Entrusted Blog - Entries tagged "Fresh Squeezed" PlantedA couple of weeks ago someone I know was doing a major landscaping overhaul. They unexpectedly gave me 4 large hydrangea bushes along with about 15 other uprooted plants. I was grateful... but wondered whether I could keep them alive in the middle... More An Uncommon ColdI had a cold. I mean a COLD. I don’t get usually get sick; in fact, I hadn’t had a common cold in a few years. But this cold was unlike all others and left me barely enough strength to get through our home schooling and the household chores. There... More Praying for Others“Praying for another person is like touching God with one hand and touching the person with the other," explains Jim Cymbala in his book When God's People Pray. While reading through this book with my small group, I came to realize how often I stop... More DisciplineI hate disciplining my daughter. It’s exhausting. She was born with autism and a very strong will, and she just doesn’t understand discipline. The negative consequences of punishment for wrong behavior aren’t strong enough to overcome her will. Nor... More What Am I Forgetting?You know the feeling - you're all finally loaded in the car for a trip to the pool, and you just have that sense that something's missing. You rack your brain trying to figure it out, and when nothing comes, you eventually head off to your... More Glow-in-the-Dark ChristiansMy girls love their bright pink glow-in-the -dark soccer ball. They will frequently take it into our pantry, shut the door, turn out the light, and stare at its greenish glow. One day the soccer ball was left in the dark pantry overnight. The next... More More than EnoughI have always struggled in the area of self-sufficiency. I know in my heart I need the Lord but sometimes I find that I still rely too much on myself. One day in my Bible reading, I ran across this verse in Hosea and it deeply convicted me. Hosea... More Place of AbundanceAs a mom, one of the most challenging things I do is find creative ways for my children to realize their capabilities. Sometimes it only takes a suggestion. Sometimes it involves creating a circumstance they just “walk into.” And then there are a... More One Small Step... One Great Goal.Parenting qualifies for the toughest job, the most invisible payback, and the longest commitment in my book. Finished in 18 years? Not a chance. Likelihood of your children “rising up and calling you blessed?” Rare, maybe after you die. My daughter... More Whole Truth“What’s milk made of?” my 5 year old daughter asked recently. “Hhmm… Well, I’m pretty sure that milk is made of… milk,” I answered. After saying that, I started thinking about how unusual it is to see single ingredient foods these days. I guess... More Heeling PowerI took my dog for a walk this morning. It’s not one of my favorite activities; in fact, I dread it. My 10-year old dog Maggie is sweet and well-behaved, but she’s developed some bad habits over the years that are not easy to break. I’ve never been... More Waiting on GodWaiting. Even the word makes us cringe. Waiting in traffic. Waiting for the doctor. Waiting in line. Waiting…waiting…waiting. It is a universal principle…none of us likes to wait! And yet waiting is a major theme of the Bible. Psalm 147:10-11 says,... More 20/20 VisionLightning cracked through the salty, early-morning air waking Tom and Jen. They jumped out of bed and hurried to the upper deck of their yacht to put down the sails and stow various deck items in preparation for the impending storm. Hours later,... MoreIn Due SeasonAs hard as it may be to believe, some of my favorite gifts have been things that I have had to leave behind when we have moved. It all began when we first moved into a historic house with giant maple trees lining the street and dotting the yard.... More  Spilled MilkIt was a busy Wednesday morning, and I was trying to get my three young toddlers out the door and into the car for our Entrusted with a Child’s Heart Small Group, which would promptly start in 30 minutes. I just set all three boys down for a quick... More What's Cooking in Your Family?Sometimes I’m so hungry while watching the Food Network that I can almost smell the garlic sizzling in hot butter while Giada prepares another mouth-watering creation on Everyday Italian . And ooh… wouldn’t we all love to dip our fork through the... More Extravagant WorshipHave you ever given an extravagant gift to someone? A gift so well thought out or hard-earned that it went above and beyond the expectations of the receiver? Just before His crucifixion, Jesus' friend Mary honored Him with a significant gift (John... More Leading the WayIn the years that I have facilitated Entrusted with a Child's Heart at our church, I have memorized and taught Deuteronomy 6:6-7 many, many times. “And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them... More Messages"Bing, BING, bing," my ringtone chirped. I instinctively reached in my pocket and pulled out my phone to read the new text message awaiting me. This familiar sound calls to me often throughout the day alerting me to incoming messages. My life is... More Choosing Worthy Role Models“A lady always leaves a place nicer than she found it”. This was one of those things my mother was known to have said; one of those adages that made its way into the core values of my life. I recall my mother saying this to me, and my sisters as we... More Strong FoundationAlthough this weekend’s earthquake in Chile was considerably stronger than the recent one in Haiti, there were significantly fewer deaths. Experts are saying one of the reasons for this incidence is the stricter codes by which structures in Chile... More Whining Child. Whining Heart.When our children were younger, we often needed to discipline them for whining. One day when I was feeling especially frustrated and overwhelmed by their high-pitched protests, God seemed to gently show me how I sometimes do the same thing with Him.... More Focused Faith“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31) Have you ever struggled to trust God? I’m sure we all have. Most of us are quick to say that we trust Him…but when our circumstances require faith, do we lose sleep at night? Do we try to... More Just Passing ThroughHave you ever thought about how ironic it is that airports have terminals? When I think of the word terminal, I think of permanence. And yet, no one packs their suitcases and moves in at the airport terminal. Can you imagine? "We were on our way to... More |
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