Author Ava Pennington
Author Ava Pennington

I Fell Into the Teacher Trap

I ignored the warnings for months. The first was a quiet, almost imperceptible nudge. Then came stronger recognition. Finally, last fall, when asked for a prayer request, my answer reflected a growing awareness. But still, I pushed those warnings aside. For those who...

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Theology is Messy, But God is Good

Our family recently survived a brush with Matthew, a category 4 hurricane. No, that’s not quite right. Compared to some other locations, we did more than survive. We thrived. Yes, we cleared away debris, and several neighbors lost large trees. But all in all we were...

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Volunteers – Plants and People

Gardening is therapeutic for me. After spending much of my day writing and preparing to teach a Bible study, I enjoy the physical exertion of battling the weeds in my yard. Having lived in a large city for most of my life, I confess I labeled anything I didn’t plant...

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Living and Dying for Christ

Christians are dying for their faith around the world. According to Open Doors USA, a missions organization supporting persecuted Christians around the world, “2014 will go down in history for having the highest level of global persecution of Christians in the modern...

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Double Standards

We may not like it, but we’re surrounded by double standards. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with them. We don’t like it when someone else espouses a double standard, but if it’s our idea…. Children shouldn’t curse. Adults do it all the time. People must...

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Duck Commanders, Singing Nuns, and Me

Just when I thought our culture could no longer surprise me…it does. Consider these two examples in the entertainment world:  A clan of duck hunters from the Louisiana backwoods has become a media phenomenon. This conservative Christian clan has fueled an...

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Open Doors and New Opportunities

I recently returned from another writers’ conference: the Colorado Christian Writer’s Conference (CCWC). It was a wonderful time of networking with others in Christian publishing, reconnecting with old friends, and meeting new colleagues. Writer’s conferences usually...

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Eternal Contributions

Mother’s Day is over, but for some, the emotions –happy or sad – linger. I recently spent some time with a young friend who is struggling with her role in the family and in the Church. Her feelings were exacerbated by the calendar – Mother’s Day happened to be the...

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Give Up or Give Out?

We’re more than halfway through the season known as Lent. In many churches, Lent is observed as a forty day period of prayer and introspection leading to Easter. It’s also a traditional time of fasting, when some Christians give up a favorite food or activity in an...

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