Books have taken me on wild adventures in my life. 

Because of them, I’ve had the unique opportunity to travel from the Shire to Mount Doom with two homesick hobbits.

 I’ve explored the open prairie with a little girl named Laura and her brindle bulldog Jack.

 And I’ve even fished with the old man and the sea.

For as a long as I can remember, I’ve loved reading. And I can still feel the rush of excitement that would course through me when I entered a library ready for a new find. 

Books have given me the chance to step into someone else’s world. They’ve taken me back in time, forward in time, and landed me in present-day situations that were far different than my own.

I’m grateful for the opportunity and ability to read, and I’d hate to think ...

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Who is God? God has written a love letter to you. If you want to grow in Him, you need to read it, study it and apply it to your life.

By Debra Torres
The concrete sidewalk paths that wound around our housing development were perfect for a mother with small children.

There, my young boys could ride their big wheel, go puddle jumping and walk to a small wooden bridge where we used to feed the ducks and their ducklings in the water below.

All this while staying clear of any vehicles.

There was one path, however that led to a busy side street where cars would whip around a curve unexpectantly. And it was this path that we took once a week in order to trek over to our local library’s story time.

At that time in my life, I usually had one or two in the stroller and a few walking next to me, so it was important to find just the right break in traffic where we could all get across safely.

One thing I would say to my boys as they got in formation behind me was: “Remember to be like the ducks!”

You can probably picture us crossing: Me in front pushing the stroller and two or three boys behind trying to keep a tight line.

Just like a mama duck and her brood.

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Sticking close to God can be a slippery slope if we try to go it alone. He wants you to stick close to Him. And you can do it with His help.

By Debra Torres
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Sometimes, when kids are reprimanded they respond with words like, “You just don’t care about me!”
Parents like me just shake our heads in disbelief at this one.

Mean nothing? Don’t care? Are you kidding?

Someday, our children will understand that our desire to see them walk in obedience comes from a deep set, God-given love for them.

In fact, I came up with something the other day that made one of my kids do a double take. I said, “You are so special – that what you do matters.”