natalie’s blog

A number of my friends have gone onto the “mission field” and I always enjoy reading their newsletters and hearing about the creative means they are developing and employing for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with people in their respective cities and countries. From purchasing a storefront in Genoa, Italy to use as a […]

Oh, it is joy to feel Jesus living in you; to find your heart all taken up by Him; to be reminded of His love by His seeking communion with you at all times, not by your painful attempts to abide in Him. He is our life, our strength, our salvation…He is our power for […]

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape… A woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape. A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything… A woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear. A strong woman won’t let anyone get the best of […]

Do you want to know the secret to getting a lot done? Here it is in a nutshell: structured procrastination. I love this concept! Probably because I’ve been doing it for years. Silly me, I just always thought it was a bad habit. I’m relieved to discover quite the opposite. It makes me feel much […]

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining, in love even when I am alone, and in God even when He is silent. –words found scratched on a wall in Germany in 1945, written by someone hiding from Nazi concentration camps

By Naomi Wickham, 13 years old I was quite honored when Natalie asked me to write a guest post. Of course I couldn’t resist such an opportunity! Before Natalie asked me, I was skimming through her posts about “Thursdays of Thankfulness” and I really enjoyed them. So when I was asked to do a guest […]

Our church has an Upward Sports League and both Naomi and Joey play on a basketball team. During the halftime of each game, volunteers from the church share a devotional. Naomi volunteered to share the halftime devotional for several of the games last Saturday. I asked her the week before what her topic was and […]

[Introductory note: Lydia started a Thursdays of Thankfulness theme on her blog last month. I think it’s a wonderful idea and have intended to write a post for inclusion for some time, but finally got my act together enough this week to get it done before her submission deadline!] I vividly recall numerous occasions as […]

Kim’s got another contest going on! “The 1599 Geneva Bible was a veritable milestone in our spiritual heritage: it was the first study Bible; the first to assign chapter and verse numbers; the first to be printed in a portable and affordable edition. It was the Bible of the Puritans; the Bible of Shakespeare; the […]

My dear friends Julia and Daniel have welcomed their second daughter into the world. Even more exciting – for me anyway – they named her after me! (Well, her middle name anyway. Apparently Julia wanted to name her first name after me, but that was just a little too scary for Daniel. Seems he was […]

Anyone interested in winning over $700 worth of Vision Forum products? Well then, just click on over to Kim’s blog and leave your guess as to how many products will be in the new catalog this year. Can’t hurt to try! And if you place a link to it on your blog and e-mail Kim […]

It is always so encouraging to read the Overseas Field Report from my friend Kelsie who is now serving as a missionary with her husband Joshua in Ukraine. (They have the most amazing story of how God brought them together in marriage a couple of years ago even though Joshua was living overseas and Kelsie […]

My goal in life is not to find happiness or to seek happiness. I already have found everything I need and more in Christ. Now, my life’s purpose is to give out to others. To live a life poured out in service to my Heavenly Father. To glorify the Lord in everything I do, say, […]

A full 48 hours with no Internet connection! I almost didn’t survive… 🙂 I spent last weekend at our annual state music teachers conference. Now that I’m home, I’m trying to catch up with everything. As I read through all the updates at The Rebelution from the SAICFF, I was especially struck by this synopsis […]

In a small corner of this country (aka San Antonio, Texas), a dedicated group of people are learning the ropes so that they can make a lasting impact on our culture. Vision Forum is hosting a Film Academy for aspiring film makers. Following the Film Academy will be the second annual San Antonio Independent Christian […]

Today’s quote is taken from the book The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A’Kempis. While I do not agree with all that he writes, I have gleaned so many little nuggets of truth and wisdom as I’ve been reading through this book. It is well worth reading! I found the following rhetorical question posed by […]

This poignant short story was shared by Dave McCarrell, President of Pacific Garden Mission, in their monthly newsletter for October. (If you’re ever in the Chicago area, I highly recommend a visit to PGM! It is a vibrant ministry that upholds high standards and has remained faithful to its mission for over 100 years.) There […]

One of my favorite things to do is collect quotes that can later be utilized in a written paper, a speech or even a casual conversation. I have a quotes folder in my e-mail account, a quotes folder in my file cabinet and a quotes document in my computer files. I even have a quotes […]

In his interview with Marvin Olasky in this week’s issue of WORLD magazine Peter Lawler makes this pointed statement, We are obsessively prohibitionist when it comes to the body but indifferent when it comes to the soul. I find this to be an intriguing statement, both within and even apart from the immediate context of […]

The other day, as we walked through the tallgrass prairie, at one point Joey and I were discussing Creation versus Evolution. I told him that I had recently been discussing this very issue with someone who believed in the big-bang theory of evolution. For several minutes we discussed some of the arguments you could use […]