by Tara Johnson My car is stuck in second gear. True story.   Actually, it's my husband's car but I had the distinct displeasure of driving 'the turtle', as I call it, yesterday while taking my middle child to Speech so my hubby could use our good vehicle for a short road trip. I'd totally forgotten his car had seen better days until I slipped behind the wheel. Not just better days. Faster days. Cooler days. Did I mention the air conditioning doesn't work either? Oh, and some of the windows won't roll down. Limited ventilation. No air. In Arkansas.…

by Tara Johnson They see much. They hear more than you think. And all of it leaves an indelible impression on their young hearts. Who am I speaking of? I'm talking about the preacher's kid. Speaking as a PK, I can tell you that being on the ministry front lines is a unique experience. You see it all: the good, the bad and the...cranky. For most, being thrust into such a colorful and eye-opening existence is usually accompanied with, what I call, God's coping mechanism: humor. Learn to laugh or ministry will eat you up. You Know Being a PK…

Selfies. Everywhere I look. Some cute, some hideous. The whole selfie craze has become a cultural phenomenon. There are even thousands of websites and Youtube videos dedicated to teaching the art of taking a good selfie. We are a culture obsessed. Just this morning I googled selfie products and was astounded to find pages upon pages of links and products. Selfie sticks, selfie brushes, selfie shoes, selfie hats, selfie ink pins...and the list keeps going. All products designed to take pictures of the user at any time of the day in the middle of any activity. My youngest daughter used…

You know the feeling. A cold, clenched stomach. Darkness. A pounding heart. All you want to do is hide. You beg the eyes fixed on you to disappear but they won't. They gape and you wonder what they must think, how they must see you. You feel worthless. Exposed. I'm talking about shame.   Is there a more miserable feeling? Growing up with a seizure disorder left me with plenty of fodder for times to reflect on this feeling. Most of the time I felt normal. Included. And then suddenly, my world would go black. Time would stop. I felt…

A special thanks to my sweet friend Nancy McAllister for her beautiful thoughts and reflections found straight from God's creation. Trust me...you don't want to miss this! Butterflies by Nancy Mcallister There are moments when we see our reflection in the mirror of God’s word. Moments when what is being reflected back isn’t what we thought we were actually portraying to the world around us. The ugliness that dwells within shines out brightly, portraying us as who we really are: arrogant, deceitful, lustful, and idolatrous. How did we miss that? Do others see us how we want them to see…

The life surrendered to God has impact far beyond the grave. And sometimes through the grave. Are you scratching your head? Hang on. I just stumbled upon a fascinating passage while studying God's Word this morning. I was reading 2 Kings 13:21 and this simple verse leaped out. "Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet." Say whaaaaa? Can you imagine being so full of the Spirit that…