I leaned in and turned the TV up louder. I was planning on turning off the CBS morning show as soon as my parents had left but I got sucked in when the host teased the next segment: “After the break,” she said, “find out what one skincare product is the only one proven to […]
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Our cat died a few years ago. No need to offer me any condolences—she lived a long and happy life once we rescued her from the side of a country road. We’ve lived in our current townhouse for almost twelve years now, and there’s still evidence of our cat here: carpet torn up on the […]
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“Mom, look! There’s a dead crow!” My ten-year-old pointed to the sidewalk across the way from the mailboxes in our condo complex. There was indeed a dead crow lying there, black feathers rustling in the breeze, looking like it had just tipped over for a nap. It must have just happened. I was wondering how […]
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Every time we roll into town after nearly 40 hours in the car, I exhale in relief. It means we have survived another road trip from California to Michigan so that we can spend the summer months on the family farm, surrounded by grandparents, cousins, barn cats, pond frogs, fields, and woods. When we drive […]
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Sometimes, their questions impress me. Sometimes, their questions delight me. Sometimes, their questions are easily answered. Every once in a while, their questions challenge me—and that’s what happened last week. I never know quite what to expect on Sunday mornings when I teach a group of 4 to 11 year-olds about God through Bible stories. […]
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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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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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Sarah K. Butterfield 