Finding and Sharing Fall Cheer

Do you sometimes abandon efficiency and choose the scenic route? I do. While running errands, I drive out of my way to visit my favorite fall site—a street in our town lined with gingko trees. When the temperature cools, the green fan-shaped gingko leaves transform into bright splashes of yellow. When the leaves fall, the sidewalk looks like sunshine pooled on the earth, and it makes me happy. Think about the color palette God chooses for fall decorating. Red maple leaves, orange pumpkins, golden chrysanthemums, brown chestnuts, and more. They’re all pretty, but gingko tree yellow is my favorite. Some…

When God Has a Different Plan

“Sometimes where we think we are to grow and flourish, God has a different plan for us. We may believe God has called us to a particular mission, task, or service, but in time, we learn He has another plan.” –Katherine Pasour, author of Honoring God with My Body: Journey to Wellness and a Healthy Lifestyle Please help me welcome Katherine Pasour as my guest blogger today. (Her bio and new book I’m reading are below the post.) She’s a dear writer friend and author who’s sharing a message to brighten our day. Here’s Katherine: A guest post by Katherine…

Serve One Another: What’s on Your Serving Tray Today?

What do the words “through love serve one another” in Galatians 5:13 mean to you? God taught me a lesson about this verse through my husband.  “Do you have to help move the piano after church?” I asked one Sunday morning years ago. As usual, my husband was the first to volunteer. I’d planned to hurry home after the last amen, serve lunch, and conquer my to-do list. He called over his shoulder. “This will only take a few minutes. Be right back.” I watched him smile as he used muscle and a willing spirit to help move the grand…

Which Promise of God Does Your Heart Need Today?

We can trust God’s promises because He’s faithful to keep them. Two symbols of promises touched my heart last weekend. Here’s my story. Late Friday afternoon, Ray and I drove twenty-five miles to our favorite restaurant, a quaint, upscale café. As we held hands to pray over our anniversary dinner, I noticed our wedding rings—symbols of the promises we’d made years ago.    After a delicious meal and dessert, we recalled and laughed about our early marriage misunderstandings. The first occurred several months after our wedding. Ray had promised this ready-for-Christmas-in-September girl we’d get a Christmas tree when he returned…

Incorporate Four P’s into a New Season of Learning with God

Although I chuckled at my kindergarten students’ responses, I counted their eagerness to listen as a predictor of learner success. Years ago, I’d designed a lesson on evaporation. The five-year-olds noticed the water level in our uncovered classroom aquarium was lower than usual. I asked, “What do you think happened to the water?” Stacey guessed I’d scooped some out, and Adrian asked if the aquarium had leaked. Then Brian bounced up and down and yelled, “I know, I know. The fish drank it.” Stephanie folded her arms and said, “No, they didn’t, Brian. Mrs. Waters, tell us what really happened…