by Tara Johnson In the course of a person’s life, there are a handful of books that leave an indelible impression on their heart, forever stamping them as changed. For me, these books consist of The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, Embracing Obscurity along with a small, elite group of others I’ll not mention here. Being a writer, I’ve …
by Tara Johnson People are messy and since ministry is all about serving people, ministry is often messy. Forget all the romantic notions you’ve heard about the glories of serving ‘in the Lord’s trenches’. Is it victorious? Sometimes. Is it exhausting? Overwhelmingly so. Is it worth it? Absolutely. But it’s hard work…an uphill climb that will entail the enemy attacking …
by Tara Johnson Recently, my oldest daughter was waxing poetic about the difference between our wants and needs and she prompted an interesting discussion. Bethany, in all her child-like wisdom said, “Mom, did you know our wants are not our needs?” “Yes, I seem to remember hearing something about that.” I smiled and tugged her blonde hair with affection. “So …
by Tara Johnson When planning a wedding, expect that something on your big day will go wrong. After all, that’s the advice everyone gave me when I was planning mine. I, however, wasn’t prepared for the fact that everything would go wrong. Instead of white lace and rice, the wedding resembled more of a scene from The Hunger Games: Catching …
by Tara Johnson “You need to wear your son out.” I blinked slowly, trying to understand what the older woman who had approached me had said, a task made difficult by my son’s screams of temper and my own strangled nerves. I felt frayed. Exhausted. At the end of my rope. The excursion into Walmart was not going well. I’d …
Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting in front of my computer, clacking away on some writing projects when I heard the familiar scratching of a bluebird trapped inside my fireplace. My poor little, clueless bluebirds. They seem to make a daily habit of curiously exploring our chimney, only to fall into the fireplace looking dazed and confused. Seeing the brilliant sapphire feathers, …
The other day I had my youngest daughter in Walmart and as soon as she saw the toy section glowing like a beacon to the mother ship, she began tugging my hand and running up ahead of me, dragging me like an anchor behind her. In her eagerness to find the Barbies, she pulled me so hard I was afraid …
I love my Daddy. He’s my hero and has taught me so much about what it means to have courage, patience and a heart that beats for Jesus. He’s a caring pastor, husband, father, son, friend and Papa. When he smiles, with his blue eyes twinkling, I catch glimpses of my Heavenly Father. It’s easy to grasp God’s love for me …
I’m a lot more spiritual after I’ve had caffeine. I know it’s sad but true. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve joked about it. It usually gets a laugh because we all know what it’s like to stumble out of bed, hair tangled and blinking through puffy eyes, unready and unprepared to face another day. Sunlight seems like …
Sometimes we’re so busy living in shame, beating ourselves up for our past, that we neglect to remember what God forgives. Can Jesus forgive you if you’ve had an abortion? Absolutely. Can Jesus forgive you if you’ve dabbled in drugs and alcohol and are now battling addiction? Without a doubt. Can Jesus forgive you if you’ve had an affair? Of …