Mornings with Jesus

I FELT EXHAUSTED AFTER a busy day of numerous appointments with my kids. As I thought about what to make for dinner, a renewed energy sizzled within me. I remembered that my husband, John, and I had planned a date. I’d order pizza for the kids and ba

One of my best girlfriends has a second home in Florida, and for the last few years, I’ve had the privilege of spending a long weekend with her and a handful of other ladies who make up my village. These days away are not just a good time to disconne

I UNASHAMEDLY SPOIL OUR FOUR cats. I talk baby talk to them, sing them goofy songs, and give them too many treats. I discovered my penchant for pets the autumn after I turned six. We’d recently moved into a new house. My brother, Danny, and I looked

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO SPEND mornings with Jesus is on my front porch steps. With a cup of coffee, God’s Word, and my favorite devotionals beside me, I feel the warmth of the sun rising over the field, casting a pink glow on the clouds in the sky. Enta

HER NAME WAS ALICIA, AND I met her when I was six. She must not have known that a proper houseguest waits for an invitation and then knocks politely on the front door at a respectable hour, because she showed up in the middle of the night and entered

THE POWER WALK FROM THE parking lot, eight minutes from our destination, would either get us there in time for our 10:15 appointment … or give us both heart attacks. My friend and I had been blessed to discover two spots had opened up for a modified

IN LATE AUGUST 2020, RESIDENTS along the Gulf Coast anxiously watched updates on a hurricane rapidly strengthening and heading toward land. Meteorologists indicated that Hurricane Laura would grow into a category 4 or 5 storm with deadly wind speeds

MY BIRTHDAY IS JUST AROUND the corner, and I dread it. Not just because of the extra digit added to my age, although I’m not thrilled about that, but because people will give me gifts. I like giving others presents—I’m good at giving—but receiving? N

I’D PUT OFF THE PROJECT for weeks. I’d waited for an open day when I had nothing else to do and could proceed in peaceful contemplation. Moments into my bliss, someone knocked on the front door. A power company employee stood on my porch. They were r

WHILE WATCHING A MOVIE RECENTLY, I was struck by the powerful message of sacrifice. In an intense moment where the family’s plan to fight off an evil creature is starting to fail, the father decides to do something bold and different. He begins makin

WHEN MY ATHLETICALLY TALENTED SON, Pierce, was young, he played youth-league sports. Even when the team was totally awful, each child received a trophy. I know that the well-meaning idea was to encourage budding athletes. However, I feared the real r

RATHER THAN MAKING NEW YEAR’s resolutions, I select a word to focus on. This past year, I selected the word “abide.” We’ve moved frequently and recently settled into a new home. Because “abide” means to reside, dwell, or remain, it seemed an appropri

A PICTURE OF A PUPPY on Facebook made me smile. The photog rapher caught the canine bounding toward the camera. Its ears were laid back as though windblown, and its tongue flapped from the corner of its mouth. Its facial expression reflected sheer de

I ATTACHED THE TOUR DIRECTOR name tag to my shirt, grabbed my heavy backpack, and headed for the lobby, the hotel room door slamming behind me. With clipboard in hand, I corralled guests to an awaiting motor coach, all while answering their many ques

IT WASN’T HIM. IT COULDN’T be! But the man sitting in front of me at church resembled my brother from the back—same bald spot, same ears, same slim build. When he turned, I saw it wasn’t my brother, but I couldn’t ignore the nudge from Jesus. I neede

I’M IN DENIAL THAT I need stronger reading glasses. Instead, I surround myself with more lamps while I read, flooding the space with light to compensate. It’s gotten to the point where I pack a book light when I go to my prayer group, just in case th

MY OLDEST SON, JACK, CAME to Idaho for a visit this summer. While he was here, we headed to the cell phone store to trade in his phone. We hadn’t lived in Meridian very long, and I was still finding my way around the downtown area. Things quickly wen

THE RICH YOUNG RULER DIDN’T want to give up his wealth to follow Jesus. The typical takeaway of this story is that we shouldn’t make wealth our idol. True, but I think there’s even more to it. This man had done the visibly good stuff of keeping the T

WE BURIED THE HUSBAND OF a dear friend last week. Dawn and Brice would’ve celebrated thirty years of marriage next month. It was hard to say goodbye, but Brice had been very sick. As I asked Jesus to comfort Dawn the day before the funeral, an idea f

WHEN I DRIVE MY SON to school in the morning, I brace myself for the inevitable. Drivers fly down the entrance ramp into my lane, ignoring the yield sign, and dangerously merge in front of me. Day after day, I endure the hardheadedness of stubborn dr

AS I PREPARE TO LEAVE my home, I slip on my favorite watch, an old wind-up style I received at my high school graduation. It’s elegant, requires no batteries, and has a feature not often found anymore. The second hand doesn’t sweep gracefully around

OUR JACK RUSSELL/CHIHUAHUA mix loves to play fetch. Throw Flash a tennis ball and he would play for hours if he could. One afternoon, a neighbor threw the ball with Flash for over an hour. Flash could not stop running after and retrieving it. Somethi

MY MORNING APPOINTMENT was on an unfamiliar college campus, and I drove through the parking lot, scanning the large letters on the sides of the buildings in search of the administration department. Slowly, I weaved through the rows of parking spaces,

WHEN WE FIRST VISITED FLORIDA to figure out where to live, we stayed at a popular upscale hotel chain in West Palm Beach that had an amazingly low room rate. The hotel was a new high rise with a gorgeous resort-style pool. Several blocks from the bea

TRAVELING AS A SPEAKER ALLOWS me to meet other accomplished speakers. I’m inspired by the passionate, insightful messages I hear. Yet, if I’m truthful, it’s easy to compare myself to them. My comparison struggle is most brutal in exhibit halls where

“MRS. DYSON, YOUR MAMMOGRAM SHOWED a mass …” The nurse continued talking, but I didn’t hear a word. I took a deep breath and asked her to repeat herself. I’d need to come back to MD Anderson for further testing in two weeks. Jesus, how can I endure t

I’D NEVER SEEN A SNAKE in this town until recently. Surprisingly, there was a HUGE garter snake, about five feet long, on the sidewalk downtown. I got a friend to come out of his storefront to see the reptilian visitor slithering out onto the road. W

MY SISTER JENNY AND I often talk on the phone. Even though we both live stateside, we greet each other in French. Jenny asks, “Comment ça va?” (How is it going?) I respond, “Comme ci comme ça.” (So-so.) This makes Jenny laugh. Jenny spoke French whil

I FIRST NOTICED THE SIGNS in a few yards near my home: a thin, unfinished wood cross with three words stenciled in black, ALL IS WELL. I assumed a local church had passed them out to members for Easter week. Then the signs began popping up everywhere

AS A YOUNG CHRISTIAN, I learned about Jesus’s call to be His witness to the ends of the earth. I assumed I was meant to become a missionary. I read biographies of missionaries to faraway countries. I attended conferences and listened to talks by thos

IN MY HOUSE, I’m the chief cook. It’s my responsibility to know the unique culinary tastes of each family member in order to adequately prepare cuisine that they will enjoy. For example, I know my son’s mashed potatoes will require a few dashes of sa

WHETHER SCANNING FRIENDS’ POSTS IN my online newsfeed, bingewatching DIY tutorials from my favorite online mentors, or catching up on the latest tweets and videos of my favorite influencers, I’m always being asked to “Like, Share, and Follow.” Every

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, MY HUSBAND set up slacklines between two trees in our backyard. The lower line served as a tightrope for the kids to walk on while they held on to the upper rope to steady themselves. Practice has paid off, and they’re able to dro

MY HUSBAND PLANTED A NEW peach tree near the pond behind our house. Unlike apple or pear trees, peach trees self-pollinate. It will produce fruit on its own in a few years when it’s mature. Hopefully, it will be more fruitful than the tree it replace

WHEN MY EIGHTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD MOTHER’S HEALTH started spiraling downward, my husband and I made the seven-hundred-mile trip from our home to hers three times in eight weeks. Driving twelve hours each way, stopping only for gas and fast food, was phys

I USED TO THINK OF idols as primitive carvings of bizarre figures or the golden calf described in Exodus 32. Raised Catholic, I was accustomed to statues, paintings, and other artistic renderings of Jesus, Mary, biblical figures, and assorted saints

ONE MORNING WHEN I WAS feeling particularly overwhelmed by financial obligations, I turned to Psalm 23, which has always given me great peace and encouragement. But this day, I was moved to do something I hadn’t done before. I read the familiar psalm

NEARLY EVERY NIGHT I’M AWAKENED by singing. And not my own. My ninety-one-year-old grandmother lives with us, and if she awakens in the night, she often sings until she can go back to sleep. Living with this godly saint has taught me much about how t

WHENEVER I HAVE A MEDICAL appointment, I know one question I’ll probably ask: “How do I get out of here?” One clinic I visit has a front door followed by a door into the orthopedics section. When my name was called, I entered a door into the wing wit

A TERRIBLE STORM HIT THE area last night. Boards were ripped from fences and branches sheared off trees. As I assessed the damage to our yard, I noticed our old camellia shrub. It had been in full bloom when the gale passed through. Now the ground be

A FRIEND ONCE TOLD ME, “How can Jesus fill a wallet that’s already full?” I’ve never forgotten that. It has helped me through many dust-bunnies-in-my-bank-account moments. Jesus is the ultimate provider. He’s also the ultimate reminder, through His H

TWO FRIENDS, CYNDY AND THERESA, and I learned to make sourdough bread together. We gathered in Theresa’s kitchen and watched a video of an Irish man, with a lovely accent, demonstrate the process. We imitated everything he did, taking turns doing the

I’M BOMBARDED WITH ADVERTISEMENTS PROMISING to make my life better—revolutionary new weight-loss programs, once-in-a-life-time business opportunities, deep discounts on the latest fashions. There’s often a built-in element of urgency. Offer expires s

WHILE TAKING A WALK, I noticed my shadow on the sidewalk. Its outline was so well-defined. I knew the shape was simply light playing across my body, but it was as if I glimpsed my actual image following behind me. As I turned to head home, the gray s

I’VE NOTICED IN THE LAST few years that my thoughts tend to stray toward the catastrophic. My overblown worries seem to overflow on those I love most. If my son Jack, who is away in college, doesn’t text for a week, I wonder if he’s been kidnapped. W

ON A RECENT SATURDAY EVENING, as my husband and I returned from dinner, fire trucks blocked our street. We couldn’t tell whose house was on fire, but we smelled smoke. Sadness covered me. One of our neighbors would be devastated. The next day as I ro

FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS after our move to New Hampshire, I could barely keep my head above water. I had three young kids running me ragged, all while trying to get our family established in the community. I joined the local MOMS Club, volunteered at

WE’D HAD A COULD SNAP in southeast Wyoming. Our pump was deep below the frost line, so we trusted it was good. But the few feet of exposed pipe between the pump and the subsoil froze. My husband, Mike, worked on it for hours, but the water wouldn’t f

I HAVE LEARNED THAT SOMETHING can be good, but if it’s not God’s will for me, it is not good at all. Recently, I accepted a job teaching in a public high school, which I’d considered as a career change post-divorce. While I’d been a volunteer tutor,

IN THE PAST WHEN I received a compliment, I had to fight the urge to put myself down. If I felt that I was getting too much attention, I believed I had to divert praise away from myself and quickly put the spotlight on someone else in order to be hum

AS WE CLEANED MY DAUGHTER Melissa’s cottage to prepare it for listing, I got teary-eyed. Five years earlier, as a single mother, Melissa moved here with her five-year-old son, Winston. Back then, she was short on cash and in need of some grace. After

IN MY FAMILY, I’M THE designated door-checker. I can’t imagine drifting off to sleep without going through my nightly routine, making sure the garage door is down, blinds are closed, and doors are locked. Maybe that’s because as a child I was so scar

HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS WERE TOUCHED by Jesus during His earth ministry? We may never know the full extent, but we know of a few. The book of John states that if every single thing Jesus did were recorded, every life He touched, every miracle He perform

THE SMALL HALLWAY AT THE school where I taught was congested during the five-minute transition between class periods, so I waited for it to empty before heading to the office. I opened the door and sighed. The hallway was now clear of students but li

ZANE AND I STOPPED AT the grocery store to grab a few items. “Do you mind if I stay in the car?” I asked. Because I’ve done most of the grocery shopping over the past thirty-four years of our marriage, this has become one of my least favorite errands

AS A HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH teacher, I found that my favorite teaching strategy was questioning. When I had my class analyze literature, rather than lecture as my college professors had, I prepared thoughtful questions to lead my students to discover an

THERE’S A LOT OF “POWER” talk in our household lately. My husband is investigating adding solar power to our home. We’re polar opposites in our approach to this subject. While he’s studying solar panels, batteries, and inverters, I’m listing the smal

AS I’VE GOTTEN OLDER, I’ve realized the need to eat healthfully. But that’s easier said than done. I’ve identified behavioral patterns that self-sabotage my best intentions. The most flagrant happens when I drive long distances. That’s when I tend to

I’M A GIFT GIVER BY nature. I love finding little treats to give my three boys and my husband, Scott. Even getting their favorite bag of chips lets them know that I love them and I’m thinking of them. I also enjoy finding presents for my sisters and

DURING A QUIET AFTERNOON, I visited my social media site. As I scrolled, a friend request and private message popped up. My fingers froze on the mouse pad. My pulse quickened. The name was familiar. One I hadn’t heard in decades. Years ago, my husban

I KNOW “CHANGE IS THE only constant in life” (according to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus), but I’ve experienced an unusual amount of change at work recently. In addition to coworkers leaving the company for new opportunities, there’s been movement

MY HUSBAND, JEFF, AND I own a little condominium on the beach in Galveston. We love to vacation there, but it’s also our pleasure to offer it to family and friends. My daughter-in-law’s parents had planned to use it for the weekend, so Jeff and I dro

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Our mission is to inspire people to believe anything is possible with faith, hope, and prayer. Printed and bound in the United States of America. Contributors: Becky Alexander, Susanna Foth Aughtmon, Jeannie Blackmer, Isabella Campolattaro, Pat Butle