Carlie's words will help you to think more deeply about the idea of home as a something bigger than the idea of a place.  Her words are deeply encouraging and full of truth.  She lost her physical home in a hurricane last year but she did not lose her Home.  I hope you'll take a moment to go, say hello, and read what she has to say. 

Gossip is anything said about someone to someone that isn't loving and kind and that you wouldn't say directly to the person about whom you're talking . . . you are gossiping.

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' Isaiah 41:10 (NASB)

It might be tempting to feel forgotten by God.Sometimes I even feel justified in thinking that way.

After all, it’s been a rough year. Scratch that, it’s been a challenging couple of years.

I really don’t want to seem ungrateful and believe me, I’ve been trying really hard to keep a positive spin on things.

I had the chance to be involved in a couple of Christian parenting events this past week.

Much great information was shared, and lots of good discussions took place. It was a joy to be included in these events.

However, there was something I heard over and over that broke my heart.

Parents and grandparents are watching their kids pull away from God.

I don’t know what happens when you hear God calling you to something, but I typically do what Jonah did. I run the other way. Especially when it doesn’t fit into my tidy plans.

I hurled his bag down the stairs and screamed, "THERE'S YOUR STUPID SUITCASE!!!  JUST GO AHEAD AND LEAVE ME!"

My husband picked up his busted luggage, stared at me in disbelief, and spoke an apologetic goodbye.

Throwing myself on the bed for a good cry, I agonized over why our marriage wasn't turning out like I expected.

As a new mother, I was on the receiving end of some really sweet encouragement.  I remember the feelings of gratitude, of wanting to pay it forward- and I remember how hard it was to do much of anything, beyond taking care of my baby at that time.  

If there’s something to worry about, I will probably be the first one to grab that what-if out of nowhere and contemplate all its possible outcomes. It’s my way of feeling like I can spot trouble before it happens so I can do something to prevent it from becoming my own horrible reality.

This week's featured post for the Grace and Truth link up is by Shannon, writer at Of the Hearth. I think the comparison trap is something we all struggle with.  Shannon offers some practical ways to address this problem in her post.  It's called 4 Ways to Quell Comparison.