Young children are transparent with their emotions. We can accurately guess what the screaming toddler in the grocery store might be feeling, or what the crying child is feeling when she’s left out of the game. Once we grow older, we learn to put the right vocabulary behind our emotions, and we even become adept […]
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Just as God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, we have a model for resting and delighting in his creation. God commanded us to keep the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11), a day set aside for rest. But rest is not just the cessation of all work, it’s an invitation to spend […]
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When I brought my newborn home from the hospital, I was overcome with the realization that this baby depended on me for everything. During those first months as a new mom, I learned what sacrificial love looked like in action. Babies and young children have many needs and must fully depend on the loving adults […]
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God calls us to become more like him, and he sent his son Jesus to show us the way. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells his disciples “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest […]
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As part of my professional role as Director of Children and Family Ministry at my church, I have the privilege of leading chapel for our preschoolers. Every month, children as young as two gather on the lawn to hear a story about the Bible and learn about God. Preparing these brief talks is always a […]
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Roald Dahl is known for his whimsical and creative stories, but none seem to have captured our imagination like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It has inspired two major motion pictures, a musical on Broadway, and, most recently, a spinoff prequel called Wonka. There is something so appealing about an exclusive invitation—there are only five […]
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At the age of 18, I had a solid five-year plan. I was going to graduate from a Christian college with a degree to teach deaf/hard-of-hearing students, and I was going to do it within an undergraduate program. Never mind that there was only one college in all my searching that met my criteria, and […]
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I sat on the small bench across the classroom while a second grader patted my arm. “It’s okay, Mrs. B.” Emma said. The concern in her eyes only made me cry harder. I was student teaching in a general education setting that semester, and I loved those second graders from West Godwin Elementary. There were […]
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On Easter Sunday, we put on our fancy clothes and listened to special music, and with much fanfare, we celebrated that Jesus rose again. This year, as part of my job as Director of Children and Family Ministry, I took the stage to give a three-minute kids’ sermon. I used a pair of bright yellow-tinted […]
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One day last month, I sank into our couch with particular enthusiasm. It had been after a long day working at my church: I’d been running around the rooms, setting up signs here, laying out a tablecloth and centerpieces there, rearranging chairs, restocking the church pantry, coordinating with the ladies helping with childcare. The work […]
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Sarah K. Butterfield 