One of my family’s favorite sayings is that anything “worth it” is usually hard, and anything hard is usally worth it. Although many things are hard, many people take great delight in doing those things. For instance, my brothers think that people on the show “America Ninja Warrior” are pretty cool. So do I. What those athletes do is hard; it’s definetly not easy. However hard, those athletes are also persistent because, as I assume, they love what they do, which makes the difficulty small in comparison to the happiness that comes from doing it. As a personal example, I love to run. I can emphatically tell you that running…

Gluten forms, air creates blubbles, carbon dioxide gas fills the bubbles… and silence… until about an hour later. More bubbles have formed… and squish, squash, you knead the dough and form a loaf of bread. More silence follows. Beep! The oven is hot and the ball of doughy chemical reactions enters the box of heat where even more chemical reactions will soldify that flour, water, yeast concoction into a real loaf of bread. It is all chemistry. God created chemistry and we get to experience it first-hand in the kitchen, whether we are the cook or, one might specualate, the eater. Mama with a family to feed, you are a…

I love to run! I learned that running was special to me last year. Since then, I have been running, running, running as much as I can (and is smart). You may or may not like to run, but the ideas of running apply to life in many ways. For example, running builds the character quality of endurance. Yes, runners must endure the physical hardships of their sport, but running is also a huge mental game. A great runner’s mind must remain focused on the goal when the body is tired. God’s Word proclaims something that will change your mindset of your entire life whether you consider yourself an avid…

I decided to wear a summer dress to my piano lesson; not for any specific reason, but just because it was nice ouside and I wanted to wear something out of the norm and beautiful. When I arrived, my piano teacher commented on how nice I looked and asked me if I was going anywhere special after my lesson. Oh, no! She thinks I might be going on a date or something. I thought. Of course, I had no proof of this except for my age, but why would I think such a thing. I do not even have any plans of “dating” except for the man God leads me to marry…

God can reveal Himself in the most mind-blowing ways, some small, others big. Afterall, Deuteronomy 7:21 (GW) says, “… He is a great and awe-inspiring God.” This past weekend, I experienced the kindness of God while on a run. Cool and brisk, the morning wind blew strongly against my face as I ran beside my mom and dog. My hair was braided, and I wore a head band around my ears. Determined, I focused intently on the path ahead of me. Halfway through the run, we changed directions. The powerful breeze was now against our backs, and I began to feel hot as the sun shone down on us. Consequently,…

“I won’t eat it!” my 6-year-old brother defiantly resolved. Caleb was refering to a perfectly round, deliciously juicy green apple (one of his favorites), but the apple contained one flaw he refused to ignore- a large, discolored bruise right smack-dab in the middle of the apple. Little mister made this statement just as my family was pulling out of our driveway on the way to church. “Eat around the bruise,” I advised, but Caleb had other ideas. “No,” he declared, “I have to get a new one.” “Just eat around the bruise,” our dad shouted to the back of the car, but Caleb still refused. He asked to drive back…

I can’t believe it is officially Chistmas time! This morning, at breakfast, my family began our Christmas devotioal: the Jesse tree. Unlike other times, the message really hit me hard. Additionally, it was a very sweet time for my family. My 6 and 7-year-old brothers often have difficulty sitting quietly, but this occasion was different. Gathered around the table, we read the devotional together. It related  how God created the universe and our sin not only separated us from Him, but broke His heart because we rejected and disobeyed our holy, perfect God, who’s command was for our good. We then listened to some verses in the Bible. This afternoon,…