The author recently met a woman whose mother went to the Salvation Army every day during the depression. You'll never guess why! They were giving away free coffee and doughnuts. That woman became a Christian and raised two christian daughters, one of whom is Captain Karen Humphreys of the Salvation Army.

You can't learn what it is to be a parent without having children underfoot. Neither can you fully comprehend God's faithfulness without finding yourself trapped in the middle of a real world situation where nothing else can see you through.

The word gospel literally means "good news."

A free gift. A full pardon. That's good news.

Yet the Bible says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

The call to each of us is to go, never to sit. God handpicked you because He has a specific assignment for you to fulfill on this planet.

For above all else, the Christian life is a love affair of the heart. It cannot be lived primarily as a set of principles of ethics. It cannot be managed with steps and programs. It cannot be lived exclusively as a moral code, leading to righteousness.
- brent curtis & john eldredge

In the late 1990s, the author met a family who had fallen on hard times after the sudden death of the father. The mother worked hard to keep the family together.

For several years, the author stayed in close contact with the family, assisting them when ever she could. Then she discovered an amazing bit of information: the father had left behind a trust fund worth millions of dollars. So why were his children living in such circumstances? Because the trust fund had been set up in such a way that the money can do them no good until they grow up.

Our Heavenly Father has given us a rich inheritance - indeed "every spiritual blessing." But it won't do us any good until we GROW UP.

Don't get impatient with others. Remember how God dealt with you - with patience and with gentleness. - oswald chambers