All by Terri Vardeman
The Yorkie terrier mix was two-and-a-half years old when we rescued him from the pet adoption center. His previous owners had surrendered him a week earlier due to neglect. The reason given was that they did not have time for him. The Center caretaker confirmed this by observing the long, matted fur coat and his insecure behaviors. He carried the dog like a twelve-pound infant child and referred to the pup as “Shiloh.”
Our eyes locked momentarily. I knew in that instant that he was the one for me! The adorable dog paced energetically. His barks echoed above the other dogs in their chain-link kennels at the pet adoption center.
God’s love varies greatly from human love, which is often conditional and fickle. His love endures forever (Psalm 107:1). It is unchanging despite our actions.
Where does the time go? Wouldn’t it be nice to have more time? I feel like I could accomplish so much more if I had more than twenty-four hours each day or if I didn’t need sleep.
A parent with devastating news posted a prayer request in our group. While the rest of us stumbled with our responses, one woman wrote, “I have no words.”
I sat behind a man whose hat displayed the phrase “dig down deep.” I thought, What would it look like for me to dig down deep into God’s Word?
Proverbs 2 enlightens us on how and where to start digging.
My precious granddaughter is in the terrific twos, so her emotions are all over the spectrum. If she does not get what she wants, screaming, crying, and pouting follow.
Upon reading Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons, I realized I was more like my granddaughter than I cared to admit.
Red, round, juicy home-grown tomatoes are my obsession every summer! They are far superior to their tasteless counterparts that are picked green and ripened by gassing, occupying the shelves in most grocery stores.
Over the years, I have been gifted many varieties of flowers and plants by my mother-in-law, Joyce, which beautify my yard. That I knew nothing about growing things never deterred her. Whenever she came to my house, she would bring cuttings or thinnings from her garden.
Hezekiah, king of Judah, was one of the few kings to earn the distinction of doing what was right in God’s eyes. His father, Ahaz, however, did not. Ahaz established idol worship in Judah, encouraging God’s people to sin.
Ladies, do you ever feel like life isn’t moving ahead? Like you’re stagnating? I seem to be stuck in that stage of life right now. I miss the excitement of new adventures and the passion of mission. It’s almost time for the current stage to end but not quite. A few things need to wrap up first. But it seems to be taking a lot longer than I had anticipated.
God’s parallel of the water cycle to His word demonstrates its immeasurable worth. Both rain and Scripture originate in the heavens and are sent as a gift to all the earth. God’s word and rain both accomplish God’s purpose before returning to Him.
I could hardly believe it! I was moving into my new house that I had never even seen. My husband had called me a month prior saying he was putting a contract on a house. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to see the house first.
“I like it when it storms because we get to eat ice cream!” a neighbor child told my daughter. That is a little odd, I thought at the time.
While driving home from out of town, I received a text from my husband that said, “There’s a squirrel in a shoebox on the counter. If it’s dead when you get home, throw it into the woods.”
Down I fell, flat on my face! I was running downhill with my dog when suddenly she darted ahead. I hung onto the leash trying to slow her down. Instead, her momentum pulled me down until I was face down in the dirt.
I pulled into the rest area and looked around. The people I observed were as varied as the vehicles. Where were they all going? The adventurist in me began to imagine several possible scenarios.
“What is that smell?” my husband asked as we entered the resort where we were vacationing. “Whatever it is, I want it!” he exclaimed.
Have you ever thought your life would be better if you just had one thing? I have dreamed that a bigger house, a different job, a changing family situation, or more time would make me happy.
Not long ago, we had an ice storm. Layers of ice weighed down bare tree branches. They looked like bony fingers reaching toward the ground. The snapping and groaning of limbs was eerie. Many trees plummeted to the ground, unable to endure the stress.
