"Be an opener of doors for such as come after thee."
It is nothing short of a transformed vision of reality that is able to see Christ as more real than the storm, love as more real than hatred, meekness more real than pride, long-suffering more real than annoyance, holiness more real than sin.
Elisabeth Elliot, author, missionary, mentor
My nephew turned nine this weekend, and his parents hosted the family party Friday night. (The laser tag kid party was Saturday, but I surpassed the age limit.) Since his male cousins were out of town, and several male adults arrived late (grandpas and uncles were golfing in a tournament and working overtime and such), for a while, he was stuck with mostly the women of his family, including three little girls, ages five, four, and six months.
But not to worry, he found plenty to do while he waited for cake and presents. He whipped up a duct tape wallet (his newest hobby), took a practice run on his dirt bike (he races regularly), and played with the baby.
Yup, he loves babies. Making contact with that sweet baby essence seems to turn this nine-year-old boy into a softie. Continue Reading…
Now I’m walking in the mornings, and it’s all my sister’s fault. As soon as I open my eyes, I experience this nagging feeling that I should be going somewhere. So instead of being here . . . Continue Reading…
Many people live their lives crucified between two thieves: the regrets of yesterday and the anxieties of tomorrow.
Erwin Lutzer, senior pastor, Moody Church, Chicago, IL
My five-year-old niece recently developed a passion for jumping into the deep end. One day she simply shed her life vest (with her mother’s supervision), jumped into the deep end of the pool, and swam to the ladder. Even though the water was way over her head, she showed no fear.
When I was little I couldn’t wait to jump into a pool of water. On hot summer days, my younger sister and I would beg my mom or older siblings to drive us to the home of either one of our two (favorite) aunts who owned pools. We didn’t bother with hair, make-up, finding a swimsuit that didn’t make us look fat. We just worked ourselves into our cheap bathing suits (that was hard because they were always damp from the day before), hopped into the car, and beeped the horn until a suitable driver responded to take us away. Continue Reading…
As a classroom teacher I was highly conscious of time usage, scheduling, setting goals, and taking the steps to meet them. I arrived at school early and stayed late so I could study, plan, prepare. Sometimes I’d be so into that day’s tasks that when the students arrived, they seemed like an interruption. Continue Reading…
I decided I wanted to teach literature that would not only expand the kids’ academic experience but also touch their hearts. I wanted to do it all: provoke discussion, inspire sacrifice, encourage right thinking, stimulate writing excellence . . . and all with an eye toward thinking outside the box as far as literature was concerned. And I wondered how I’d know if a piece of literature was ‘safe’ unless it was written by a Christian author.
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“A friend accepts us as we are, yet helps us to be what we should be.” A dear friend became a Doorkeeper for me and changed my life forever.
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I teach literature in a Christian high school by day and write inspirational fiction by night. I love to share heart-touching quotes and stories on my blog, Doorkeeper. I'm so glad you stopped by to visit me. Blessings! ~Renee Ann Smith~
