Sleep Deprivation, True Love, & God’s Grace

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:22,23 As a firefighter, my husband works a twenty-four hour shift, and then he is off duty for forty-eight hours. Through the years, he’s worked a number of second…

Faithful in a Few Things, Part 2

In a post earlier this week, I wrote about the parable of the talents, focusing on the fact that Christ praised the servants who were faithful in just a few things. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy…

When Your Husband Cuts Your Hair

In an effort to stretch family funds, I have become a do-it-yourselfer in many areas through the years. Long ago, I started cutting my own hair, and I eventually learned to do my family’s as well. (YouTube and a bit of trial and error can teach anything.) My hairstyle is pretty straightforward, medium-length and layered,…

The Devil We Know

In Mark 5, Jesus commanded a legion of demons to leave the body of a man they had been torturing, apparently for quite some time. And when [Jesus] was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs;…

Bible Vitamins

Every Sunday, our pastor includes an insert called “The Bible View” in our bulletin. Every week focuses on a different theme, and this week’s theme was Bible study. The writer made the point that every Bible study session will not necessarily yield a lightning bolt (or even a light bulb) of fresh knowledge or inspiration.…

Motherhood & Brotherhood

I write a lot about my daughter, Shae, on this blog. I suppose that’s natural, as we spend so much time together and share many common interests: fitness, healthy food, blogging, writing, photography, nature, and more. And as she is just like her father, she and I are quite compatible. While I enjoy discussing my…

Thoughts About Our Home School Year

On Friday, another home school year concluded at the Jackson household.  As always, my kids were jubilant, while I experienced rather mixed emotions.   It is a relief to be done at last with the work of a home-schooling teacher. I won’t miss grading papers late at night, or writing out the day’s assignments early…

What (Change) Doesn’t Kill You, Makes You Better

Change can be disheartening – for me, at least, as an inflexible introvert. Life is so much easier to coast through when things remain static, however briefly. But no day goes according to schedule, despite all my plotting and planning. Interference happens in the form of interruption, and I must change – change my schedule,…

Discipline Leads to Contentment

I wish I had figured out long ago the secret to contentment. For years, I pushed through life accomplishing what I thought needed to be done, whether it involved home-schooling my children, volunteering at church, freelancing as a writer, or being a good wife. I am a perfectionist and tried to be the best at…

Memorize & Meditate: Isaiah 6:1,5,8

While reading about the Old Testament ways of worship, I've been reminded of the importance of a reverent attitude toward God. These verses express that idea beautifully. In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Then said I, Woe…