Please welcome back my friend Linda Tracy Miller for the third part of her guest spots on this blog. Her thoughts are always beautiful spun and a refreshing touch of grace for the day. As long as we are alive, we are never too old to experience growing pains. Life is all about constant adjustments, coping with unexpected situations, gain …
by Tara Johnson “A watched pot never boils.” The old adage has rolled around in my brain for the past few months as I’ve waited for something to happen…something I know God is leading me to do and I just need the go-ahead from people bigger than myself. The “something” doesn’t really matter as far as this blog goes. But …
I’ve seen the photos and memes of one particular phrase floating around the past several years and I bet you have too. It’s this: God gives the hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. Judging by how frequently it’s shared, it’s a rather popular sentiment. After all, it sounds good. Perhaps even a trifle comforting. There’s nothing we need more in …
When life suddenly changes and nothing seems to make sense, you are suddenly feel you are adrift in a fog shrouded ocean. Many years ago, after the death of my Dad, I read a story by Pearl Buck that made a strong impression on me. My Mom, like I would be later, was widowed in her 50’s. I wish I …
It’s been a rough couple of weeks. Maybe it was demands of starting a new home school year. Perhaps it was the accomplishment of several large ministry projects that used up the last of my physical reserves. Maybe it was downward spiral of health issues or even the enemy on the prowl, looking for a way to attack. I don’t …
Linda Miller is a dear friend, ministry supporter, lover of God and a wordsmith extraordinaire. Her poems, reflections and verses have blessed me many times over. I invited her to my blog today and pray you will be blessed by her heart as much as she touches me. As life takes its toll on each of us, we can see …
by Tara Johnson “Great musicians should have only the finest instruments in their homes.” The caustic comment from the piano tuner who had curled up his nose at my old spinet piano has bothered me for fourteen years, though I’ve had a hard time figuring out why. I thought maybe it was the man’s attitude when he entered my home. …
by Tara Johnson Ministry is difficult and no one knows this better than the pastor’s wife. In Part 1, we looked at the God-given talents that make each pastor’s wife unique as well as some of the unrealistic and often damaging expectations that pastor’s wives have placed on their shoulders, whether by church members or themselves. To refresh, some of …
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 …