faith Archives | The Sparrow's Home

Plan ahead to encourage others. Make this inspiring DIY kit.

November 26, 2018 by Susan

Do you want to be an encourager? It’s something we all want to do, but knowing how to encourage others can be tough. And if you’re anything like me, sometimes I simply forget. Having a ready-to-go kit like this can help you to brighten someones day, lift their spirits, and remind them of God’s truth in their life.

It would be great if intention was all that mattered. We’d come out smelling like a peach most of the time, wouldn’t we. I mean, we all want to do better…to be better.

Unfortunately, our intentions don’t matter much if actions don’t follow.

Think about it. Does it matter if I…

… intend to clean my house, but never get around to it?

… intend to be on time but never check the clock?

I think we all intend to be encouraging people. But the real question is…do our actions prove that?

So you made a decision to change your life at summer church camp…what next?

August 13, 2018 by Susan

photo credit: Kathryn Fletcher

You went to the classes. Listened to the messages. Sang the songs. And somewhere in the midst of it all, God reached in and tweaked something inside you. You heard Him.

Maybe it was like a lightning bolt to your heart. Maybe it was a tiny seed that He planted and is barely beginning to sprout. It could be a cloudy something that has been in your mind for months, only now it is crystal clear.

Conviction of sin. A call to ministry. Light for the next step. Purpose.

Whatever it is, He spoke and you listened.

Parents, we may miss the mark sometimes, but we should at least know where the target is.

July 9, 2018 by Susan

Are you worried that you’ll do everything you can raising your kids in the faith and yet when they’re an adult they’ll walk away from it?

There’s no more important mission field we face than raising our children to adore God. You could be a hero of the faith, but that’s meaningless if you neglect to parent well. No pressure, right.

Winning in marriage starts with knowing it’s a team event

April 2, 2018 by Susan

Once every four years, we find ourselves using phrases like “Lutz” and “triple Salchow” …during the Winter Olympics when we all become experts in sports we watch exactly once every four years.

Imagine if figure skating pairs got on the ice and each did their own routine. It would never work. Not only would they never medal, but they’d be laughed off the ice. Everyone knows, that’s not how paired figure skating works.

It’s not how marriage works either, friends.

And yet day after day we pursue our own agendas and wonder why our marriages are not all that we’d hoped they would be.

Marriage is Hard

Marriage can be difficult. No doubt. But ask someone who’s been married into the decades (plural) and they will overwhelmingly tell you that it’s worth it.

The other side of difficult is worth it.

At its heart, looking for closure is really just asking ‘Why’?

March 12, 2018 by Susan

When you’re looking for closure, is it possible to heal without having your questions answered; and are there times when it’s better to pass on the chance to ask them even if it comes?

If you had the chance to seek closure about a difficult situation from your past, is there anything that would cause you to pass it up?

I’m not sure where this idea of ‘closure’ even came from. Is it just a cop-out to avoid dealing with hurt, to escape taking responsibility for our own healing? Or could it be that, deep down, we just want to know why.

How do you repay someone who saved your child’s life?

December 4, 2017 by Susan

Allie is a former neighbor and my boys’ favorite babysitter. She is the kind of young lady who would, every once in awhile, refuse payment, saying, “I just want to bless you.” Her ‘magic’ tricks kept the boys completely mesmerized. (I’m pretty sure this involved her hiding things behind her back and pulling them out with flourish, but what do I know?) My boys are teenagers now, older than Allie was when she babysat them.

And we owe her a debt of gratitude we can never repay. You see, my youngest son is here because of Allie.