September sunrises awaken with refreshingly cool air. Autumn sunsets showcase glory just past suppertime. Interrupting fall’s dawning beauty are marketing campaigns for new TV shows and movies which tell us the world is about to end as aliens invade and warming seas submerge our shores. And if you hear snippets of news at all […]
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Do you know of Elijah, prophet of God, who challenged 950 idol worshipers to a contest to see whose God was best? With thousands of spectators watching, the competition of gods felt like a championship football game or soccer match. Whose god was the real God? They all wanted to know. Each side laid […]
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Do you know what values motivate you? Years ago Dennis and I made individual lists of what mattered to each of us. Then we combined those lists into one page of values we used to make decisions about how we raised our kids, what we taught them, and how we spent our time as […]
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The end of August is my favorite time of year. It’s always like standing in the threshold of an open door looking with anticipation into the coming months. I admit it’s about the weather, but coolers temps are only a signal of coming seasons that always feel welcoming to me. Minnesotans get cabin fever in […]
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Dear Barbara: I’m struggling right now. I really feel God asking me to do something that sounds too hard. Honestly, I don’t want to obey. Why would He do that? How can I negotiate? Dear Friend, It’s scary isn’t it? I’ve wondered the same. I remember when, after an exhausting week wrangling five […]
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Thanks everyone for some really good questions you sent in response to my Friends and Family letter on July 30th! I love the varied generations of my readers, so here are two very different questions—one from a grandma and one from a young mama of two little ones. For these two women, and I […]
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Note from Barbara: There is nothing like the love of a parent for her child. In June I listened to this child of mine, Samuel, speak at a Weekend to Remember marriage getaway and I cried with joy and wonder and pride at how wisely and clearly he and his wife whom I love, communicated […]
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For years I avoided reading the book of Job because I was afraid I would contract some of his suffering. I knew enough about his story to have zero envy of the wealth and success he enjoyed before and after his period of suffering. Then I spent a week focusing on Job for my […]
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Too often I’m in a hurry and end up using my driving time to talk to God. Conversing with my Heavenly Father throughout the day, in or out of the car, is always good. But my fast-paced life often leaves too little time to talk face to face. It’s like my relationship with some of […]
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Note from Barbara: One of the best things about summer is the more relaxed schedule that allows for more of my favorite activity: reading great books! And I love sharing titles with my friends, so this summer you will find lots of guest posts coming your way by authors of books I eagerly recommend reading […]
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