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I have a love-hate relationship with my dentist. I hate hearing the drill when fixing a cavity or the inordinate amount of time I have to keep my mouth open or X-rays. I dislike deep cleaning. I hate getting the first shot of anesthesia to numb my gums. But I do it all because a beautiful smile is worthwhile (to me). Teeth are one of the first things I notice when I meet a person.

Twenty years ago, I suffered a traumatic accident where my front teeth were damaged. My wonderful dentist (at the time) fixed my teeth so my smile looked as original as possible. But the work she did was temporary. Recently I've had to go through a series of procedures to permanently fix my smile.

Do Over

I remember when I went back to school to get a graduate degree. By then, I had four children, the youngest a toddler. I liked being an older student, but the challenge was balancing my time - an already scarce commodity. My grad program required lots of research and papers; I found I liked it. 

Have you ever typed a document and then lost it all? I have, and it was gut-wrenching. This paper was due in a month. So for the past month, I researched, outlined, and wrote notes. I kept track of my sources so they could be appropriately cited. Finally, on a Friday evening, I sat down to type. I powered up my computer, reviewed my notes, and started typing. My thoughts were flowing seamlessly, and I was pleased with the way my research came together. This is amazing! I'm going to ace this paper. But then something happened, and in an instant, all my hard work was gone. AARGH!!!!

Scars of Gold

READ - But he was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5 ESV).

I was a bit of a tomboy when I was a child, and I had scars on my legs to prove it. As I became more familiar with fashion and stockings became a relic of the past, I shied away from wearing skirts because the scars on my legs were so ugly. To my eye, they ruined an outfit. How I prayed for those scars to fade. I never saw the beauty in those scars, only what I thought was disfigurement.

But without those scars, I wouldn't have learned how to climb trees; I may have never attempted to run, I would have stayed safely inside. How boring! Those scars were necessary for my growth. They were valuable in my growth. They were golden, much like the Japanese art of Kintsugi.

When Things Aren't What They Seem

It may have been a recession, or it may have been that our finances on paper seemed insufficient for our plans. It may have been when the timing seemed wrong for making such a huge decision. At one of these times when there seemed an obvious direction (of playing it safe or doubting God), I re-read Genesis 26 with its ominous beginning - there was a famine in the land. 

Famine portends bad news, but in God's economy, that's not always the case. This chapter starts off with famine in the land then proceeds to show us God's blessing to Isaac.

Guest Post - Living in Perspective by Xariah C

Xariah is an aspiring writer and singer. She recently graduated from HS and will be attending college in the fall. Though young, the depths of her thoughts belies her age. Read on.

"But now, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands." Isaiah 64:8

How do you approach the presence of God?  When you draw near to God as your Heavenly Father, rather than a confusing unknown or a Sunday assignment, you will find yourself fully known and embraced. You were meant for a relationship with God, a bond that is set apart and built on knowing and trusting God as your Everlasting Father.

All who believe in Jesus are called to live as

Your Stimulus Check

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV

A lot of folks are excited because they received an extra $1200 in their accounts. One thousand two hundred dollars, is a gift, regardless of your situation. For some, it's a lifeline, and for others, it feels like a bonus. The more prudent among us may decide to save all or most of it (if they can) for another rainy day.

A stimulus check is a check sent to a taxpayer by the U.S. government. Stimulus checks are intended to stimulate the economy by providing consumers with some spending money. When taxpayers spend this money, it will boost consumption and drive revenues at retailers and manufacturers and, thus, spur the economy (source: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/stimulus-check.asp).