humble
To Hold Your Head High, Bow It in Prayer
Standing in the confined space between hefty metal doors, we waited to be buzzed through to enter the cinder-block prison gymnasium. Soon the room would fill to capacity with more than 300 inmates in blue jumpsuits, ready to gather for church. I was filled with a mixture of nervous jitters and excitement, anticipating the work God would do in the lives of the women in front of me. I’d been thinking about these women for days leading up to my visit. I imagined their shoulders slumped under the heaviness of separation from family. I thought their eyes would be downcast from the strain of loneliness and isolation, the burden of broken relationships, the heavy feelings of defeat. A piercing sound signaled our entrance into the room. As the women filed in, we noticed they were radia...
Plan for Grumble-Free Holidays
by Tricia Goyer “Thank Me frequently as you journey through today…When your mind is occupied with thanking Me, you have no time for worrying or complaining.” Jesus Calling, November 25 The holidays ring out with jingle bells and the laughter of children. But too often they often ring out with something not so jolly: grumbles. As a mom of ten kids, the complaints and whines seemed to slide in with the season, until my husband and I decided to try something different. We invited our kids (and also my grandmother, who lives with us) to attempt a Grumble-Free Year. We knew our family’s grumbles pointed back to a serious heart-issue: discontent. It took a full twelve-months to dig out the roots of dissatisfaction. Along the way, I also discovered a few ways each of us can plan to go grumble-fre...
