• Why Spiritual Growth Often Feels Painful

    Faith, Summer of Abiding

    Again. I sat on my bed and sighed. That one sin had crept back into my heart, mind, and out through my raised voice. For years I’ve struggled with this one sinful habit. I’ve prayed, memorized Scripture, asked others to pray, and begged God to help me do better. I would see a victory and a breakthrough, but then in a moment of weakness I would fall back again into old sinful patterns.  It often happened when I was tired…

  • Growing Vines Not Apple Trees

    Devotional, Faith, Summer of Abiding

    Growing Vines Not Apple Trees My husband planted an apple tree but we’ve never eaten the apples. Back when our children were very young my husband and I lived in a beautiful two-story brick house. We loved that house. We lived there for many years. It had a fantastic yard on a quiet street. The house was our home.  One summer my husband found a company that sold apple trees that you could get delivered through the mail in order…