Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.Habakkuk 3:18 Bzzzz. Bzzzz. I sprang up off of my couch like a jack-in-the-box, head darting side to side. Bzzz bzzzz. I tiptoed toward the dreaded sound, heart racing. I sucked in a breath […]
Amy Shatrick
For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.Habakkuk 2:3 When my second child, Ben, charged into the world, he definitely left his mark. He made his entrance […]
With no warning at all, arms and legs flailing like flags, my three-year-old flung himself into the hotel swimming pool. Woosh! As he hit the water, Ben initiated a watery attack on his unsuspecting dad (and everyone within several feet). To Gary’s credit, he managed to catch and launch the […]
Committing to counseling is not easy. Even after the mental hurdle of deciding to get counseling is cleared, many other obstacles might stand in our way. Some people will struggle with navigating insurance coverage and funding, while others can be held up by pride and fear. Those were true for […]
I will not take for the Lord what is yours,nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing. 1 Chronicles 21:24b There’s nothing like a loss of income to make a person sit up and pay attention to their finances. Early in my marriage, I had a basic understanding of how […]
A holy God has a right to determine the basis of His [plan of] salvation.~Pastor Tim Armstrong I am not a good traveler. Exploring beautiful locations, eating regional foods, and hunting for unique gifts is wonderful, but getting to my destination feels distressing! Car, bus, plane—it does not make any […]
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,What a glory He sheds on our way!While we do His good will, He abides with us still,And with all who will trust and obey. (“Trust and Obey” D. Towner & J. Sammis, 1886) As a homeschool family, finding […]
I avoid pumping gasoline whenever possible. The task is smelly and messy and, quite frankly, I do not feel safe in most gas stations. In fact, the indicator light often forces me to pull into a gas station after I have procrastinated as long as possible. One particular day, I […]
When we are loved and cared for, we can pour out our love to others. But we must be careful to examine our motives, too.
Severe thunderstorms, especially during spring and summer, are part of everyday life in northeast Ohio. They are so common that many of us give little or no thought to preparing for them when we hear the distant rumble of thunder and see moisture-laden clouds marching towards us. While rain is […]
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 Hunkered down in the outfield on a sticky, buggy summer night waiting to chase fly balls is probably not on many a young woman’s to-do list. Given the choice, I bet most would […]
July 17, 2019 by Amy Shatrick Freedom is the final reward of discipline.-Elisabeth Elliot Tick, tock, tick, sigh.TICK, TOCK, TICK, SIGH.Stand up, roam around, get a drink of water.Sit back down, stare at pages.Watercolor words become leaping frogs in a pond.Tick, tock, tick, sigh.Go clean the kitchen.I’ll try later. A few […]