Heartprints
-
IT’S NOT A RELIGION! IT’S A RELATIONSHIP!
I have said it before and I will say it again, “The difference between Christianity and all the other religions of the world can be summed up in one word, ‘RELATIONSHIP!’”
-
Stay Ready
Sunday School Chronicles Me: Do y’all like chillaxing on Saturday mornings? Kids: Yes! No. I have sports. If I don’t have a game! Me: Let’s say it’s just a regular Saturday with zero responsibilities. You’re in your jammie jams. Kid 1: Jammie jams? Me: You heard me. Jammie jams. You’re Netflixing, Fortnite-ing, napping and any other -ing you can think of. The house is nice and messy. And then boom! Someone rings the bell messing up your vibe! Students: Yeah! That’s so annoying! Me: They didn’t call first or anything! If they would’ve called or texted then you could’ve… Students: Gotten snacks! I could’ve cleaned! Gotten dressed! Me: Exactly! That’s…
-
Are you a quitter?
One of the most often traits seen in children is quitting before they finish their final product. Many things happen in a child’s life to cause this to happen. Other children deride their work, an adult causes them to question their work, and on and on and on. When this happens, this is a good time to take out God’s Word to teach them the consequences of quitting. The book of Haggai is a good starting point as he asks the Jews the same question: Are you a quitter? Let’s look at the evidence and then see what God would have us to do. Way back in the times of…
-
Too Young to Get Married: A Wedding Anniversary Tribute
On the day I write this, it’s my wedding anniversary. You’re too young, they said. You’re making a mistake, they said. You don’t know what love is, they said. It’s harder than you think, they said. You’ll destroy your life, they said. He’ll never change, they said. And here we are 40 plus years later and we are still happily married. I was 17 when I met my husband. He rode in on a while horse, actually, no, it was a tan sports-edition Mazda. But it was cool—so cool. At 17 to have a boyfriend with a car, an apartment, and a “high paying” job, whoa, I hit the big…
-
Tween Jesus
Sunday School Chronicles Me: Have y’all ever seen those westerns where there’s a bunch of people in wagons traveling together? Students: Yeah! Me: So Mary, Joseph, Jesus and the whole fam which includes cousins, friends and everyone in between travel to Jerusalem for the Passover. The holiday is over and the crew heads back to Nazareth. But guess what? Class: What? Me: Mary and Joseph accidentally left Jesus back in Jerusalem! They thought He was with family. Oh and Jesus is 12! Student 1: Oh my gosh! Me: They make it a whole day’s journey before they realize they lost Jesus. So they’re freaking out! It’s one thing to lose…
-
Are You Battle Ready?
We have Jesus, we have the Word of God, we have everything we need to stand firm in the faith. We have the Spirit of the living God living in us, to guide us, to protect us, to remind us of the truths of His precious Word. Let’s pray for one another that each day we will put on the full of armor of God and stand firm. Let’s be battle ready.
-
A Storm is Raging
A tornado watch was issued for the day. The sun was shining as it heated up a new morning, just like any other summer day in June, or so we thought. The weather that day seemed to be a bit more humid and somewhat unstable. Living in Kansas, however, the humidity was always a factor with winds and warm temperatures, so nothing really was expected. As the day progressed, the air became very different and unsettling. As a child growing up in Kansas, storms were always expected, especially in the month of June. When the clouds started forming and moving into our area, changing to a very dark and a…
-
The Naughty Child King
2 Chron 36 When read this chapter, immediately I was transported back to my 3rd grader, Keith or also known as Keebo. He was much like Jehoiachin in our reading; rebellious and evil to the core. I can remember Keith starting a fight, and I was the target of his punches. One black eye later, he was removed but only for a day. Children like these two 8 yr. olds are out of control. Keith, the child of the projects, had as his role model a father who was a pimp. Who was the role model for Jehoiachin but his evil father, much like my boy Keith. The author of…
-
We love because…
When Your Ugly Side Comes Out in Your Marriage It could have gone really, really sour. It could have completely ruined my birthday. It could have put a wedge in my marriage. But I did it anyway. I’m at that age where I tell myself, “This is what old looks like.” Old, it’s such a relative term, don’t you think? But as each birthday passes, old is inevitable. Well, this one felt old. I’m going to tell the following story at the risk of you thinking that I’m a horrible person—I think it myself already, based on the story I’m about to tell you. Actually, I could produce a list,…
-
Humans being and Humans doing
Sunday School Chronicles Me: I’m doing Galentine’s Day with my apartment mates this Friday! Who knows what Galentine’s Day is? Student 1: Is that when you’re single and eat a bunch of pringles? Me: Haha! No. Student 2: Is it when you eat a bunch of ice cream because you’re single? Me: No. Student 3: Do you drink a gallon of water? Me: Not even close! Galentine’s Day is when you celebrate your girl friendships. You can be single, married, dating or it’s complicated! Let’s switch gears to two really cool ladies in the bible. Mary and Martha! Student 4: Who are they? Me: I’m so glad you asked! Martha…