Growing up I learned that God wants us to be kind, love one another, and respect authority. Somehow along the way I incorrectly adapted that message into that I should not “ruffle any feathers” and instead I should seek to make "peace" in all situations. I became very shy aside from the rare occasion I simply could not stop myself from speaking out against injustice, but even then it was often in a whisper tone
I'm the girl who has a notebook for everything. I have a notebook for Bible study, another one for sermon notes and two or three other planners to jot down my to-do lists. It's hard to keep track of it all! Which is why we created The Bible Study Planner, featuring our one-of-a-kind Bible study method and holistic goal setting worksheets to help you integrate your Bible study into the rest of your life. Here at Across My Heart Ministries, it is our hope to see His Word written across our hearts, inseparable from the way we live our everyday lives.
This is one of those growing pains every women remember, getting their period for the first time.
Without going into too much detail, I knew what was happening when mine first started, but I was too embarrassed to tell my mom about it. I was actually out of town and my Great Aunt (amazing woman) helped set me up with all the necessary feminine hygiene products, and after that I kept it a secret. I stored my newly acquired pads in the closet and didn’t say a word to my mom when I got home.
This burned me up on the inside. I felt like I was keeping some deep dark secret, that my mom should know about.
Warm, winter light filled the little Chinese restaurant with its golden glow. As my family enjoyed their lunch, the sun wasn’t the only thing in the room beaming. I was deeply engaged in conversation with my parents about the upcoming science fair. I was in 8th grade, in love with everything science, and thrilled to be able to show off my knowledge at the school fair. The question of whether I would place in the competition wasn’t even a question in my mind. The actual question was where I would place: First? Second? Or maybe third?
As an unapologetic optimist, I used to assume the best about people which made me an unfortunate judge of character. Sometimes I honestly couldn't identify fake friends from real ones. But the sarcastic words? The little insults? They were the hundred paper cuts that eventually made me bleed.
I had to learn the hard way that not everyone likes Ashley. And some people never will.
You know you’ve messed up. How could anyone love you anymore? No matter what you do, there is nothing that can atone for your mistakes. Yet your husband comes and pursues you, like you are priceless. What kind of love is this?
