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Lod resident Rina Shenrav, 17 Lod resident Rina Shenrav, 17, succumbs to mortal wounds caused when explosive device detonates as the family was visiting the Danny Spring near Dolev. Shenrav’s father, 46, and 19-year-old brother rushed to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem in serious condition. PM Netanyahu calls security consultation, says Israel “will find these heinous terrorists. We will strike our enemy down.” JERUSALEM, Israel – an enormous search is underway on Friday when a teenaged girl was killed while her father and brother seriously hurt in an explosion close to a water spring by the Dolev settlement community in the West Bank. Rina Shnerb, 17, was critically wounded and pronounced dead on the scene after paramedics worked desperately to save ...

Swaying giants conduct orchestra of green,rustle-flutter blue breeze, notes crunchingin scratches between limb and limb above sheared grass tufts too short to bendand a woman’s stroller trailing a babyblanket sweeping pollen dust over concrete while a little boy, blue hat reachingmy chest, makes no sound (how can that be)and walks backwards, one sandaled foot behind the other, bright eyes fixed ona place within, and I wonder what elsethere is you want me to feel hear see. -jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com

Single moms, do you sometimes feel like you are one event away from losing it? If one more thing — just one more – doesn’t go well, it’s going to tip you over the edge! Does the stress of parenting alone often weigh so heavy on your shoulders that you battle depression and perpetual feelings of sadness? You are not alone. The U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health found in research that the prevalence of moderate to severe depression was significantly more pronounced among single mothers by 28.7%.  This concludes that single mothers are more likely to experience poor mental health than partnered mothers, and the primary factors associated with this are the presence of financial hardship, overwhelming stress, and a perceived lack of social support.&nb...

I will play hide-and-seek with youif that’s the game you want to play.I will cover my eyes and count while yourun run and imagine how to be invisible,situate yourself so thespace envelopesyou fully maybe by shadow maybe by sound,your own breathing held so you can’tfeel your heart, as if that would work;but I will uncover my eyes,unwrap fingers from browand begin the first steps oflooking looking for what youhope I will find again. -jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com

I like that about youthe way you pause,your eyes crinkled and bright. I hear you, yourattempts to find what it wasyou wanted to say. I speak into you now,your voice becoming mine,mine becoming yours. Trust it. Keep moving:me in you / you in me -jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com

www.insideoutwithcourtnaye.org Where are you today? Are you at a crossroad as it relates to direction? Are you trying to figure out which decision to make on something pretty major in your life? Are you needing God’s direction right now? And lastly, what is it? Whatever it is, pause and pray. Ask God to show you clearly what you need to do. But when He reveals it to you, follow His direction. Don’t waver, because He’s faithful to give you the wisest answer. In James 1:5-6, the writer tells us, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind....

Last summer, I would have told you I didn’t have an artsy bone in my body. And I didn’t. When my mom set up a summer lake house painting project for everyone, I was relieved that the lines were already drawn, and I just had to fill in the space with watercolor paints. But something strange happened last summer. I somehow couldn’t stop painting. My paintings weren’t much good initially, but I found it strangely relaxing and tried to fit in a quick painting session almost daily. I didn’t think I was improving but it was fun. Much to my surprise, I started to improve! The progress was so incremental that I barely saw it happening. I find myself this year able to say that I am indeed artsy. I’m not super great at persevering over a long period of time. I am tempted to believe that if the effor...

It stretches out, this spacebetween the quiet,layered with chiming bells,clip-clopping horses andcars rumbling over cobblestones.Teenagers sprawl on couches–laughter and sneezing and sullen smiles;sighs and thumping, socked feet.Still we huddle together,bars of chocolate on our tongues,notes of the Beautiful Normalthinly disguised as heavensinging lullabies tofractured hearts. -jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com

I stand here—the kitchen counteran altarwhere words come andprayers in opened hand.I raise my arms,eyes squeezed shutto the teapot’s reflective chrome,and make this vow:Nothing you sayI won’t believe.You’ve come too far,fought too many battles,for me to doubt you now.I love it here,preparing to be lovedso well. —jennifer j. camp This post appeared originally at jenniferjcamp.com

                I have been blessed to attend dozens and dozens of marriage ceremonies through the years.  Never does the beauty of a blushing and glowing bride or the look on her soon-to-be husband’s face, when she appears, get old.  I get butterflies as I think of the exciting journey they are about to embark upon. The joy of marriage is not talked about often enough!  In fact, I might venture to say that because I work in single parenting ministry, the marriage beauty can be overshadowed by the hardships that I often see in divorce or failed relationships.  Yet, the reality is, there is something wonderful about having a partner to do life with, to share experiences with, or to bounce ideas of...

It isn’t long before sunlight trickles in, glass-orbed particles bouncing,percolating like stars in rain. My boots crunch rock in wet-strewnpavement, Ireland green marryingsky-ocean blue. I remember, it wasn’t so long ago, that we collectedourselves, stood up on bike pedals anddecided not to be afraid. After all,wet streets were no danger, cars zoomingaround us, we foreigners on theleft-right side of the road. Adventureisn’t hard to find when fear is notwrestled to the ground but held, afragile bird longing to be givenpermission to fly. And so I stayreleased, remembering our handsgripping handles, ice-April air cuttingthrough cloth: the flock of us,heads up, wings outstretched, willingto continue if only to see the nextturn in the road. -jennifer j. camp This post appeared o...