Sheila K. Campbell

Early Blooms

2 Comments / More Than Mended / Sheila K. Campbell

One morning just after the time change, I paused as I headed to work and took a picture of my apricot tree with its pretty pink blooms set against the grey light of dawn. As I look at the tree, I think about my own life, and wonder how often I have raced ahead of the season and bloomed but failed to bear fruit. The longer I live, the more I see that life is complex. It is a long, slow, journey. This journey is what some once called the process of sanctification, and for me it has been a long, slow, growing in grace.

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Inconvenient Interruptions

Leave a Comment / More Than Mended / Sheila K. Campbell

Not long ago an interruption to my day – an unplanned conversation that took precious time that I didn’t think I had to give – turned out to be a beautiful moment of healing old wounds. It reminded me of a book I had read and wrote about many years ago when my children were young. This passage from the book Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss and my recent conversation reminded me that some interruptions that momentarily inconvenience can be beautiful opportunities for growth and healing.

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Windy Wishes

Leave a Comment / Pausing To Praise / Sheila K. Campbell

Last week I was longing for spring as I battled a cold north wind all day. This week, warmer temperatures, and high winds leave me longing for summer. Spring in the Texas Panhandle is rarely idyllic. Most of the time, it is a windy battle between winter and summer. Much of the time, I find myself longing to be someplace other than where I am today. So how do we find contentment?

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All one – our identity in Christ

Leave a Comment / A Space for Grace / Sheila K. Campbell

In recent months, I have read and listened to several discussions and sermons regarding our identity in Christ. As a reminder of who we are in Christ, many of them have cited Galatians 3:27-28. Since I also used this scripture reference in a blog post on whether Christians should call themselves gay, these messages have prompted me to go back and take a deeper look at this scripture and Paul’s message.

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Facing the Dark And Finding Light

2 Comments / More Than Mended / Sheila K. Campbell

I watch the sunset and I am drawn to the wonder and awe of its elegant artistry. I want to linger in its light and hold on to its beauty; to close my eyes to the gathering dark and carry it with me through the night till light can once more be seen with my waking eyes. But eventually, I must turn and face the lengthening shadows. Sometimes grief, like the fading light of day, will settle slowly in our hearts, so how do we face the dark?

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A Light for the night

Leave a Comment / More Than Mended / Sheila K. Campbell

Sometimes it is difficult in the middle of winter to remember the bright colors of spring, the warmth of sun on your face and bare arms, the fragrant smell of lilac and hyacinth, and the musical chatter of birds. But spring will come again, the days will get longer, and the sunshine will eventually bring warmth. Seasons pass and so do dark nights and grief. Sometimes instead of a new year resolution or goal, we must simply remind ourselves that this too shall pass.

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Peace Amidst the noise and haste

Leave a Comment / Pausing To Praise / Sheila K. Campbell

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence.
I often think of this line when I find myself in a crowed store brightly decorated for the holiday and full of people noisily shopping and in an anxious hurry to get finished and go on to ‘the next thing’ (whatever that may be). Amid the chatter of hundreds of conversations, the squeak of carts, the clatter of items being loaded and unloaded, the rustle of plastic bags, the beep of scanners, the scolding of children, and the faint hum of Christmas music, I will sometimes remind myself to slow down and ‘remember what peace there may be in silence’ and it is the silence of my heart that opens my eyes.

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An Autumn Day

Leave a Comment / Pausing To Praise / Sheila K. Campbell

When I was a young mother, it often seemed like summer days would stretch out almost indefinitely and there seemed to always be another day just around the corner to do all those things my children and I wanted to do. But all too soon, the days would shorten, the nights turn cooler, and before long the leaves would be falling from the young trees in our yard

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A Living Loss

2 Comments / More Than Mended / Sheila K. Campbell

Life is full of loss. Living losses often come in the form of broken relationships with those we love. Divorce, job loss, injury, illness, or lost relationships, can all leave us heartbroken and wondering what happened. The problem with a living loss is the lack of finality. We hope that what is lost will be restored, what is broken will be mended, or that what has gone so terribly wrong will once again be made right. But while we may cling to hope, grief still accompanies loss, even when it mingles with hope. Sharing my own experiences with living loss, I hope to encourage you in your journey to heart healing.

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should Christians Call themselves Gay? Tiresome Questions, Trite Answers, Or Thoughtfully Pondered Responses?

1 Comment / A Space for Grace / Sheila K. Campbell

Should our identity as a believer in the gospel of Christ be always and only Christian? We often identify as either a man or woman, or according to our ethnicity, occupation, or experience. And although a new creation in Christ, we all still experience both the neutral and sinful aspects of our humanity. So, are there times when it is appropriate for Christians to identity with our humanity as well as our Christianity? And if this is true, is it appropriate for a Christian to identify as gay or same sex attracted or any other identity?

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