In His Own Words
October 20, 2024 by Marty Norman
Filed under Family Focus
By Marty Norman
Words are a powerful thing. They can build up or tear down. With just a slip of the tongue hearts can be wounded, families destroyed. In contrast, words also have the power to heal, encourage, and give comfort, aid, and love. It’s all in the motivation.
But words alone are not enough. The actions that follow, that support the words, are the real indicator of the heart. Here’s where the rubber meets the road.
Scripture tells us to let our yes be yes and our no be no. In other words, say what you mean and mean what you say. The best way to know a person is to listen to his words.
Vanity, Vanity, All Is Vanity
October 11, 2024 by Jane Thornton
Filed under Family Focus
On a muggy summer morning a few months ago, a creak and rustle disturbed my deep vacation slumber. I slit one eye open to see my teenaged daughter creeping toward my bathroom. My bleary gaze rolled to the clock: seven a.m. “What are you doing up so early?” My voice was thick and groggy. Remember this happened in the summer, and my daughter is a teenager. Normal rousing time for her would be eleven.
A Seed-Producing Life
September 30, 2024 by Norma Vera
Filed under Family Focus
When the Word of God talked about the herb, grass and tree yielding seeds in Geneses 1:11 most of us never think anything beyond that. Often times we do not realize that we live in a seed filled world. It is as if though all of God’s dealing with humanity is about nothing more than seeds, sowing and reaping.
We have the harvest seeds (soul), tithing seeds, seeds for the sower (spiritual and physical farmer), seed of the woman, the generational seeds, and the animal kingdom seeds.
Best Friends, Best Enemies
September 19, 2024 by Jane Thornton
Filed under Family Focus
We tortured him. I should be ashamed. Yet, when those memories hit, a nostalgic, perhaps mischievous, smile creeps onto my face. As I reminisce over common stories with friends, I do believe a tinge of pride enters my voice. We traveled across the country in our Dodge wagon, two kids in the back seat, two lying on top of the luggage in the bicky-back. We knew better than to hit. Hitting could result in an immediate swerve to the roadside and a paddling. So we pointed. Our victim—Wade, the youngest, of course. Our best intimidating stares accompanied the pointing fingers.
Dark Tunnels
September 9, 2024 by Marty Norman
Filed under Family Focus
By Marty Norman
Last Easter I attended my first Good Friday “Tenebrae” at a local Bible Church. What a powerful experience! According to Wikepedia Encyclopedia, “Tenebrae” is a Latin word meaning shadow or darkness. A Christian service in the Western Church, it is celebrated in many traditions from Roman Catholic to Episcopalians to Protestants. Taking different forms, the common denominator involves a gradual extinguishing of candles while readings and psalms are chanted or sung. As the candles are extinguished the auditorium is left in total darkness.
