Moving into the New Year
By Kathleen Ann Brown
The 9:30 service on New Year’s morning was comfortably crowded. The church was far from full, but far from empty. The warmth we prayed in was more than a welcome respite from the cold wind outdoors. I felt it also as a rare but sweet physical awareness of my unity with all who had come to worship. The Body of Christ dressed in knitted scarves and heavy coats with gloves peeking out of their pockets.
Defenseless
By Lisa Bell
The door burst open. The woman’s ecstatic moans changed to screams of terror. As the Pharisees grabbed her from the bed, she reached for her clothes, a blanket, anything that might cover her nakedness.
Chocolate Submeringue Pies
By LaWanda Bailey
"…a cheerful heart has a continual feast."
Proverbs 15:15 (NASB)
In every mother's brain, tucked under the frontal lobe, lies a storage area called the Momflubbius. Her childrearing mistakes gather there and nag at her until she redeems them one-by-one. Guilt is a mother's burden. She spends the first half of her adult life praying she raises her kids right, and the last half grieving over things she did wrong. A mother never misses a chance to redeem herself.
Winning with Eight
By Ruth Bomar
We waited in the bleachers. Two coaches stood toe to toe in front of the dug out. With their hands firmly on their hips, their faces turned red. The tense tone reached our ears. Our coach resolute shook his head and pointed to the rule book. The other coach turned abruptly and walked away.
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A Christmas Gift
By Ruth Bomar
“A decent young lady from a good home does not stay out so late,” Mother flashed her dark eyes at me.
I loved my new job and her words lacerated me as she sent me off with a heaping serving of warm guilt every time I walked out the door.
There was little to do in the control room at the little Christian TV station. The live shows ended at 10:00. The programming was pre-recorded until midnight. Quietly I waited. Close to 11:30 he always called. I felt wickedly clever to find a quiet place to talk.
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