I am a cynic. I can be quite negative, condemning, and judgmental. Now that I really think about it, cynic isn’t the right word. Critical. Yes, that’s better.

Ten-year-old Isaiah Clardy prayed three years ago for a garden. He remembers it was for “people that didn’t have food,” but doesn’t recall what led him to make the same prayer request continually each night before going to sleep.

I frequently mix up the two. I catch myself calling this Friday, Black Friday. Then, I realize my mistake.

You have to admit. It fits in many ways. The day Jesus died has a lot to do with darkness, despair, and mourning. 

God was calling Mary Long.

At first, the idea of going to Africa was a little frightening. Mary was concerned about her family’s safety once she got there as well as the Conway home she was leaving behind for two weeks.

We called him Methuselah. He called my husband Jesus. Even with his long hair and beard, Keith is not as much like Jesus as Billy was like Methuselah.

Art can speak volumes. Its message is often more profound and penetrating than mere words alone. As I continue to press on in my fascination with fighting and films, I find myself grateful for those movies with a redeeming message I can hold on to.

I had become fascinated by fighting. This curiosity surfaced nearly two years ago when I realized every movie I was interested in had fighting as its backdrop. I noticed I was drawn to action films, where characters displayed courage, fought for freedom, and stood their ground in honor of the right thing. They didn’t back down, despite having all odds against them.

Sometimes I wake up with crooked hands. It’s mostly my right hand. My fingers are puffy, sore and tender, and I can’t fully open my hand. Not so good for a right-handed writer.

Jaime Barich wasn’t always so nice.

The 36-year-old wife and mother of five would tell you she used to be a nasty person.

It was unintentional. I thought I would be on the sidelines. After all, it was a kids' race. Actually, a mud run. Precisely, the Dirty Myrtle Mud Run. I had signed Page and Graham up for the kids 1-mile event.

Graham asks about a zillion questions every day. Many of those are about geography. Is it nighttime in China? Is that in a different country than we live? He wants to know about communication, too. How do birds understand one another if they aren’t saying any words?

You can’t keep a good plan down.

This past April, the people of Abiding Village took a giant leap of faith and went on a three-week fundraising whirlwind to raise $10 million. Yes, you read that right - $10 million in the span of three week’s time.