Articles by: Nancy A. Stevens
Part 2: Pretty Lies
“Hello, my name’s Mindy Patterson.” “I’m Crystal Jeffrey. My daughter, Narissa, and I took Jazzy to the mall…
Part 1: Pretty Lies
‘Jazzy, you look hot! And I love your hair!” Narissa tapped her friend’s arm. ‘Let’s hang out at…
My Hero, My Queen
“Ariel, I overheard one of the other servant girls talking about the queen,” Shiana remarked. “She said the…
Alyssa’s Roses
“Not again!” Jack exclaimed. “Kate, I need some help here!” he loudly called to his wife, who was…
Where Does He Fit?
“Hey, runt!” Joshua called to his younger brother. “Joshua, why do you insist on calling Luke that name?”…
It Takes Three
“Are they fighting again, Destiny?” Allison asked her 8-year-old neighbor, who was sitting on the porch of the…
Sliding Through
As I waited for my husband one afternoon at the mall, I watched several kids slide by me.…
Small Steps
“Can I ask you something?” An older gentleman beckoned to me. I interrupted my morning walk in the…
The Upside-Down God
The Lord never seems to do things the way we think that He will. We devise a plan…
The Perfect Couple
“Cassie, we missed you and Colin at church last night,” Sara told her friend as they walked down…
Tips for Stressed-Out Spouses
Wow! I had anticipated that this would be a slow, relaxing day, I told my husband. But challenging…
Mr. Nobody
“I can’t wait till I grow up!” ten-year-old Riley said angrily. “No one ever listens to me.” “Did…
Grasshoppers Don’t Fight Giants
“Grandfather Daniel, you’ve told us what life was like in Egypt under Pharaoh,” Joel remarked. His youngest sister,…
Are We a Real Family?
Katrina and Alex, “why are you still awake?” Jody asked her daughters when they woke her up in…
The Party Dress
“Kirstin, in two weeks, we’ll be going to a very special party,” Faith told her daughter. Kirstin stopped…
Will You Still Love Me?
“Kyra, didn’t I tell you to pick your toys up from the living room floor and bring them…
Throw Them in the Fire!
“Thank you for seeing me, sir. My name is Seth.” “Come, sit down, Seth,” Daniel responded. ” I…
I Miss My Brother
“Mom, I miss my big brother,” Jesse remarked. “Why doesn’t he live with us?” Hannah responded, “Come sit…
Green Looks Terrible on You
“Kelsi, did you see the top that Mikayla was wearing in class today?” Amber remarked to her friend.…
Four-Way Stop
“Let’s all remember the lesson we learned in kindergarten,” the radio announcer amicably urged. “Let’s play together nicely…
Dying to Be Pretty
“Hey, Nicole, come with us to the mall,” Chelsea called to her friend as they left Fairfield High.…
Babysitting Blues
“Chloe, did you change Hayley’s diaper like I asked you to?” Jayme asked her daughter. Eleven-year-old Chloe continued…
Who Is the Captain?
Many people believe that if they work hard enough, learn enough and push themselves to excel, they can…
The Pearl
People had walked over the desolate field hundreds of times, kicking up a cloud of dust as they…
Daily Mathematics
Why was so much subtracted from our checking account? I wondered. As I looked at the figures again,…
Compliments
“How pretty your hair looks,” I commented to an acquaintance of mine. “Did you get it cut differently?”…
But it Sounded so Good
“What’s wrong?” my husband asked me. “This product is not at all like it was advertised to be!”…
You Don’t Deserve to Be Hurt
“My boyfriend loves me,” stated Emma, “but sometimes I make him angry, and he shoves me.” “He hasn’t…
Why Am I Always Out of Sync?
“Oh no! I can’t believe I did that!” Jacob exclaimed. “What’s wrong?” queried Caleb, his neighbor. “I just…
Where’s the Anesthetic?
“I didn’t know that it would hurt so much!” I told the dentist shortly after she began working…
When God Does His Laundry
“Honey, we woke up before the alarm clock went off!” my smiling husband remarked. “That’s wonderful, but we’d…
What Happened While I Slept?
Have you ever tried to do something routine and encountered obstacle after obstacle? “Everything seemed normal yesterday. What…
What About Your House?
“What a magnificent house!” the visitor exclaimed. “And the furnishings are simply exquisite!” As the proud owner took…
We’re Gonna Crash!
At last! All of your hard work has paid off, and you’re finally taking the vacation that you’ve…
Watch Out for the Slippery Spots!
“Watch out!” my friend Evelyn told me. “It’s really slippery over there.” I walk 2 miles every morning…
Waiting for Oncoming Traffic
You can feel the sweat dripping down your shirt in spite of the air conditioning. Record temperatures and…
Wait for the Debris to Settle
This week I’ve been thinking about guidance and confusion. As I rested in bed the other day with…
The Right Pressure
One of our car’s tires had a slow leak and kept losing air pressure, no matter how often…
The Dirty Glass
A mother was working in her garden on a muggy August day. Madison, her 5-year-old daughter, watched her…
The Clock
On our dining room table we have a battery-operated anniversary clock that my employer awarded to me for…
Stuck at the Stoplight
This has got to be the longest stoplight in history! I waited impatiently at the first of 15…
Snails Pace
Have you ever noticed that embarrassing moments–when you feel like crawling into a hole and hiding–last a lot…
Protective Custody
The German shepherd bared his teeth and growled menacingly. Our next-door neighbors had gone away, leaving their unchained…
Perseverance or Surrender
This morning as I took a walk, I found myself thinking about perseverance. Perseverance is a wonderful quality.…
Patience
Lately I’ve been thinking about patience, or as is often the case, my lack of it. The Bible…
Our Gifts to God
In prayer we usually request things from our Heavenly Father, and then we thank Him for His answers.…
Oatmeal Days
Since I was a little girl, I’ve heard the saying: “Confession is good for the soul,” so I…
Noise
This week I’ve been thinking about noise. It’s everywhere. The sounds of people rushing here and there frantically…
No Easy Road
Not every crucial decision appears to be important at the time it is made. A seemingly inconsequential choice…
New Glasses
“Things look so different!” I commented to my husband after putting on my new eyeglasses. I read store…
Nearsightedness
Do we think of God as the eternal bookkeeper who is recording everything we do and say? Do…
Narrow Feet and Other Disappointments
“This is so frustrating!” I told my husband. “My boots fit well a few days ago, but the…
Moment-sized Bites
“God is in control.” How often have we heard this when faced with a crisis? But perhaps simply…
He Won’t Put You on Hold
When I was a very little girl, I naively thought that once you learned how to be an…
Face the Music
Trembling in the king’s presence, Nehemiah quickly breathed a prayer. Appearing sad or gloomy before the king was…
Escape From Prison
Have you ever felt as if everyone had deserted you and left you to face terrible circumstances all…
Don’t Leave Me in the Dark!
“Hey! I’m still in here. Don’t leave me in the dark!” Alone and forgotten in the blackness, with…
Don’t Jump Overboard!
Jesus had spent another busy day teaching the crowds and healing the sick. The crowds had grown so…
Disappointments
“The paper is late again!” I told my husband after going outside our apartment building to look for…
Changes
If you have ever lost a job at the worst possible time due to downsizing, or if you…
Change of Seasons
According to a study of America’s 300 largest cities, the little city in which I live, Springfield, Missouri,…
Banana-Nut Bread
Many years had passed since the two friends had been together, though neither one could remember the precise…
A Cracked What?
I was driving home from my daily walk at our local mall when my car’s speedometer suddenly dropped…
Life’s Hardest Lesson
“Lord, why have you brought trouble upon us?” Moses asked. “Is this why you sent me?” Earlier, he…
I Hate Change!
“So you’re taking my grandchildren away from me!” Lanie said bitterly. “I’m sorry, Mom,” Denny responded. “I don’t…
He Won’t Forget You
We had painstakingly packed away our wedding album when we moved about a year ago. As we were…
Have I Made the Right Choice?
“How are you coping with all the changes in your family?” asked Jeff as he and his friend…
No Answer
At one time or another, most of us have experienced the frustration of not being able to contact…
You’re Not Dreaming!
You’re Not Dreaming! Peter’s future looked worse than bleak. Herod had ordered the execution of James, the brother…
Who Made the Promise?
The reliability of a promise depends entirely on the trustworthiness of the person who makes it. We all…
Empty Holes
Astronomers at the University of Minnesota recently discovered a gigantic hole in the universe, an expanse nearly a…
Critters
As I walked down my street after a spring shower, I came upon an earthworm convention holding their…
Lost in the Crowd
I guess at times everyone feels unnoticed or left out. But when being forgotten seems to be the…