The wealthy old man had finally died, and his sons gathered in the lawyer’s office to hear the reading of his will: one a farmer, one a fisherman, and one a builder. Their father had owned thousands of acres of land, and had decided to divide it equally among his sons, though he had not … Continue reading Pleasant Lines
Author: Cindy Matson
My name is Cindy Matson. I proudly hail from the great state of Wyoming, land of more antelope than people (officially), more tumbleweeds than antelope (unofficially), and one four-year university (Go Cowboys!). While I was born and raised in the West, I transplanted to the Great North of Minnesota after attending college in Wisconsin (even farther north!). I’ve lived in Viking-land for nearly a dozen years now. While I enjoy writing, my day job for the past twelve years was teaching English and Spanish to 7-12 graders (hence the enjoyment of diagramming). Maybe one day I’ll write about exactly how I came to faith in Christ, but for now, please suffice it to say that I believe in a risen Savior who took upon Himself my sins on the cross, suffering righteously in my place, and rising again the third day. Without Him, I have no hope.
Here are a few things I love: My husband and our two adorable (but crazy) children, my long-legged black dog, coffee, peanut butter, chocolate, reading, basketball (playing, coaching, watching), autumn, playing the guitar, the Green Bay Packers.
Here are a few things I hate: humidity, ketchup, the New England Patriots, humidity, stuffing, parades, and humidity.
Where Does My Help Come From?
What do you like to do on long journeys? Listen to music? Play games? Watch movies? Listen to an audiobook? I enjoy all of those things. I wonder if the children of Israel played I Spy as they traversed to Jerusalem twice a year: “I spy with my little eye something…brown.” “Sand?” I doubt they … Continue reading Where Does My Help Come From?
Does Your Worship Affect Your Heart?
Come Thou fount of every blessingTune my heart to sing Thy grace;Streams of mercy never ceasingCall for songs of loudest praise. 1 If I were to ask you to make a Top-10 list of your favorite hymns, “Come, Thou Fount” would probably make the cut. The masterful poetry paired with a singable, beautiful melody comes … Continue reading Does Your Worship Affect Your Heart?
Was It Actually for Me?
I've been studying recently through the prophetic book of Zechariah, written in the years following the Babylonian Captivity. In chapter 7, the people want to know if they're still required to fast to bring about the end of the exile. God responds with a haunting question: "Was it actually for Me?" This query has gripped … Continue reading Was It Actually for Me?
From Dust to Diamonds
My first interaction with mica came when I was about twelve years old. My parents had recently purchased some land on which they planned to build a cabin. Just a few miles from that mountain property lies an abandoned mica mine, so we’d often take the ATVs and check it out. The cabins that once … Continue reading From Dust to Diamonds
Praying Psalm 27 in Suffering
Every so often a church experiences a wave of suffering among its members. The prayer requests hurt even and leave us stammering in prayer. Such has been the case recently in the church I attend. An undiagnosed, debilitating blood disease, a brain bleed, an eating disorder, and the unforeseen death of a loved one have … Continue reading Praying Psalm 27 in Suffering
When Darkness Overwhelms
Were you ever afraid of the dark? I was, though as a child I would have denied it. I slept with my door open so that I could see the light from the kitchen. And when we’d visit my grandparents’ house, I'd vociferously object to sleeping in complete darkness, much to my sister’s chagrin. Now … Continue reading When Darkness Overwhelms
I Know I Should Read More Books. But How?
Were you a Book-It kid? I was. I fondly remember taking my completed sticker chart into the dimly lit Pizza Hut and waiting for what seemed like forever on an uncomfortable wooden bench looking at Golden books as my very own personal-size pizza baked in the oven. I’m not sure whether I loved pizza or … Continue reading I Know I Should Read More Books. But How?
Learning to Cling
After forty sweltering years in the wilderness, Moses is about to die, and the people of Israel stand ready to enter the long-awaited Promised Land without him. Since a new generation has grown up in the wilderness after Sinai, Moses reiterates the Law in his farewell address, the book we know as Deuteronomy (literally, “second … Continue reading Learning to Cling
Without the Gospel…
Paul loved the churches he addresses in his epistle to the Galatians. Unlike his other letters, written to one specific church or person, Galatians’ audience was the churches of a given area—the area Paul and Barnabas covered on their first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). A lot of blood, sweat, and tears were shed on that … Continue reading Without the Gospel…
Bible Study Nerd 