 (NIV)I heard a loud crash in the kitchen and the even louder scream of young girl following it. My ear discerned that what had fallen was not plastic, but glass from the sound of the shattering on the unforgiving tile floor. With visions of cut hands or feet in my head, I ran in to find my six-year-old daughter holding two of the … [Read more...] about The Redeemer of the Shattered Shards
The Cracking of the Mirror
"Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."I Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)I have a mirror hanging on my living room wall that I absolutely love. Its design and look are totally "me." I have rarely purchased … [Read more...] about The Cracking of the Mirror
When The Only Way Is Through It
"But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it." Ephesians 4:7 (NIV)It was August 27, 2000 around 2:00 a.m. I woke with a start, realizing that my water had just broken. With this being my third child, I knew that the contractions that were non-existent at that minute were soon to become a force to be reckoned with. I reached across the covers and shook my husband awake. I … [Read more...] about When The Only Way Is Through It
