There's a thought I've heard many times after someone's death. When we look at the dash on the tombstone, what does it say about that person's life? How did he or she spend "the dash" in between the years etched on the marker of his or her life? And what am I doing to change myself, my community and my world during my small portion of His great dash? How am I using the gifts He has entrusted to me to be a part of someone else's destiny?

It's a big question. But here's what I know for sure: God placed me here in a specific time and place, with a chosen family, with a certain skill and gift set, and He expects me to use those gifts to make a difference every single day. And there's more. He expects me sometimes to go way beyond what I believe I can do; He needs me sometimes just to leap into His arms, trusting Him to catch me and equip me to do whatever He has in store. Do I always feel equipped? Oh no, but His Word promises that if we follow His call, He will give us what we need to accomplish His tasks in His timing. Scary? Not really if we indeed have the faith of a mustard seed. In fact, in Romans 12, we are told that God has distributed a measure of faith to each one of us, so we must put ourselves out there in complete trust.

Jean Burden has written a timely and inspirational devotional, her third, called, "Reflections From the Porch: Life Lessons from Boggy Road. Many of the 40 inspirational messages are about her and her family's experiences on their farm on Boggy Road.

Jean says, "I pray that this devotional book will encourage you to be courageous as you face life's challenges and make the "dash" of your life count for eternity!"