The Sparrow's Home: Life is hard. God is good. We need each other.

Beautifully creative Bible verse note cards with encouraging Scriptures. Keep them to display for yourself or share with friends.

April 8, 2019 by Susan 8 Comments

Lovely Bible verses illustrated on cards that you can display to remind you of God’s truths or use to send a note to encourage friends.

I know I’m not the only one who likes to display scriptures around my house to remind me of what God is teaching me. Written on an index card taped to a mirror. Printed out and hung on a door. You too?

I’ve even got scripture lock screen images on my phone from the Christian weight loss course I’m taking to remind me of my memory verse for the week.

Seeing God’s word is such an encouragement and a wonderful way to put Scripture to memory.

I was delighted when I found these lovely cards that do all of that PLUS are pretty. (Adding pretty to something functional always makes me smile).

Chipotle Chicken Taquitos for the Freezer

April 1, 2019 by Susan 6 Comments

These chipotle chicken taquitos freeze beautifully and bake up crispy and delicious. Perfect to pull out for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner.

Sometimes all you need to do is change one little thing to take a recipe over the top.

There are lots of recipes for freezer taquitos out there. I tried a few and made them several times to have on hand for my husband and I for lunch. All of the recipes I tried called for a can of chopped green chiles. And they were good. Fine.

We liked them, but when I made the switch from green chiles to chipotles— revolutionary!

Our kids need champions. Join the 14 day prayer challenge for the young people in your church.

March 18, 2019 by Susan 2 Comments

Take 14 days to pray for the kids and young people in your church. Daily topics, verses, and sample prayers. Plus a free printable prayer challenge guide.

If we don’t pray, we lose.

But let’s be honest here, I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels guilty sometimes for not praying for my own kids enough. So the idea of committing to pray for other people’s kids is nice, but it’s not something I’ve ever considered committing to long term.

Until recently. We attend a small church, and the people in my church are like family in many ways. My heart began to hurt at the thought of the world and its deception getting a hold on the kids and young people that I have watched grow up.

Statistics say that somewhere around two-thirds of young people who are involved with youth groups will leave the church within two years of graduation. Two-thirds! That should not only make us sad, it should spur us to action.

You can still serve God after being caught in sin. Restoration is possible.

March 11, 2019 by Susan 4 Comments

Being restored to ministry after sin (even big sin) is possible, but it may not look like you expect. Valuable advice for you whether you are trying to help someone caught in sin, or hoping to be restored yourself.

The opportunity to sin is everywhere. Sadly, even people who love the Lord, who are serving Him, can be caught in it. Whether that is you or someone you care about, the first thing I want to say to you is that there is hope.

The second thing I want to say to you is that while your future serving the Lord is not over, it should not be your primary concern. This post is the second in a series. The first post in the series digs in to how to work through coming to a place of true repentance and how to show that to those around you. Proving repentance is a long road, and being restored to ministry comes at the end of that road, not the beginning, especially if you were/are in a position of leadership.

Proving that your repentance is real is a long road, not a one time deal.

March 4, 2019 by Susan 9 Comments

Have you ever had to rebuild trust? Whether you are the one who has done wrong and needs to make amends, or are the one who has been wronged and are looking for signs of true repentance…you know it doesn’t happen overnight. There are some important steps that you can take to work this process and cement the change that God has begun.

I’ve shared before that God’s grace is very real to me. That’s because I’ve made choices I wish I could take back and faced some steep consequences because of them. I’ve also had to extend grace in ways I wasn’t sure I could. One day I’ll tell you my whole story, but for today, know that when it comes to working through repentance and restoration, I have some experience…on both sides of the equation.

Everyone’s story will be different, of course. Still, these insights can be valuable for people walking the path to restoration, or those ministering to someone who is.

Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

February 18, 2019 by Susan 18 Comments

An easy and delicious chocolate bundt cake that is perfect to bring to a potluck, make for a coffee date, after school snack, or just because.

No story about how moist and delicious this simple cake is. Sorry. No long intro about how leftovers are the best with a cup of coffee or an afternoon snack. Nope. Not even an anecdote about how it’s the perfect easy recipe to make for potlucks.

I will tell you a few things, though.