Just for Women 2021 Archives

For over 30 years, Heartlight has shared articles to help people live for Jesus in everyday life. While we are no longer publishing new articles, this enduring collection features relevant pieces throughout the year to encourage faith, offer biblical perspective, and speak to real-world joys and struggles.

This Light: Emmanuel

by Melissa Troyer · Immanuel

Melissa Troyer is moved by a family and church celebration of Jesus as the Light during Advent season and reflects on what this means to us all.

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).

Mothers Pray for Their Children

by Melissa Troyer · 2 Timothy 2:1-2 · Prayer

Melissa Troyer shares a prayer all mothers of deep faith can pray over their children, and the children of others.

What is more powerful in shaping the heart and faith of a child than a mother who prays for her children?

Stooping to Serve, Not to Shame

by Melissa Troyer · Romans 12:1-2 · Servant

Melissa Troyer shares the worship in stooping to clean up the messes that are part of a mom's everyday experience with little children she is trying to mold into followers of Jesus.

God brings me to my knees, both in honesty and in choosing joy, as I pick up a careless mess made by the precious, but oblivious little stampede that lives within my walls.

Before the Red Sea Parts

by Melissa Troyer · Joshua 24:5-7

Melissa Troyes writes with beauty about God’s touches of grace on a trip to New England with her family as she wrestles with the grief over an aunt who is gone too soon and the uncertainty of the future of her family and where they will live.

Life is as full of beauty as it is uncertainty if we open our eyes to see the divine fingerprints of grace.

Run Away Like Jonah Days

by Melissa Troyer · Psalm 62:1 · Stress · Strength

Melissa Troyer is having one of those days where you want to run away and hide and yet has a young child that demands attention, driving Melissa back into the strength of God!

Perhaps the biggest gift of

Made for This!

by Melissa Troyer · Psalm 139:13-16 · Denial · Delight

Melissa Troyer writes about the challenging realities of the roles we have to play and have to fill and then wonders, and embraces, that maybe these are exactly the roles God has made to embrace and fill.

All too often we cringe at the role we find ourselves filling, and filling beautifully, when in fact this is the role God made us to fill!

A Breathtaking Mystery

by Melissa Troyer · 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 · Transformation

Melissa Troyer reminds us of the breathtaking partnership we have with Christ to remain in the process of transformation.

The more I discover, the vast possibilities ahead yawn even wider before me.

Where to Reach

by Melissa Troyer · James 1:19-20 · Holy Spirit

Melissa Troyer reminds us of those mistakes made by our little ones when they are in their early exploration modes and how our job is not to load them down with rules but to show them where to reach.

I knew the picture looked different zoomed out.

I Remember Mimi as the Fireflies Dance

by Melissa Troyer · Proverbs 31:30-31

Melissa Troyer shares her memories of her grandmother, Mimi Margaret, and tells her children about the safest place of her childhood.

I still remember the feeling of holding my mouth perfectly still while she put lipstick on my lips, the smell of the old wig on my head making me want to sneeze.

This Sanctuary

by Melissa Troyer · John 4:23-24 · Sabbath · Sanctuary

Melissa Troyer writes powerfully and poignantly about the journey she and her husband, Daniel, have traveled to live love and mission and family, together, finding God as their sanctuary.

I think if I had known all we would face, I couldn't have breathed. Except for one thing. God would be with us.

What Really Matters

by Melissa Troyer · Luke 12:27 · Love

Melissa Troyer reminds us that things are just things, but if we have people we love then we have what matters most!

What would you take if our house were burning down, and, if everyone were already out of the house?

Please...

by · Ephesians 2:10 · Motherhood

Jordan Harrell leaves us with a powerful and beautiful reminder of God only calls us to be who he made to be in the situation he placed us!

Stop trying to be 'every mom'!

When Easter Feels Messy

by Melissa Troyer · Luke 19:1-10 · Messes

Melissa Troyer shares her busy and messy Easter morning when she arrived in a mess and exhausted from the messiness of the morning only to meet Jesus there.

Maybe your Easter was picture perfect and everything you hoped it would be. Or, maybe you found yourself too far away to see or hear anything clearly.

Let Love Lead the Way

by Melissa Troyer · Luke 10 · Race

Melissa Troyer reminds us that the only way out of the mess we now find ourselves in is to start our own movement of grace.

We all need to spend days in a rock tumbler, thrown and tossed against other hard objects till our broken edges are softened and our hearts are reawakened.

To the Girl on the Elevator

by Teresa Bell Kindred · James 5:16

Teresa Bell Kindred shares an emotional story from her experience caring for her husband in his two-plus month battle with COVID-19 and invites us to pray God's blessing into the life of an unknown young wife whose husband is in ICU.

I wish I could have hugged the girl on the elevator.

I'm Done and That's Good!

by Christine Derengowski · Ephesians 6:1-4 · School

Christine Derengowski writes frankly and truthfully and encouragingly about dealing with our superheroes who have had to conquer forces unseen before for school kids in this crazy COVID world!

Instead of getting frustrated and pushing the assignment, I sat down with him at his desk in his superhero bedroom.

Because You Know!

by · Jeremiah 30:17 · Healing

Jordan Harrell reminds us to not listen to the lies of Satan but instead remember who God is, what God has done, and what we know of God, and trust God's voice and not the lies of our circumstances, problems, pandemics, or hopelessness.

God says: 'There is no race too long, no wall too high, no gap too wide, no shattered thing too broken to strip you of my HOPE.'

In the Face of Uncertain Odds

by Melissa Troyer · Mark 4:35-39

Melissa Troyer reminds us of Jesus who brings peace in the worst of storms, both the early disciples in a boat and us in our troubled world.

Don't focus on the building waves or let the pitching boat convince you otherwise.

Escaping the Dark, Lonely, Hole of Depression

by Teresa Bell Kindred · Galatians 6:2

Teresa Bell Kindred opens up about her struggle with anxiety and depression, a secret hidden in her family for multiple generations, and she urges us to open up and get help.

Find someone you can talk to. Don't wait any longer. Get the conversation started!

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