I Need You to Hear Something. by Jessica LaGrone I need you to hear something.

“The Olympic Games are the quadrennial celebration of the springtime of humanity.” ~ Pierre de Coubertin

My friend Kristen went to her grandmother’s house one year to help her set up the annual Christmas tree. But when she lifted an ottoman to move it out of the way, she noticed a piece of tape on the bottom with some writing on it. It was labeled, “Sam.” At first she wondered if maybe part of the price tag had been left on. However, when she picked up an end table she found that it had been taped as well. It was labeled, “Linda.” Now she was curious.

God’s Word encourages us with the words, “Let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions” (1 John 3:18 NLT). Our words matter. Our actions matter.

To start off, I need to admit that I’ve never really outgrown children’s books. My mother is a children’s librarian. And so children’s books seem a little bit like my childhood friends. Even before I had children, I loved to visit bookstores. On one occasion, I was in the basement of my very favorite bookstore taking a moment to visit my childhood friends when I heard a voice. I overheard a woman calling out and I knew instantly what was going on because the voice said, ”Timmy. Timothy. Where are you?” There in the children’s section on the other side of that bookshelf, I could clearly hear what was happening. A mother was looking for her lost child.

Sign ups are now open for our next studio audience event on Thursday, March 6th in Nashville, Tennessee. Join us for the taping of the newest Abingdon Women Bible study from Melissa Spoelstra, Jeremiah: Daring to Hope in an Unstable World.

We spent last weekend in the company of a master carpenter. Though I appreciated (and coveted) many of his creations, one particular object arrested my attention. It was a growth, similar to a cancer, which attached itself to the side of a healthy tree. To my untrained eye, it was worthless and ugly.

We're excited about Jessica's newest study and we're sure you are as well. For your VIP preview of Broken and Blessed, simply download the PDF file below. You can read it from your computer or send it to your electronic device.

So God created humankind in his image. In the image of God he created them. Male and female, he created them. - Genesis 1:27

Each New Year I crave organization. Something powerful overtakes me and I find myself overhauling rooms and cupboards, cleaning out and clearing away.

I am a limited woman. The older I get, the more I realize this profound truth. Those closest to me experience these limitations most frequently and most profoundly. That would be my husband and three sons.

As for the seed that fell among thorny plants, these are the ones who, as they go about their lives, are choked by the concerns, riches, and pleasures of life, and their fruit never matures. The seed that fell on good soil are those who hear the word and commit themselves to it with a good and upright heart. Through their resolve, they bear fruit. - Luke 8:14-15 CEB