One summer my aunt made homemade strawberry ice cream. Thick pink cream with bits of red strawberries dripped off the churn’s paddle she laid on a platter. We eagerly accepted our bowls to sample this picture-perfect treat. But one taste screamed something was wrong....
There’s nothing better than enjoying a close relationship with one who knows and loves us. In fact, good relationships contribute to a healthy life and are a godly priority (Eccles. 4:9-12; Jn. 17:21). Disruption of a relationship through insensitive behavior causes...
Sizzling North Carolina temperatures this July 4th proved too much for our air conditioner. Our dog Strider pawed his favorite air vent on the normally cool pine kitchen floor, trying to coax it to release cool air. Larry texted our A/C man. He was at the...
One year my husband and I decided to start the new year with a detox diet. I bought the cookbook, and together we shopped for the natural ingredients we’d be eating. The diet included a variety of good foods, so it didn’t look too difficult. But the detox banned one...
“Debbie, you really stirred things up last night,” our missionary host said. “When you speak to the pastors’ wives, please don’t mention anything that deals with marriage relationships.” My eyes widened. Our host had explained the machismo mindset among the men of El...
Years ago, a book by a zookeeper told how mama giraffes knock the feet out from under their newborn babies when they are learning to stand. That sounds like a cruel “Welcome to the world.” However, the opposite is true. In the world of lions and tigers, a baby...
I took a moment to savor the soft morning light splashing rainbows off the chandelier’s crystal pendants and lighting the face of an orchid. My response intrigued me since the sliver of light peeking through my drapes the previous night had irritated me when I was...
“There was not a dry eye when we discussed Bathsheba.” Hearing that one of my books helped an individual or a group deeply connect with a portion of Scripture warms my heart. The above comment came from a Bible study group that had just finished Little Women, Big...
A man with a poisonous dart gun begins shooting the people around you. These darts cause blurred vision, distorted reasoning, and death. People wander around you in circles mumbling incoherently. He spots you and takes aim. A large shield lays ahead. If you can reach...
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