Faith and Father's Day Cards Posted: Jun 13, 2011 I stood facing a tall rack of Father's Day greeting cards and meandered through them, not finding anything that seemed to fit. I was stuck, paralyzed by a mental wrestling match and quickly becoming frustrated. If only I felt the way the words inside the cards told me. Emotions swelled in my heart and I was trapped between wishing I could say such beautiful and heartwarming words, yet feeling guilty because I couldn't.

The Boy Who Gave Up His Dinner Posted: Nov 11, 2010 When I get hungry, I get desperate and difficult. If anyone steps in between me and my snack, you can be sure it won't be pretty. If you ask me to share, I might give up a small bite, but internally, my nice gesture is playing tug-of-war with a growling tummy. Although each character in the biblical account of feeding the 5,000 teaches an indispensable lesson, I empathize most with the boy who gave up his dinner. Jesus feeding the 5,000 is the only miracle recorded in all four of the gospels. It presents layers of crucial spiritual insight and eloquently illustrates the fact that when individuals practice selflessness and obedience, a massive display of God's power and provision can be cultivated. It is fascinating to think about the web of variables involved. Had the individual players not cooperated, things would have turned out differently.

He Gave Me Away Posted: May 25, 2010 I tried to busy myself with the dirty countertops and listened with a knot in my throat. Jim, my soon-to-be husband, closed his eyes and pressed his cheek against the receiver. "I really think you should walk her down the aisle," he said. We looked at each other and I knew the silence on the other end of the phone was the answer. My chest tightened and I could feel my cheeks flush. The pressure behind my eyes threatened to pound a crack into the dam holding back my pooling tears. Jim looked at me with apology written on his face, and as he continued to plead with my dad, I slipped away. I went to my room and curled into a ball on the bed. The tears came. Quick and hot. "God!" I cried out. "What do I do? How could something so beautiful and blessed turn into something so painful and raw?" I buried my face farther into the pillow and wrapped my arms around my knees. I could feel my heart thudding into the mattress as a warm peace trickled through my body.