Category: October 2022
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Fear Almost Had Me
Fear. Four little letters bringing about a wave of emotion, causing me to feel as though I am drowning at the mention of the word. Merriam-Webster defines fear as “an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger;” “a state of emotion, anxious concern, solitude;” and “profound reverence and awe, especially toward…
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Middle-of-the-Night Friend
Life has been difficult for my family for about 19 months. Since May, we have been on a very scary and fearful rollercoaster. But God. Through this scary ride, God has sustained us, helping us to hear His Word to encourage and to give courage. And we have had friends constantly praying for us, cheering…
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More Than I Can Bear
I had always wanted to be a mom. However, I didn’t know how hard, heartbreaking or rewarding the journey of becoming a mom would be. My husband, Casey, and I decided to start trying for our first child about two years into our marriage. Unfortunately, we struggled with infertility, and it took us three years…
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Big, Bad Days; Brighter Hope
Fear, in its purest form, occurs when my trust in my Father is being overshadowed by lies of this world. When circumstances begin to careen out of control, when uncertainties seem to be the only certainty, satan weaves his greatest of lies. He works to falter my trust in God. I’ve learned time and time…
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Fight, Mom, Fight
“The saddest thing in life is that the best thing in it should be courage.” – Robert Frost – My mom is strong. She is fight-Mike-Tyson-with-her-oven-mitts-on strong.Carolina-reaper-on-her-eggs-chased-down-by-truck-stop-black-coffee strong.Raised-my-brother-and-my-sister-and-me strong. The latter taking the belt. words + photographs MARK APPLEGATE Mom was diagnosed in 2009 with, in the words of her doctor, “a mild case of…
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God Told Traci Prater, “No.”
“But each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing His songs, praying to God who gives me life,” (Psalm 42:8). Stage IV colon and liver cancers were never in my playbook. Yet neither was a surprise to God. While a Stage IV diagnosis can mean death, God…
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On your mark, get set, ask smart questions: Leadership advice from Grandpa Don
My parents have passed on my Grandpa Don’s tongue-in-cheek advice about all kinds of things. His homegrown wisdom came from a lifetime of overcoming one thing after another and ended in achieving the kind of playful happiness that drew people to him and his home. words + photographs DR. SARAH THORNTON What mattered to me…
Homegrown Journal 