Such A Gift

“Jesus,” she whispers.  It’s not the beginning of a prayer.  It’s the whole thing.  She whispers again, “Jesus.”

The room is cold.  The matt she is lying on is thin.  She pulls the threadbare blanket up under her chin, hugs her knees to her chest, and smiles.   Oh, she is rich!

“How can someone so small be given such a gift?” she wonders.   Think of it!  Queens have only pretty rags.  Princes have only tasty crumbs.  But she – a little liebling whom no one will ever notice – owns the world with one word.

“Jesus.”

Cherie D

Jack & Diane: A Parable of Grace and New Life

Once upon a time Jack and Diane went down separate paths. One walked a narrow path and one took a wide path. As life would have it they found folks to love, children to raise and shared life. Through the storms of life and the wounds and brokenness, their marriages were well on to death before they ended. Broken dreams and vows that as a matter of life blew away in the wind of time like the dust in a hot prairie wind. READ MORE

The Broken Chair

When I was a child I used to think that God’s love was conditional upon my being good enough. Today I have learned otherwise. As I have grown and struggled along with the knowledge that I will always fall short of even my own expectations that I set for myself, I now know that I am still accepted in the beloved. Meaning, God loves me in spite of how despicable I may see myself.

I can still remember when I first had this revelation of God’s unconditional love towards me. It was an “ah-ha moment” because I just didn’t expect it. I was in such a READ MORE

Winding Staircase

Winding staircase building in our hearts;
Up we go, your face we see.
We do not notice, no way back;
The stairs have crumbled, no freedom in the past.
Up, to the stars you take us;
Death lost its sting;
Life with us;
Friend, Savior, Jesus …

B.D.P

The Story of Zac Smith

Lost & Found

I was lost, now I’m found.  Everything seemed pointless and I was wandering aimlessly.  Why go to work?  Why go back to school?  Why get out of bed in the morning?  What’s the point?  Then I met Jesus.  It wasn’t the first time, but it sure felt like it; rekindling those embers in my soul till they billowed into a raging fire.  Maybe it was the first time?  Maybe I’d only known about Him previously?  I don’t know.  It doesn’t matter.  It changed me; saved me; infused my life with color.  Some things still seemed pointless, but not me.  I didn’t feel pointless anymore.  He didn’t take away all my frustrations and life hasn’t been easy.  But I’m not pointless anymore.  And He walks with me through the pointless things, the difficult things, and the empty things; and they seem somehow less empty.  That is Jesus in my life.  It makes all the difference in the world to me.

A Sparrows Tale

Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. Mt 10:29

Once upon a time a Momma bird hatched new baby sparrows. One sparrow was bigger and stronger than the other sparrows of the nest. With time, he grew faster, grew grander than his compatriots. There was so little this sparrow couldn’t do and became legendary among the other sparrows. Creatures of the air and land would come from all over to watch this one amazing sparrow fly, soar and sing. Like all things great, many loved him. Many wanted to be like him. Many wanted to be in his presence as it somehow made them more popular, important and special, well, at least so they thought. As many loved our hero the sparrow, others disliked him. Others were critical of him calling him to standards that no mere sparrow could ever live up to. The higher he flew, the louder he sang, the bigger a flock he drew, the more the criticism and out cry for un-sparrow like perfection. READ MORE