Truthful Grace
Renew your faith in Christ with these inspiring articles by author and teacher, Melissa McLaughlin~ Truthful Grace. May Jesus restore your faith and hope in Him.
By Melissa McLaughlin Fatigue wrapped around me like a weighted blanket. A ball and chain tugged each movement. Unrelenting deadlines and an aging body reminded me. I felt exhausted. Catching a nap here and there wasn’t enough. I needed restoration from the inside out. Exerting all my strength, I forced my body outside for an … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Darkness descended. Lightning streaked like flames across the sky. Thunder shook the house. The wind whipped in fury. Soon golf ball-sized hail pelted the house. So, my husband and I gathered our newborn daughter and rushed to the basement. We had never experienced a tornado in our region, but knew the telltale … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin My arms trembled as I gripped the rope. Sweat trickled down my face. My toes dug into the earth, groping for a foothold. I peeked down. My stomach clenched as I viewed a vertical plummet straight down the mountain. The only option was looking up and pressing on toward the top. We … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin When It’s Hard to Pray I stumbled out of bed, bumbled to the kitchen, and floundered to make the coffee. My eyes strained to focus. My thoughts lumbered like a turtle wading through thick swamp mud. Every movement felt like a heroic effort. Some mornings are rough. Some days it’s hard to … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Childlike Gratitude The notes jingled in the distance. My children’s faces perked up, their eyes brightened, and the pleading commenced. The anticipation was palpable when the ice cream truck stopped in our neighborhood. This was not quality ice cream, mind you. The ice creams cost $1. Our choices included sherbet popsicles shaped … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Our eyes sparkled as his voice carried us along. Dad and Mom read bedtime stories to us during our early childhood years. We soaked up these tales of chocolate factories, children slipping through a wardrobe, and small hobbits on grand adventures. Dad and Mom were excellent readers who drew us into the … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin My heart soared. We had attended a Christian concert with our then-teenage kids. The band’s voices and instruments swelled combining with the vast crowd to lift the name of Jesus through song. It felt heavenly. I watched my kids’ faces alight with divine joy. Right then, I recalled another time when I … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin I was sailing down the highway to an appointment when traffic stopped. Cars piled up and came to a standstill. I leaned forward scanning the scene to locate the cause. Minutes ticked by and still nothing. Finally, I noticed a man straining to move a heavy load of turf across the highway. … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin I reached down, pulled out a seedling, and paused in wonder. God made that! I was heading to the backyard to check on our tomato plants. Instead of lush tomatoes, I discovered maple seedlings blanketing the flowerbeds and garden. A sea of sprouts had popped up seemingly overnight, announcing their arrival with … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A Precarious Moment As I peered down, my body froze. I was painting the dormer windows on the roof of our home. Though a small Cape Cod house, the roof was steep. I had propped the ladder against the roof and scrambled up. With my paint bucket and brush in one hand, … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Blooming and Releasing My soul revives in spring glory. Earthy scents of wet soil Touch my nose in the puffy wind. Driving on highways Once barren and dark The world heard God’s call, “Out with the old, In with the new.” Buds, blooms, and blossoms awaken In rarest hues reserved for spring, … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin We Need a Hero Sometimes we need a hero. To be encouraged by someone who lives with fierce faith in God. To hear again a testimony that inspires. During my recent Bible reading, one such unlikely heroine caught my attention. Her name is Rahab. Her spirit bright with faith, Rahab threw herself … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A Good Foundation The moment we begin, we wonder how it will all turn out. Each year, around Thanksgiving, my family makes gingerbread houses. With painstaking care, my mom rolls, cuts, and bakes the gingerbread dough by hand. We use gumdrops, M&Ms, licorice, and our imaginations to decorate the houses. Mom’s recipe … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Enduring to reach the goal It was not what we expected. With a list of errands in hand, we stopped at a nearby store planning to run in, grab an item or two and cruise on to the next destination. Eagerly, we gathered up the things we needed, perused a few clearance … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A Grandmother’s Faith We called her Nanny. With a ready smile and sweet spirit she radiated an inner contentment, the peace that only God can provide. Nanny’s steadfast faith in Christ, despite illness and hardships, endeared her to me and all who knew her. It was a thrill whenever she came to … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin When Days are Cold The air stung my cheeks as we trudged along that winter day. An overcast sky shadowed our steps. A hint of snow whispered in the wind. We hiked this same trail just a few months earlier, our senses flooded with rich fall foliage, vivid colors and the scent … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Alone The accident should have taken my life. As each ominous moment unfolded, I called on the only name that can save. Jesus. I was alone in the car. Alone to witness what should have been my last breath. Alone to experience a miraculous rescue by God. Alone in the aftermath of … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Unstoppable Power They have a power all their own. The patches of stubborn, unmelted snow still cling to the earth, gripping the edges of our souls with the frigid bite of winter. But there they are- unthwarted, unstoppable, undaunted. Up from the earth. Up from the shadows. Up from the seeming stillness … Read more
A Lifelong Pursuit of Christ As followers of Christ, we discover a journey that takes us through nourishing, green pastures, still waters of refreshment and at times, deep, dark valleys. Our Good Shepherd saves us, leads us, cares for us and loves us all along the way. Therefore, our greatest desire is to live for … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The End is in Sight I love a good hike. There’s nothing quite like breathing in the fresh air, feeling the sun on your face, hearing the steady rhythm of your feet, God’s green earth beneath you. The joy of the first step is almost as exuberant as the joy in the … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The Rock There it stood. Rugged, wild and immovable. Our family excursion to Maine brought us to the picturesque Pemaquid Point. We climbed along the rocky outcropping that stood firm against the onslaught of ocean waves. Though the waves rolled in, crashing with rhythmic force, yet the rock stood firm. We stood … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A Gift of Faithfulness As part of my Mother’s Day gift this spring, my husband and children helped me plant a small deck garden using tubs, buckets and flower pots. Like any faithful gardener, they helped me place and cover the seeds in rich soil, then provided proper moisture and sunlight for … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin It was a small and simple surprise, but my heart leaped for joy at the sight! My husband had snapped a twig off our old apple tree and placed it in a vase on the kitchen table. Though half of the tree was now dead, a few branches still pulsed with life, … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin When times are hard, when we’re stressed out, worried or down, there is nothing like a song to reset our internal compass. Music can help lift our eyes, minds and hearts, especially when those songs point us to Christ. He is our hope in life and in death. Songs with Christian lyrics … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Spring is my favorite season of the year. I love to witness new life bursting forth from what once appeared dead and gone. The vivid colors, the sweet fragrances, the lengthening daylight. It all speaks of hope. Hope from that which seemed hopeless. Life from that which seemed lifeless. Anticipation. Promise. Expectancy. … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Do you remember a time like this? That moment when you needed someone to believe you, to trust you. Perhaps it was an accident and you wanted others to understand what happened. Maybe it was the doctor and you needed him to believe your symptoms. Perhaps someone was giving a different account … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The story of Nehemiah is one that grabs my heart every time. From beginning to end, I see a man of strength through surrender. Though the concept of surrendered leadership seems a contradiction, when we are surrendered to the Lord, it becomes our greatest strength. The Story of Nehemiah Nehemiah’s story took … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin When the first dancing lights of summer lit up our backyard, shouts rang through the house! Lightning bugs, lightning bugs, lightning bugs! We foraged through the plastic containers to find just the right “lightning bug home”. We chased and scampered back and forth through the yard flinging our arms to capture just … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Have you ever worked for someone who was an excellent leader? Have you worked for someone who was not? Those serving in leadership positions have a great impact on us. Though we may not consider ourselves leaders, even in our personal spheres of influence, we impact one another more than we know. … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin New Growth Spring brings a variety of sweet memories from my past and heartwarming feelings of anticipation in the present. A fond memory from my childhood is that of my father starting seeds indoors in early spring. Sometimes in egg cartons, sometimes in small peat pots. The seeds would be carefully buried … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin As Children – We Can’t Wait I remember it like yesterday. With eager faces and fidgety bodies we sat through the Christmas Eve service at church. Angel costumes, eyes twinkling, voices resounding, Christmas carols ringing. We were there, but looking forward, looking ahead, looking onward. Following the church service, our parents bustled … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Galatians 4:4-5 New life. New hope. New birth. I remember the touch of our children’s soft faces against mine … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The End of Our Strength We’ve all been there. That moment when the relationship falls apart and the memories are strewn on the floor in millions of shattered glass shards. When the job opportunity disintegrates before our eyes sending dark billowing clouds across our horizon. When the doctor gives the diagnosis you … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Faith in a Mother’s Love My eyes scanned the audience. There she was. Her soft gray hair and gentle smile radiating love toward all, but especially toward me, her daughter. I remember looking for her among the crowd. Though the kind faces of others were a sweet comfort, there was no face … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Faith. With sun scorched thirst Bending over the rushing stream My eyes light with joy Knowing my feverishly parched soul will soon be satiated I cup my hands Carefully scooping every slosh I gather with all the strength of my force Every drop of You But as I lift my hands I … Read more