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If you live in the South, you know the phrase “dog tired.” It describes how your body feels after a hard day of yard work, garage cleaning, or other activities that make you feel like you’ve run a marathon. Placing one foot in front of the other requires substantial effort. Muscles ache and backs break.…

I often stand in the condiment aisle at Publix, wondering if I have ketchup. I don’t know why it’s always ketchup that slips my mind. I stand there asking myself, “If I still have some, is it enough? Did the grandkids ‘borrow’ the unopened bottle? Did I use up all that I had?” Since I…

One of my earliest close friends was also named Donna. My family had just moved to Birmingham, and she helped me feel welcomed at my new elementary school. Sharing the same name immediately gave us something in common. We were excited to find out that we also attended the same church. Our parents became friends,…

(This is part 2 of “What Women Need.” If you’d like to read Part 1, “Roots”, go to https://leanintojesus.com/what-women-need-roots/.) WHAT WOMEN NEED: FOOD Does sugar tempt you? The Bible doesn’t say this, but surely the fruit Eve ate in the garden was coated in sugar—maybe the white, powdered kind! What else could have made that…

High blood pressure is called the silent killer. It has no symptoms but can damage the heart and blood vessels over time. If left untreated, it can lead to stroke or kidney failure. That’s why doctors check their patients’ blood pressure at every visit. Without regular check-ups, we might go years without knowing what we…

The saying “practice makes perfect” rings true in many areas of life. It takes practice to become a world-class musician, a master mathematician, a skilled plumber, or a safe driver. In the sports world, practice is essential. Learning fundamental skills and all the right plays takes repetition. However, there is one aspect of practice that…

I get Peter. He was genuine but often impulsive. Courageous yet fearful. Loyal but inconsistent. His heart believed, but he struggled with his unbelief. In two well-known Peter-stories in Scripture, the focus is often on his failures while overlooking his victories.  The story begins with Jesus learning of His cousin John the Baptist’s death. He…

Less than 1 in 10,000 oysters produce a pearl of great value. Many believe that a grain of sand settling inside an oyster triggers the pearl-making process, but this is a myth. A pearl forms when an oyster ingests a parasite. To protect itself, the shiny, iridescent material that lines the inside of the oyster…

In Eden, God’s perfect Paradise creations frolicked. The cobalt blue river provided a stunning backdrop for the king of the jungle and the playful gazelle, prancing harmoniously along the water’s edge. Catfish flipped and flopped, enjoying their swim with Ganges sharks. Majestic hawks and eagles perched contentedly in their box seats of lush green foliage,…

What can quickly access your brain’s photo album, seize snapshots of the past, and then paste them on the front of your mind? Smells? Sights? An old familiar face or place? Memories have the power to paint broad smiles or turn them upside down. Last week, Ron and I vacationed at the beach. As I…